Apple Strudel

This elegant apple strudel recipe is surprisingly simple to make. While many versions call rely on frozen puff pastry and a plethora of rest periods, this one uses store-bought phyllo dough and a steamlined technique. The result is lighter-than-air layers of delicate golden brown pastry wrapped around a delicately spiced filling—and more closely mimics traditional apple strudel (often made with huge sheets of paper-thin strudel dough). Called apfelstrudel in German, this apple dessert is believed to have originated in Vienna in the 1800s, possibly to honor an Austrian monarch and his well-heeled friends. Whether that’s true is debatable, but the dessert recipe remains popular throughout Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, and other locales once in or adjacent to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Prep time mostly entails peeling the apples; tart varieties like Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples are among the better apples for baking (save Honey Crisps and Golden Delicious for snacking). The apples are tossed with raisins for sweet pops of contrast, plus buttery toasted breadcrumbs, which soak up all the juices while the strudels bake. You can customize the delicious apple filling to your liking: Swap the raisins for any dried fruit (golden raisins or cherries are particularly nice), toss in a handful of chopped toasted walnuts, use brown sugar instead of white, or trade the cinnamon for cardamom or a fall-spice blend.

As with most apple desserts, homemade apple strudel is delicious on its own or served with a garnish of whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of vanilla sauce. This recipe includes an especially tasty topping that gets tang flavor from a bit of sour cream.