Like everything else, bakery pies and strudels have risen in price, but you can make a couple of strudels in about five minutes and bake them in about 20 minutes. No, the ingredients aren't cheap, but they generally are less expensive than buying ready-made strudels or pies. Plus, the strudels you make at home will taste great--flaky, oozing apple filling, and with a sweet crunch. If you don't care for apples, you can opt for cherries, peaches, or whatever you'd like. The strudel is best served warm from the oven with ice cream melting alongside. Enjoy!
5-Minute Apple Strudels -- Makes 2 Strudels, 4-6 Servings Each
1 package of 2 puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 15-16 ounce can of apple (or other fruit) pie filling
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of allspice
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
2-3 tablespoons of raw (turbinado) sugar
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Unroll one of the pastry sheets on a large piece of waxed paper and roll the sheet out to about 2 inches longer on each side than its original size. Spread half of the pie filling down the center of the pastry sheet and sprinkle the pie filling with half of the cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Fold the long sides of the pastry sheet across the filling, overlapping them slightly. Seal the short ends of the pastry sheet with a bit of water, pressing down with your fingers. Place the sealed strudel on the prepared baking sheet, seam side down, and cut six slits in the top of the strudel to let steam escape as the strudel bakes. Moisten the top of the strudel with a little water, rubbing the water over the top of the strudel with your fingers. Sprinkle on half of the raw sugar. Repeat the process with the other pastry sheet and place the second strudel next to the first one on the baking sheet, leaving a few inches between the strudels. Bake the strudels for 18-25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Let the strudels cool for at least 10 minutes before serving them. The filling will be hot! Ice cream works well to cool it!
