Paula Deen's Apple Strudel

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1/4 cup bourbon or 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup golden raisin
• 2 -3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, halved, and thinly sliced (about 1 pound)
• 1/2 lemon, juice of
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup crushed shortbread cookie
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 5 sheets phyllo dough, from 1 pound package of frozen dough
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing phyllo sheets, plus more if needed
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• confectioners' sugar
• caramel sauce, purchased
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons milk

Recipe

• 1 for the strudel:
• 2 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 3 line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 4 in a small bowl, pour the bourbon or apple juice over the raisins and microwave on high for 45 seconds.
• 5 let sit for 15 minutes.
• 6 combine the raisins, apples, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, brown sugar, cookie crumbs, pecans, and butter in a large bowl.
• 7 remove the phyllo dough from the box, unfold, and cover with a damp towel.
• 8 place 1 sheet of phyllo on the work surface and brush lightly with melted butter.
• 9 repeat with the remaining sheets, brushing each with melted butter, stacking when done, being sure to keep the unbuttered phyllo covered.
• 10 place the apple mixture on the nearest third of the phyllo stack, being sure to leave a 2-inch border.
• 11 gently lift the bottom edge of the phyllo stack to cover the filling and fold the side edges over.
• 12 continue to roll the stack away from you until the filling is completely sealed in and the seam is on the bottom.
• 13 transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• 14 brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
• 15 bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
• 16 pour over the glaze and sprinkle with cinnamon and confectioners' sugar.
• 17 pass warm caramel sauce, to drizzle over the strudel.
• 18 for the glaze:
• 19 mix ingredients thoroughly.
• 20 *cook's note: if too thick add a little bit of milk.
• 21 if too thin add a little bit of confectioners' sugar.