Épice

Apple and cinnamon strudel

Our version of apple strudel: rolled filo pastry, filled with apples, raisins and Madagascar cinnamon, baked in the oven.

  • Prep 40 min
  • Cooking 35 min
  • Total 75 min
  • Serves 6 servings
  • Difficulty Medium

Apple strudel is the rolled pastry associated with Austria and Central Europe, filled with apples, raisins and cinnamon. Our version uses filo pastry sheets, simpler to work with at home than traditional hand-stretched strudel dough.

Our family grows and prepares this cinnamon in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar. The butter-browned breadcrumbs, spread under the filling, stop the pastry from turning soggy during baking.

Method

Preparation

  1. Peel and cut the apples into small dice. Mix them with the raisins, crushed walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice and zest.
  2. In a small frying pan, brown the breadcrumbs with a tablespoon of melted butter, stirring until crisp.
  3. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Lay a clean tea towel on the worktop, place a sheet of filo pastry on it and brush it with melted butter. Repeat, layering the sheets and buttering each one.
  4. Spread the browned breadcrumbs over the pastry, then the apple filling along one of the long edges, leaving about 5 cm free at the sides.
  5. Fold the free edges over the filling, then roll the strudel up on itself, using the tea towel, starting from the filled edge.
  6. Place the roll on a baking tray lined with baking paper, seam side down, and brush it with melted butter.
  7. Bake for 35 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before dusting with icing sugar and cutting into slices.
Chef's tip

The little extra that changes everything

Work quickly once the filo sheets are out of their packet: they dry out and crack if left exposed to the air for too long. Our apple, cinnamon and vanilla crumble brings together the same fruit and the same spice in a different preparation, without rolled pastry. Our products for this recipe: Madagascar cinnamon

Frequently asked questions

About this recipe

Can the raisins be replaced with other dried fruit?
Yes, dried apricots cut into small pieces also work, with a slightly different flavour.
Can the strudel be made ahead?
Yes, the uncooked roll can be prepared a few hours ahead and kept covered in the fridge before baking.
Can the quantities be doubled?
Yes, simply make two separate rolls rather than one larger one, so the pastry bakes evenly.
In the kitchen

Four moves with one bean

What to do with a whole bean, from the first cut to the sugar jar.

01 Split 30 s

Knife tip halfway through, one single pass along the whole length.

02 Scrape 1 min

Scrape both halves with a spoon. That black is the flavour.

03 Infuse 20 min

Seeds and bean into the hot milk, off the heat, covered.

Vanilla beans laid on a white plate
04 Reuse 1 week

Rinse the emptied bean, let it dry, then slip it into the sugar.

One bean serves twice
Exceptional ingredients

Our products for this recipe

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