This apple strudel recipe serves as a welcome break from the post-Christmas detox. This is an easy yet impressive pudding and can be prepared in the morning ready to shove in the oven later on. One important thing to remember with this recipe is to let the apple mixture cool down completely before wrapping in pastry… trust me, disasters will occur if you do not do this, and we’re speaking from experience!
To serve 6 you will need…
4 apples peeled cored and cut into small chunks
100g caster sugar
100g sultanas or raisins
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
150g pecans or walnuts (optional)
75g butter
6 sheets of filo pastry
1 tbsp of demerara sugar
Icing sugar cream or ice cream to serve
You will need to…
Preheat your oven to 180C
Peel and core your apples, then chop them into roughly 2cm chunks.
Add the apples, caster sugar and cinnamon to a saucepan, cover with a lid and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the apples are soft but still textured.
Remove from heat and stir in the dried fruit and nuts.
Leave to cool completely before wrapping in pastry
If you’re rushed for time, you can prepare this filling several days in advance and store in the fridge.
Melt a knob of butter in a small pan.
Remove the filo pastry from the fridge, lay the first sheet on a flat surface and brush with the butter.
Lay another sheet and repeat the process until you have used all the pastry sheets.
Brush the final layer with butter, then spoon the cooled apple mixture neatly down the middle of the pastry.
Leave an inch or so at the end of the pastry so it doesnt spill out of the end.
Wrap the pastry around the filling, tucking the ends in neatly and ensuring the seal is at the bottom.
Lay the strudel on a baking tray, lightly score the top of the pastry diagonally at equal intervals along the length of the strudel.
Sprinkle demerara sugar generously on top, this caramelises, making a sweet crunchy outside.
Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
For the finishing touches sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with cream or ice cream.
If you liked this you can find more of recipes on our blog Not Just A Pretty Plate.
Zoe Warde-Aldam and Catie Collins