Apple Brandy Strudel Recipes

APPLE-BRANDY STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in upper third. Gently stir together breadcrumbs, apple, raisins, prunes, honey, brandy, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Set filling aside.
• Brush a sheet of phyllo with butter. Top with 2 sheets, and brush with butter; repeat. Spread with filling. Starting at a short end, roll to enclose filling. Transfer, seam side down, to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer strudel to a wire rack; let cool 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and serve with whipped cream.

AUTUMN APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Boil juice in small saucepan until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and let stand 1 minute; whisk until melted and smooth. Stir in brandy and vanilla. (Sauce can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before serving.)
• For filling:
• Combine 1 cup juice, wine, star anise, and cinnamon in large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 10 minutes. Add cherries and prunes. Cover and simmer until fruit is plump, about 5 minutes. Discard star anise, cinnamon, and vanilla bean. Mix in apples and sugar; simmer until apples are tender but hold shape and liquid is reduced to 3 tablespoons, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.
• Mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons apple juice. Add to filling; stir over medium-high heat until filling thickens and boils, about 3 minutes. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill.)
• For strudel:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter heavy large baking sheet. Blend first 3 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely ground.
• Place dry kitchen towel on work surface. Place 1 phyllo sheet on towel (cover remaining phyllo with plastic wrap and damp towel). Brush phyllo lightly with melted butter. Top with second phyllo sheet; brush with butter. Sprinkle with scant 3 tablespoons nut mixture. Continue with 6 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter and sprinkling with scant 3 tablespoons nut mixture. Top with remaining phyllo sheet. Brush with butter. Spoon filling atop phyllo stack in 12x3-inch log, starting 2 inches from 1 long side and 2 1/2 inches from each short side. Fold short edges over filling. Using towel as aid and beginning at edge close to filling, roll up strudel jelly-roll style. Place strudel, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet. Brush strudel with butter. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill.)
• Bake strudel uncovered until golden, about 45 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes. Cut warm or room-temperature strudel into slices; place on plates. Serve with ice cream and warm chocolate sauce.
• *Brown star-shaped seedpods sold at Asian markets and specialty foods stores and in the spice section of some supermarkets.

CARAMEL APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large saucepan, combine the first 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Cool completely., Unfold puff pastry onto a large sheet of parchment; roll into a 16x12-in. rectangle. Transfer parchment and pastry to a baking sheet, placing a short side of the rectangle facing you. Using a slotted spoon, arrange apples on bottom half of pastry to within 1 in. of edges. Drizzle apples with caramel topping. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with the bottom side. Pinch seams to seal, and tuck ends under. , In a small bowl, whisk egg with water; brush over pastry. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut slits in top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, serve with whipped cream and additional caramel topping.

EASY APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place apples in a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar and golden raisins; set aside. Place puff pastry on baking sheet. Roll lightly with a rolling pin. Arrange apple filling down the middle of the pastry lengthwise. Fold the pastry lengthwise around the mixture. Seal edges of pastry by using a bit of water on your fingers, and rubbing the pastry edges together. Whisk egg and milk together, and brush onto top of pastry.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

APPLE STRUDEL WITH FRESH BERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine the apples, raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a baking dish. Bake until the fruit is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the mixture to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
• Lay the 3 sheets of phyllo in a stack on a large nonstick baking sheet. Mound the fruit mixture in a row running along 1 of the short sides of the phyllo, leaving about 1 1/2 inches empty around the apples on the sides. Fold the close short side over the apples and fold in the long sides. Roll the phyllo and filling over onto itself to form a strudel roll. Place the roll seam side on the baking sheet. Brush the top of the strudel with the butter. Score the strudel with a sharp knife to mark the 6 portions.
• Bake to a golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cut into portions. Decorate 6 dessert plates with the berry sauce and top with the pieces of strudel. Dust with a sifting of the confectioners' sugar, if using, and serve.
• Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. Push through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Use as directed.

APPLE STRUDEL WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• For Sauce:
• Combine cranberries, sugar, water and kirsch in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and cook until most of berries burst, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer to processor and puree. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat before serving.)
• For strudel:
• Combine raisins and kirsch in small bowl. Let stand 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine apples, 1/2 cup crumbs, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and raisin mixture bowl.
• Brush large baking sheet with some of melted butter. Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface with 1 long side parallel to edge of work surface (cover remaining phyllo with plastic and damp towel). Brush phyllo with melted butter. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon gingersnap crumbs over. Top with second phyllo sheet. Brush with butter; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon gingersnap crumbs. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheet, melted butter and gingersnap crumbs. Spoon apple mixture in 3-inch-wide log along 1 long side of phyllo, leaving 2-inch border at long and short edges. Fold bottom long side over filling, then fold in short sides and roll up jelly roll style. Carefully transfer strudel to prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Brush top of strudel with butter.
• Bake strudel 15 minutes. Brush with remaining butter. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Cool on sheet.
• Lightly sift powdered sugar over strudel. Cut strudel crosswise into thick slices. Transfer to plates. Spoon sauce around strudel and serve.

MARY PERPICH'S APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees or to its lowest setting.
• Combine 3 cups of the flour and the salt. Make a well in the flour, and into the well add the 1/2 cup of the oil, the eggs and water. Mix with a fork, and then knead well with your hands, about 20 minutes. Add more flour -enough to make a soft but not sticky dough. Put the dough in a ceramic bowl, cover with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and place in the oven until the dough is warm and easy to pull, about 20 minutes.
• On a table or other flat surface that is at least 3 feet by 5 feet, spread a clean sheet so that the edges hang slightly over the sides. Sprinkle the sheet with flour, and roll out the dough to form a 9-by-13-inch rectangle.
• The novice may want to ask a friend to help stretch the dough. Using your hands, start stretching and lifting the dough with your fingertips until you can see through it. When you are finished, the dough should cover the table's surface. Try to minimize the number of holes, but a few won't matter.
• Scatter the apples over the dough. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and bread crumbs. Dribble about three-fourths of the melted butter over the mixture. Taking hold of the sheet on the longer (5-foot) side, lift the sheet up and over the apples to start rolling up the dough jellyroll-style. Place the strudel in a greased jellyroll or baking pan, large enough to hold the pastry comfortably. You will probably have to form the pastry into a large crescent to fit. If desired, freeze the strudel and bake later, or pour the remaining butter on top of the strudel and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden. If the strudel begins to brown too quickly, cover with foil.

APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, raisins, pecans, cinnamon, salt and 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Toss until mixed.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place 1 sheet phyllo on a work surface, and brush lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle with a scant tablespoon of bread crumbs. Repeat with remaining sheets of phyllo, stacking them.
• Spoon apple mixture over phyllo to within 1 1/2 inches of edges. Grasping long edges of phyllo, roll up jellyroll fashion. Place roll on a cookie sheet, seam side down. Brush with remaining melted butter. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool, then sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.

SPICED APPLE STRUDEL & BRANDY COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Dip the rim of 4 Martini glasses in a saucer of water, then into a saucer or small dish of golden caster sugar. Pop the glasses into the fridge until ready to serve.
• Warm the apple juice in a small saucepan with the cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil, then turn off the heat and leave to go cold. Once cold, discard the cinnamon stick and pour into a jug.
• Put the Cognac, Disaronno, Madeira wine and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with a large handful of ice. Shake together until the mixture is chilled. Strain into your glasses, top up with the spiced apple juice and serve immediately.