A Delicious Treat to Warm You On Cool Autumn Nights

To some, fall is just a prelude to the coming months of short days, cold weather, and crippling snow storms. To us, fall is a time of harvest. A time to take a step back and enjoy the fruits of the labor. Here in New England, apples are one of the focal points of that harvest.

With apple on my mind lately, I had a craving for strudel and (not being baking inclined) I asked Liz if she'd be interested in making it for us (me.) Being the awesome baker she is, Liz whipped up this recipe for apple strudel incorporating our Apple of My Pie baking blend.

It was shocking how simple this recipe was to make and (maybe more importantly) how it came out tasting absolutely delicious. The dough is buttery and flaky and the filling is the perfect blend of apple, cinnamon, and sugar.

What I especially like about this recipe is it looks really impressive at a holiday brunch party, family breakfast, or when eating it with your hands standing over the counter at 2 in morning.

Here's what you need

• 2 small apples (virtually any type will do with the exception of softer, mealy varieties like red delicious)
• 1/3 cup Wayward Gourmet Apple of My Pie Baking Blend
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 sheets 10x15 inch phyllo (thawed in refrigerator overnight)
• Sliced almonds (optional)
• Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Combine apples and Apple of My Pie in a glass bowl and microwave on high until simmering (1-2 minutes). Let stand, covered, until needed (Try your best not to taste test)
3. Melt butter over in saucepan over stove or in the microwave.
4. Make sure you have plenty of counter space for this step: Place both sheets of phyllo next to each other, both with the long side toward you. Overlap phyllo sheets approximately 1/2" and press together.  You should have a 10" x 29" inch sheet of dough. Brush seam with melted butter.
5. Spoon apples onto lower third of phyllo dough (lengthwise), leaving a 1" seam on the bottom border and a 6" seam on the top border. 
6. From the edge closest to you, slowly roll dough around filling. Continue to roll away from you until the filling is completely sealed in and the seam is on the bottom.
7. Top with sliced almonds (optional)
8. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes (may need up to 20 minutes depending on your oven)
9. Fight the urge to sink your teeth into the strudel intermediately as you'll be destroying your taste buds. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack until warm, about 20 minutes.
10. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Cut into slices with serrated knife, and serve warm.

It's defiantly not a bad thing having someone who loves to bake around. That being said, Liz perfected this recipe to be able to even work for baking novices like myself.

Let us know how it turned out, we love to see your creations on Instagram #WaywardGourmet and Twitter @WaywardGourmet. Send em to us and we'll post your deliciousness on our site.