Easy Apple Strudel

Apple Studel is a traditional Viennese pastry and is very popular throughout Europe. Traditionally made with a puff pastry, this version is a little on the lighter side, instead using filo pastry. 
You can stew your own fruit, however I find tinned apples to be just as effective and a lot easier. 
If you do stew your own fruit, be sure not to overcook them for this recipe. You want them to hold their shape and not become mush. 
Filo is very easy to prepare, and if using tinned fruit you just need to assemble and bake for 20 minutes before cutting into the crunchy crispy pastry shell. 

Ingredients (Serves 4 - 6): 

• 8 sheets of filo pastry 
• 50 grams butter, melted 
• 1 can of apple slices, drained (or 1 1/2 cups of stewed apple) 
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp icing sugar, to dust
• vanilla ice-cream, whipped cream, or thick yogurt to serve

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. 

Lay 1 sheet of pastry on a greased baking tray, brush lightly with butter. Repeat with three more sheets, and then dust the pastry with 1 tsp of cinnamon. Layer and butter the remaining four pastry sheets. 

Arrange the apple slices across the middle of the pastry, leaving a few centimetres at each end bare. Dust with another tsp of cinnamon. 

Fold the ends up of the pastry then fold the sides over. Cut diagonal gashes into the pastry to allow steam to escape, and to make for easier slicing when baked. 

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes till the pastry is golden. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. 

Dust with icing sugar, slice, and serve with ice-cream, whipped cream or yogurt. 

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