Apple pie strudel

Super for brunch, teatime or as a dessert!

I love working with purchased puff pastry as it’s so versatile and easy to use. For this tasty treat, you can use purchased (canned) apple pie filling if you like; if you prefer to make your own, I’ve added that recipe to the bottom of this post. Using a cooked apple mixture instead of raw apples helps speed up the baking process here and it also means the strudel won’t collapse as it cooks. Note that you can prepare the strudel up to 12 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. If you are as big a fan of homemade strudel as I am, you might also enjoy this strawberry version.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold
• 1/3 cup (75 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
• 1 egg white (save yolk for pastry wash)
• 1 1/2 cups (400 g) apple pie filling

Glaze and topping

• 3 tablespoons (24 g) powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons (30 mL) milk
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) vanilla extract

Method

• If making homemade apple pie filling (see below), prepare and cool it completely before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Lightly flour both sides of the puff pastry then roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper to a rectangle approximately 10 x 14 inches. On each long side of the dough, make 3 inch (6.5 cm) long cuts about 1 inch apart (see first image on the left below).
• Transfer the puff pastry, still on the bottom sheet of parchment, to a large baking tray.
• Prepare the cream cheese layer by whisking together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla and egg white, beating until smooth.
• Spread the cream cheese filling down the middle of the puff pastry, in a line no more than 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
• Spread the cooled apple pie filling on top of the cream cheese layer (see image in centre below).
• Starting at one end of the dough sheet, fold the strips over the filling from one side to the other, on a slight angle (see image on right below).

• Beat the reserved egg yolk with 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of cold water and brush it evenly over the surface of the pastry.
• Bake for 24 – 27 minutes, until puffed and evenly golden brown.
• While strudel is baking, make glaze by combining the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. I like to do this in a small jug so it’s easy to drizzle on top.  
• Remove the strudel from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before drizzling with glaze. Cut into pieces and serve.

Homemade apple pie filling

Ingredients

• 2 medium apples
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
• 3/4 cup (180 mL) water
• 1/3 cup (65 g) brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (.7 g) ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon (.35 g) each ground nutmeg and cloves
• Pinch salt
• 5 teaspoons (12.5 g) cornstarch

Method

• Wash, peel, and core apples and chop into half-inch (1.25 cm) pieces. Measure out 1 3/4 cups (210 g) of chopped apples and save the rest for a snack while the Danish bakes.
• Put chopped apples in a large bowl and add lemon juice. Stir to combine and set aside.
• Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add butter water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. When mixture comes to a boil, add the apples. Reduce heat to medium and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer the apples for 6-8 minutes, until they have softened but are not mushy.
• In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of water until fully dissolved and add the slurry to the filling; simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.
• Cool the apple pie filling to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container or jars and refrigerate. Leftover apple pie filling is great on granola, oatmeal or even as a spread for toast.