Apple-Strudel-Pie

Warm spiced apples, ruffles of flaky phyllo, and a chilled crème anglaise

There are many delicious apple-crusted desserts (mile high apple pie, apple crumb bars, tarte tatin, tarte fines aux pommes, chausson aux pommes etc.), but a warm and fresh apfelstrudel (or apple strudel) might take the cake (or pie) in my book. I love the flaky, tender layers, tart apples, browned-butter notes from toasted breadcrumbs, walnuts with a touch of bitterness, and egg-yolk-y, creamy, and cold crème anglaise.

I made my first one a few years ago and was shocked by how great it was, but the following versions I made just weren’t as good. For the next two years, my strudel dough was a bit too thick and not crispy enough, the apples were not properly cooked, and there was some leaking. I put the recipe on the back burner…

from The Pie and Pastry Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum, a gift from my neighbor, but quickly becoming a new favorite cookbook

However, I recently saw a photo of Gascon apple pie (apples flavored with armagnac or cognac, and topped with ruffled phyllo pastry), and I remembered my love for a great apfelstrudel! I was prompted to dive back in.

I thought it would be fun to make a ruffled apfelstrudel with my favorite elements from strudel (the toasty breadcrumbs, walnuts, and crème anglaise), Gascon apple pie (the phyllo–for ease of assembly and that gorgeous ruffling texture and height–and armagnac), and mile high apple pie (the tips and tricks for the assembly and a dose of dried spices). And guess what? It was not only delicious but also fun! In parts of this recipe, you are really cooking (slicing apples, toasting breadcrumbs), but other parts feel like designing: cutting the phyllo, and draping the layers. Even coating the butter feels like painting.

The final result is a domed apple filling, complete with browned butter breadcrumbs, toasted walnuts, and armagnac-soaked raisins or dried cherries. All coated in a crispy-buttery-ruffled collar of phyllo that looks like a giant pile of leaves, and sounds like jumping into one when you cut it.

Audio on!

The whole thing (including the anglaise) is a 2-day process, but neither day is all that long: 60-75 minutes the first day, and 45-60 minutes of active time the next (a similar amount of total time for a from-scratch apple pie). Once it’s done baking, all you need to do is dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve with a puddle (or pool) of anglaise.

Speaking of pools of anglaise, I have included ingredient quantities for two amounts of anglaise below. A moderate amount (medium), and a lot (big). I suggest making a lot.

P.S. You can also make this in advance and rewarm to serve!