Quick Apple Strudel

We’ve been eating some seriously good desserts breakfast around here lately. My mom is in town, and she is a real cook, not just someone who wishes she cooked good food all the time, like me.

She’s incredibly good at making use of ingredients I have that I’m just waiting for to go bad so I can have an excuse to throw it away. I’ve had some apples on my counter for weeks because I don’t like apples that much. I get a lot of them from my fruit co op and I have to force myself to eat them. And, SURPRISE!, I don’t like apple pie either. I know. I’m in the minority here, but I don’t.

Apple strudel, however, is awesome. I ate almost the whole thing myself. I shared some with my daughter. She whined and didn’t want to eat it at first, but then I forced her to eat a bite, and then she wanted her own piece at the table. Then she wanted seconds. (she doesn’t like apple pie either, so I can see why she was skeptical.)

My mom has used puff pastry like 5 times (okay, 3. Cinnamon rolls, chicken pot pie, and this) since she got here and I’ve been so happy to find more uses for it because I Loooooove Puff Pastry.

Quick Apple Strudel

• 5 small fuji apples (you can use other apples, just cut up about 4 cups of apples into slices)
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 C sugar (or more to taste, depending on how sweet you like it and how sweet your apples are)
• 1 C water
• 2 T cornstarch mixed with 2 t water
• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 2 C powdered sugar
• 2 T milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Set out a cookie sheet with 1 sheet of puff pastry on it.
2. Peel and cut up the apples into 1/4 inch slices (cores removed).
3. Cook the apples in a small sauce pan with the cinnamon, sugar, and water over medium heat. After apples soften (maybe 7 minutes) add the cornstarch and water and bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce a little.
4. When the sauce is of a stew consistency, remove from heat. Spread the apple mixture over the puff pastry but leave a 1/2 inch border on all sides.
5. Place the second sheet of puff pastry on the top, and pinch the sides together by pressing with the tines of a fork. Poke several holes with the fork in the top of the puff pastry and place in the oven. Let bake for 15 minutes or until browned on top.
6. Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk, adjusting as necessary for the right consistency. The frosting should be pourable, but not too runny. Put the mixture in a ziploc bag, snip the corner, and glaze the top of the puff pastry.
7. Cut into squares or triangles and serve.