Apple Strudel You’ll want to Doodle!

A fall filled with apples made me think outside the pie box. I also had a package of frozen fillo (phyllo) sheets from my early pandemic shopping spree of strange things I purchased but never used. Those early days of shopping in stores with nearly empty shelves were indeed strange. 

Apple strudel and wiener schnitzel are considered the national dishes of Austria. Traced back to 1697, it is often mistaken as being German perhaps because the word strudel means whirlpool in German. When you slice the strudel, the layers resemble a whirlpool pattern. 

Inspired by my daughter-in-law’s birthday requisite baked treat, combined with a quick search of apples and fillo, the result was a plethora of apple strudel recipes! I spent a week reading and comparing ingredients and techniques. My recipe below is the best tricks and treats for your favorite folks. 

There are a few steps so don’t get discouraged. It truly is easy! No flour! You will not believe that you made this bakery-worthy dish in less than one hour. It is crispy and fragile and recommended to be eaten the day it is made. No problem!

A few tips:

The box of fillo shown has 25 sheets. You will take the box out of freezer the night before baking. Keep the box in the refridgerator until ready to use. They are very fragile. You cannot refreeze them. This recipe is for 1 strudel, and each strudel uses only 8 sheets. Depending on the brand you purchase, you will have enough sheets to make 3 strudels. The extra sheets will age quickly if not used, so I made 3. 

Read the entire recipe before you begin. 

Because the mixture of bread crumbs and ground almonds has to cool, I made that first. I tripled the ingredients so I had that mixture ready for 3 strudels. If you only plan to make one, you should use the amount of ingredients listed. 

Peel and slice your apples before you begin buttering the fillo sheets. 

Assemble the strudel on a 12 x 15 cookie sheet lined with 2 sheets of parchment paper or foil. One sheet will be used to roll up the strudel. You will bake it on the remaining sheet. You will add the apples on the 15 inch side. 

Optional: add raisins use yellow to compliment the apples and add by hand about 20 on top of apples before rolling. You want the apples to be the star!

Amazing Apple Strudel

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Defrost fillo in refrigerator the night before baking. 

Makes one 15 inch strip serves 6-8 

Ingredients

8 fillo sheets

1 stick melted butter or 8 Tablespoons Ghee to baste each sheet

Crumb to sprinkle on each sheet - use when cool

3 Tablespoons butter melt in pan

1 cup bread crumbs toast lightly 

1/3 cup ground almonds add to bread crumbs

3 apples peeled and thinly sliced (gala, red delicious or yellow delicious or combo)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Powder sugar to sprinkle when cool. 

Method

Prepared Crumb of bread crumbs and ground almonds so it is cool. This I triple for 3 strudels. See photo. Set aside. 

Peel, slice apples add sugar, cinnamon set aside. 

Melt 1 stick butter or 8 Tablespoons Ghee. Keep warm. Gather pastry brush. 

Remove fillo from refrigerator gently unroll stack of 8 sheets into one pile. Keep rest refrigerated. Place the 8 sheets on a clean towel. Keep them covered as you work. 

Place first sheet on the baking pan that you covered with 2 sheets of parchment. It will take up entire 12 x 15 cookie sheet. 

Take pastry brush and butter one fillo sheet. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons bread crumb mixture on fillo sheet. Repeat  butter and crumbs for the next 7 fillo sheet creating 8 layers. Take the apples and along the long side of rectangle leaving 1 inch open on 3 sides place apples in a linear pile layer. Use hands. Do not use the liquid in the bottom of bowl. It will make the strudel soggy. 

Taking top layer of parchment as a device begin to roll up the fillo. Roll using parchment as a tool.  As you begin to roll tuck in the 2 sides of the rectangle to avoid juice leaks while baking. Make sure the seam of your roll is on the bottom when you finish rolling. Toss the parchment away. You will bake on the remaining sheet. See photo. Butter the entire roll with the pastry brush. Do not cut steam slits like pie.

Bake 30 minutes at 375. 

Cool completely. Sprinkle with powder sugar. Serve from cookie sheet to avoid crumbling. 

Take your bows! 👏

Crumb of butter, bread crumbs, ground almonds

Brush for butter or barbeque!

One Perfect Fruit Tart - No Egg, No Roll, No Worries

Julia Child made a famous peach tart that required a few more steps and ingredients. I am certain even she would be impressed with the easy, fewer, yet authentic ingredients in this perfect tart recipe.

Fall blesses us with an abundance of fruit options. For a quick, delicious, gorgeous dessert, you can't go wrong with a fruit tart. Grab some peaches, plums, apricots, or apples and follow the instructions below. You do not have to peel stone fruit, but you will need firm, not soft fruit for ease of slicing.

You can see this lovely tart in the photo below. The dough base begins on the stove top, the 3 sliced peaches are baked in the oven at the same time as the tart shell, and the gloss added on top of the fruit  at the end is Bonne Maman French made jelly! A French import, their preserves are fruit, sugar, lemon juice and pectin - that is it. You can download a $1 coupon from their website making it a great deal, too. Click here for their website: Bonne Maman Preserves

This tart is easy, tasty, and professional looking.

Bon Appetit!

My Fresh Peach Tart

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Ingredients tart dough shell:

1 and 1/2 sticks butter
1 ounce vegetable oil

3 ounces water
1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Fruit:
In this photo 3 large, firm, unpeeled peaches were used. If using a larger pan select 4 peaches, or use plums, apricots, etc. You will need double the amount when using a smaller stone fruit size. If using apples, peel first. Cut fruit in half and then slice in thin slices, and place on cookie sheet covered in parchment or a silicone pad. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes at the same time the dough is cooking. If they look like they are drying out, remove at 30 minutes. You don't flip the fruit over during baking as the top side of the fruit will be placed down on the dough.

Topping:
1/2 - 3/4 jar of Bonne Maman fruit preserves either peaches, apricot, berry or flavor of your choice, and heat it slightly in saucepan to spreading consistency.

Method:

In a saucepan, heat butter, oil, water, sugar and vanilla until melted. See below. Then add the flour and salt. Combine in saucepan until it forms a ball. Remove from heat and cool until OK to handle. Place ball in center of removable bottom tart pan and press into place. This one is 9.5 inches, but the dough will be enough for a larger pan. Before baking, "dock" the dough by pricking it with a fork to prevent it from rising. Bake for 40 minutes it will not be completely brown. That is the complete baking cycle.

Remove dough and fruit from oven, and cool about 15 minutes or until fruit can be handled. Place the fruit top side down on the tart beginning with outer circle.

Spread heated preserves on top of fruit and let it cool and set before serving. That's it! Serve as is or with a scoop of ice cream.

Invest in a nonstick removable bottom tart pan this is 9.5 inches or larger will do.

Melt butter add liquid ingredients.

Add dry ingredients still to cook the flour a minute before removing from heat.

Press ball of dough into the tart pan. Dock by making fork prints to avoid dough rising during baking.

Slice 3-4 peaches with the skin on. Don't use soft peaches or fruit only firm. 

Use Bonne Maman Peach Preserves or a flavor you like for topping after assembling the fruit on top of cooked dough.