Blue Ribbon Apple Struedel

 Our annual county fair had two special contests every year - apple pie and non pie apple dessert. It had to really show off the apples to be a contender. I won first prize with this recipe - my secret ingredient is dried apricots- shhhhh - don't tell anyone. It was so fun to see the rest of it being auctioned off for charity after it won. I was also thrilled to be asked to contribute this recipe to an article for the local paper that year. A great dessert for the fall - but best served right after the 15 minutes cooling to really enjoy the crispiness. Yum!

Blue Ribbon Apple Strudel

 

Apple Filling

 

3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

1/2cup golden raisins, soaked in Spiced Rum for 10 minutes, if desired, then drained.

¼ cup minced dried apricots.

2 tablespoons sugar

 

Spiced Crumb Mixture

 

2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

4 sheets (12 x 17 – inch) filo pastry, thawed if frozen

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

1 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

 

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees F.; lightly grease baking sheet. Prepare. Apple Filling: In large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add walnuts, raisins, apricots, and sugar; mix well. Set aside.

 2) Prepare Spiced Crumb Mixture: In small bowl, combine bread crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Sprinkle with butter and toss until well combined. Set aside.

 3) To assemble strudel, place two stacked sheets of filo on tea towel on work surface. Brush all over with melted butter. Top with two more sheets filo; brush with butter.  Sprinkle Spicy Crumb Mixture over filo; spread Apple Filling along one short end. Using towel to lift, roll pastry jelly-roll fashion to enclose filling. Place seam side down on baking sheet and tuck in ends. Brush with melted butter.

 4) Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool at least 15 minutes. Mix cream cheese, milk and sugar and spoon into plastic sandwich bag. Squeeze mixture to edge of bag and cut end. Decorate strudel with cream cheese mixture and sprinkle with powdered sugar.