Phyllo (or filo) dough, best known for its use in Greek and Turkish pastries like baklava, is sold in the freezer section of large grocery stores. It is an elastic dough pulled into very thin sheets and cut into large rectangles. Follow the instructions on the box for thawing. When working with phyllo, keep the unused dough sheets stacked under a piece of plastic wrap or a barely damp kitchen towel until you are ready to use them; otherwise, they may become brittle and tear easily. Frozen phyllo dough keeps well but not indefinitely; it becomes dry or sticky if stored for too long.
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Servings
8
3 or 4 tart apples, peeled, halved, cored anddiced (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup mixed chopped dried fruit, such assour cherries, apricots, cranberries, currants,golden raisins or nectarines
Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time and keeping the others covered with a barely damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out, place the first sheet on the parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, brush well with some of the melted butter. Lay a second phyllo on top of the first and brush again with butter. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. of the granulated sugar. Repeat, brushing every sheet with butter and sprinkling every other sheet with 1 tsp. granulated sugar, until all of the phyllo is used.
In a large bowl, toss together the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and dried fruit. Arrange the apple filling along one long side of the phyllo stack, positioning it about 1 inch from the edge. Fold the edge of the stack over the filling, then carefully roll up the phyllo into a log with the seam side down. Brush the log with additional melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp. granulated sugar.
Bake the strudel until the phyllo is golden and the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Transfer the strudel to a long serving platter, cut crosswise and serve warm. Serves 8.
Adapted from
Williams-Sonoma Collection Series,
Fruit Dessert,
by Carolyn Beth Weil
(Simon & Schuster, 2004).
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Irinka from
So delicious!This is our family favorite recipe! Pretty easy to make and tastes so delicious. Two of us can eat it all at once, it’s so good.
Date published: 2021-01-01
Rated 5 out of
5 by
PhoenixRises from
Great Pie Substitute for the HolidaysThis was a huge hit. I changed it a little by soaking the dried fruit in Brandy while I made all the layers with the dough, and I added finely chopped pecans. Everyone adored it but it does take a while to make. This is our desert this Thanksgiving rather than pie.
Date published: 2013-11-26
Rated 5 out of
5 by
ElegantMac from
Tasty and wonderful variation from pieDon't get me wrong, Pumpkin Pie is still my go-to dessert dish around the holidays. But even the best pie can exhaust your palate and when you need something delicious, different, and not too much work, this is just the thing!
I recommend making sure your dried fruit doesn't have any added sugar, and cutting back on the sugar here to allow the natural fruit sugars and flavors to shine through. Also, served with vanilla ice cream blends wonderfully. :D
Thanks!
