Roasted Apple Strudel with Cranberries and Raisins

Traditional strudel dough is hard to master at home, so Mushett offers a recipe using a close substitute—phyllo dough. To start, I created the apple filling (a mix of apple slices, lemon juice, whiskey, cinnamon, and reconstituted raisins and dried cranberries). The filling baked in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes to soften the fruit. While the fruit was in the oven, I diced walnuts and mixed them with sugar and cinnamon to create the filling that would go in between the phyllo layers. Next, I placed a sheet of phyllo on the counter and brushed it with butter, and then layered another sheet of phyllo on half of the sheet below to create a large rectangle. I sprinkled 1/3 of the walnut mixture on top and placed two more sheets of phyllo down. I repeated this process twice more, using a total of 5 layers of phyllo. I spooned the fruit mixture down the middle of the dough and carefully rolled the phyllo up into a long log. After scoring the top of the strudel, I baked it for 30 minutes. I think that I overstuffed the strudel, because when I took it out of the oven, it had split in several places (lesson learned for next time). Despite its ragged appearance, I have to say that the strudel tasted delicious and reminded me of the flavors of fall. The tart cranberries were a nice contrast to the sweet apples, and the flaky phyllo provided a nice contrast in texture. I look forward to trying this recipe again, but modifying the amount if filling I use.

Next: Moroccan-Spiced Sweet Potato Tiropetes