Phyllo Dough Apple Strudel a Re-Post for Lent 2014

It still feels like the dead of winter here in Chicago rather than the first week of March so knowing Easter is only 41 days away is hard to believe. I’ve been the hold-out on complaining about the cold and snow but even I am growing tired of the grey skies and long for open windows with warm breezes and the sounds of birds chirping. Springtime is certainly synonymous with Easter as it gives us, on this northern latitude (41 degrees 88 inches), the promise of hope and rebirth/regrowth after a long winter. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and I’ll begin my annual ritual of practicing frugality. Here is a post from 2010 when the idea first presented itself to me.

Not much to this one other than I had a roll of phyllo/fillo dough and a gorgeous granny smith apple and we had a hankering for something sweet after a trying water polo game tonight. This is what I came up with. For Lent I’m going to limit buying  food other than dairy, fruits and veggies in the hope of using up some of the surplus in our pantry and freezer. The idea came from an Ash Wednesday service I attended last night and the suggestion of practicing frugality in a brochure that was handed out. It said this, “Frugality goes completely against the grain of our culture that is so obsessed with “the pursuit of happiness”- which today means comfort, indulgence, pampering, pleasure, luxury and leisure. Practicing frugality means that we reject the notion that we need such things to make our lives fulfilled. Interesting idea, one I’m willing to try for 40 days (with a small break for the 7 days of spring break). So, after a dinner of grilled chicken, onions and red peppers with avocados, this sweet treat was made all from ingredients I already had on hand. See what you can make out of what you already have in your cupboard before you indulge in buying more. Should be an interesting and maybe inspirational month of posts.

Phyllo Dough Apple Strudel

Ingredients:

• 10 sheets 14″x18″phyllo dough
• 4 Tablespoons melted butter or 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil
• 1 large granny smith apple (chopped to equal about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut or agave nectar, or corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Method:

Chop apples and mix with lemon juice, 1  1/2 tsp. cinnamon, nectar, 1 Tbsp. sugar, walnuts, vanilla extract, salt and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Set aside.

Mix melted butter (and oil), 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp sugar in a small dish. Lay one sheet of  phyllo dough out and brush with melted butter mixture. Repeat layering until all 10 sheets of  phyllo are used. Put all the apple mixture in the center of the dough. Fold one side over mound of apples. Brush top layer with butter and fold other side to overlap about an inch. Lay sheet of parchment paper over and flip so seam side is down on top of parchment on baking sheet. Press ends together gently (some juice will leak out when baking).  Brush top with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and a little sugar. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until browned and puffed up.  Let cool a bit before cutting using a very sharp knife. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream (wish we’d had some).

Chopped apples, walnuts mixed with cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla

and coconut or agave nectar

Brush phyllo dough with melted butter/coconut oil, cinnamon & sugar

mixture x 10 layers

With apple/walnut mixture in middle, fold top half over fruit, followed by

bottom layer,sealing with butter sugar mixture

Turn over with the help of parchment paper. With seam side down, brush

top with butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake until browned.

Some of the yummy juices will make its way out the ends…