Apple Raisin Strudels

By á-25087

Ingredients

• For the strudels
• 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 7 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, quartered, and sliced thin crosswise
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• twelve 17- by 12-inch sheets of phyllo, stacked between two sheets of wax paper and covered with a dampened kitchen towel
• confectioners' sugar for dusting the strudels
• For the whipped cream
• 1 cup well-chilled heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Step 1

Make the strudels:
In a small skillet cook the bread crumbs in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until they are golden and transfer them to a large bowl. To the bread crumbs add the apples, the granulated sugar, the raisins, and the cinnamon and toss the mixture well. On a work surface arrange an 18-inch-long-piece of wax paper with a long side facing you, cover it with 1 sheet of the phyllo, and brush the phyllo lightly with some of the remaining butter, melted. Layer 5 more sheets of the phyllo over the first sheet in the same manner, brushing each sheet lightly with some of the melted butter, and mound half the apple mixture evenly along the long side facing you, leaving a 2-inch border at each end. Using the wax paper as a guide and rolling away from you, roll up the strudel tightly and, with the seam side down, fold the ends under to enclose the filling. Transfer the strudel carefully to a lightly buttered jelly-roll pan and brush it with some of the remaining melted butter. Make another strudel with the remaining phyllo, melted butter, and apple filling in the same manner and transfer it to the jelly-roll pan. Bake the strudels in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until they are golden, and let them cool to warm in the pan on the rack. The strudels may be made 1 day in advanced and kept covered loosely at room temperature. Reheat the strudels in a preheated 400°F. oven for 15 minutes. Transfer the strudels with slotted spatulas carefully to serving platters and dust them with the confectioners' sugar.

Make the whipped cream:
In a chilled bowl with an electric mixer beat the heavy cream with the sour cream, the confectioners' sugar, and the vanilla until the mixture holds soft peaks and transfer it to a serving bowl.

Serve the strudels warm, sliced diagonally, with the whipped cream.