Hot Desserts Recipes - Apple Strudel

Ingredients

• 100g/4oz breadcrumbs

• 900g/2lb cooking apples

• Juice of 3 lemons

• 225g/8oz cranberries

• 225g/8oz seedless raisins

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 225g/8oz chopped walnuts

• 175g/6oz brown sugar

• 450g/1lb filo pastry sheets

• 175g/6oz butter

Serves 6-8

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Method:

1. Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat, then pour in the breadcrumbs. Stirring all the time, lightly toast the crumbs for about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

2. Peel, core and dice the apples, put them in a large bowl and cover them with the lemon juice. Add the cranberries, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts and sugar. Mix well together.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350oP/Gas mark 4. Spread a moist tea towel on a work surface and place the sheets of pastry on it. Remove 1 sheet and place on a second moist tea towel. Quickly cover the remaining pastry with a third moist tea towel.

4. Melt some butter in a pan and brush over the single pastry sheet. Then sprinkle with some of the breadcrumbs. Uncover the pastry sheets, lift off a second sheet  of pastry and place this on top of the first. Cover the remaining sheets as before.

5. Brush the second sheet of pastry with melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Repeat this procedure with another 2 pastry sheets. On the fourth sheet spread half the apple and walnut filling. Using the tea towel underneath, slowly and carefully roll the sheets of pastry forwards to form a log, tucking the edges inwards as you go.

6. Repeat the entire procedure until you have 2 pastry logs, keeping the first one moist while making the second.

7. Lightly grease a baking tray and carefully place the strudel logs on it. Brush the tops of both logs with the remaining butter and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.