Phirst with Phyllo Dough

I've had the phyllo dough in my freeze . . . then in my refrigerator . . .then back into the freezer . . . and finally, on this last thaw, I decided I had to conquer my fear of phyllo dough!  I searched the recipes and decided I definitely wanted something sweet! This was my attempt . . .and I must say, I'll give phyllo dough another try!  The "phirst" attempt was much better than expected -- it can only get better with practice!


CRANBERRY APPLE PHYLLO STRUDEL


2 tablespoons butter
2 cups (2 medium) apples, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 pound fresh cranberries
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup dried cherries or raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon

10 sheets Athens® Fillo Dough (9”x14”), thawed
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup almonds, ground
cinnamon and sugar mixture

Confectioners’ sugar for garnish


In a medium skillet, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add apples, cranberries and sugar. Cook about 5 minutes or until the cranberries burst. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the dried fruit and cinnamon. Let the filling cool.

Cover work surface with waxed paper. Layer 10 phyllo sheets on the waxed paper, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon ground almonds over each sheet as you layer them. Spread filling down the length of the top phyllo sheet, leaving a 2” border. Roll up from the long edge. Do not roll tightly, or strudel may split. Tuck or fold the edges at the ends.

Place strudel seam-down on baking sheet and brush with butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Score top into 6 equal sections. Bake in preheated 350ºF oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm (when it's best) or at room temperature.

**I used 1 very large honeycrisp apple.  Because it's a very sweet apple, I cut the sugar to only 1/4 cup.  I used the dried cherries for the tartness rather than raisins and I did not put the cinnamon in the fruit because I sprinkled it on top.  The cooked fruit mixture had a bit more liquid in it than I preferred, so I added about 1 TBSP tapioca to thicken the mixture.