Apple Strudel

Apple Strudel

        This is possibly my all time favourite apple dessert and it's always a big hit with my customers.
I love to serve it warm with vanilla ice-cream, so delicious. I have used the easy method here with filo pastry from the supermarket. I always used to make my own strudel pastry but it's such a faff to prepare. I love the crispy result that the filo gives. I also like to use salted butter to brush to filo, it just adds a little extra dimension to the strudel.

The Ingredients:-

700 gms/ 1½ lbs apples. I like to use Bramleys but green dessert apples work well. Peel, Core & Chop
zest of 1 lemon plus the juice of half of it
8 sheets of filo pastry
125g/4oz soft light brown sugar
60g/ 2oz melted  butter for brushing the pastry
30g/1oz butter for frying the breadcrumbs
2tbsp breadcrumbs
1tsp cinnamon
60g/2oz sultanas

set the oven to 180c/375f/gas 5

edges are folded in to secure the filling 

melt 1oz of butter in a frying pan, add the cinnamon and breadcrumbs and lightly colour.
sprinkle over with the sugar & mix together.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface
Slightly overlap two sheets of filo to make one large piece
brush with butter
Repeat with a second and a third layer (using six sheets in total)
scatter over the apples leaving around 2" edge all the way around.
scatter over the lemon zest and sprinkle it with the lemon juice
sprinkle on the breadcrumb & sugar mixture & sultanas
fold in the edges as shown in the picture
fold up the ends
turn the strudel so that the long side is parallel to your body

roll up with the aid of the parchment paper underneath

now holding the parchment carefully roll the strudel keeping it tight without breaking the pastry.
place on a buttered baking sheet.
scrunch up the remaining 2 sheets of filo and place on top .
brush over with melted butter

scrunch up a couple of sheets of filo and brush with butter

Bake for around 30/40 mins or until the filo is golden and crispy.

The finished strudel