This Apple Strudel recipe based on a recipe from Self Magazine is delicious.  The recipe is actually originally from the Cal-a-Vie spa in California.  I made this for a Dinner Club the other night, and it was a major hit – both in presentation and taste.  People accused me of buying it at a pastry shop, and no one believed it was only 192 calories/slice.  It is easy to make, and low in calories and fat.  Great for the upcoming fall apple season; a healthy alternative to apple pie.

Below is the recipe as written, however here are my cooking notes:

·    Slice the phyllo BEFORE baking it.  It is impossible to slice afterwards.  When slicing, use a serrated knife, and kind of hold the roll in place with one hand (maybe squeezing it together slightly), while carefully slicing it with the other hand.

·    Mine was golden brown and definitely done after only 21 minutes in my oven, then it took 40 minutes in different oven.  Just watch the oven, and take it out when it starts to brown a little.  You aren’t really going to hurt this recipe by opening the oven once or twice.

·   After baking I transferred the whole thing to a platter with a wide spatula (in 2 parts) and put fresh raspberries around it and put the caramel-looking sauce on the side.

·    I just used graham cracker crumbs from the box.

·    Definitely make the sauce as instructed with the fat free yogurt.

Apple Strudel

Servings: Makes 8-10 servings.

Ingredients

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1/2 cup amaretti cookie or graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed)
12 oz nonfat plain greek yogurt (optional, add 1 tsp vanilla to yogurt or use vanilla yogurt)

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. In a 12-inch nonstick pan over medium heat, cook apples with dried fruit, sugar and cinnamon until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool, reserving liquid for optional sauce. Layer 2 phyllo sheets on top of each other. Coat top of phyllo layer with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1/3 of cookie crumbs. Layer 2 more sheets of phyllo on top, coat with cooking spray, then crumbs; repeat once more. Spread apple mixture on top; roll up from the shorter end. Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place strudel on sheet and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Cut into 8 pieces. Place a slice on each plate; top with berries. Optional sauce: Mix yogurt with reserved liquid and drizzle over slices.

Nutritional Information (from original recipe – I replaced some of the ingredients, so the fat and calories are actually lower than this.)

Nutritional analysis per serving 192 calories, 1 g fat (0.3 g saturated fat), 57 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g protein, 2.7 g fiber