Apple Strudel

There is a little German/French bistro in the charming town of Galena, Illinois called Fritz & Frites. Their Wiener Schnitzel is “to die for”, but equally enticing is their Apple Strudel with cinnamon ice cream for dessert! I wanted to give this a shot, basing my recipe on the flavor and texture that makes this version of strudel my favorite, and keeps me coming back for more!

I love the thin, crispy, and flakey shell made from 8 layers of Filo dough, and of course layers and layers of melted butter. The apples are sliced very thin, then combined with sugar and cinnamon for that irresistible taste and aroma. You could add nuts or raisins, but I prefer letting the apples be the star in this strudel.

Cinnamon ice cream is a perfect partner for this strudel, but vanilla will work as well. If you can’t find cinnamon ice cream, you can make it! I started with 1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream, let it soften at room temp for about 10 min – then gently stirred in a little cinnamon and brown sugar (as much or as little as you like) – to give it a “cinnamon roll” flavor. Then re-freeze.

APPLE STRUDEL

Recipe makes 2 strudels. Serves about 12. You can serve 1, and freeze the other!

Ingredients:

1 pkg Filo Dough (thaw in refrigerator overnight)
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced very thin
Juice of 1/4 of a lemon
1/3 c + 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp all purpose flour (divided)
1 1/2 c unsalted butter, melted

Set Filo dough box on counter for 15-20 min., and allow to come to room temp.

Once apples are sliced, place in a large bowl, squeeze the juice of 1/4 of a lemon over the apples, and toss. Add the sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Toss to combine. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove the Filo dough from the package. Unroll til flat. Cover with a damp towel. This will keep the layers easy to work with.

Place 1 sheet of Filo dough on one of the pans lined with parchment paper. Brush lightly with melted butter. Layer a total of 8 Filo sheets, brushing lightly with melted butter between each layer. Repeat this process with the 2nd sheet pan, and 8 more sheets of Filo dough. (Now when it comes to Filo dough, you can’t skimp on the butter. It is essential to the crispy texture of Filo. So if this much butter is not for you – try this recipe with puff pastry instead. The texture will be different, but it will work).

Pour 1/2 of the apple mixture down the center of each strudel, using a slotted spoon. Leave the juices behind. Leave about a 2″ to 3″ border to allow for folding and sealing the strudel. Sprinkle 1 tsp of flour over the apples on each strudel. This will become the bottom of the strudel, and help thicken the juices during the baking process.

Gently fold over the ends. Brush with melted butter. Fold 1 longer side over the apples. Brush with melted butter. Fold over the other side to cover and seal the strudel. Gently turn the strudel over, to place it seam side down. Brush entire strudel with melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar as desired.