Serves 6-8
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 35-40 minutes
Oven temperature: 200°C

• 8 sheets phyllo pastry
• melted butter
• 2-3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 30ml lemon juice
• 100g marzipan, chilled and grated
• 100g brown sugar
• 2ml ground mixed spice
• 2ml ground cardamom
• 40g dried white breadcrumbs
• icing sugar, to serve
• whipped cream or custard, to serve

1 Place a piece of greaseproof paper on your work surface. Lay a sheet of pastry on it and brush with melted butter. Cover with another sheet of pastry and butter. Repeat to complete the remaining layers. Trim the edges and use a star cookie cutter to cut into the pastry, if you prefer. Don’t cut right through. Turn the pastry over so that the star cut-outs are facing downwards.

2 Mix the apples, lemon juice, marzipan, sugar and spices in a bowl. Arrange down the middle of the pastry pile. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.

3 Fold the short ends of the pastry inwards and then roll up the pastry tightly from the long sides.

4 Transfer to a baking tray with the join in the pastry at the bottom. Brush liberally with melted butter and cut some slits into the top of the pastry if you didn’t make the star cut-outs.

5 Bake the strudel in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until it is crisp and golden. Dust it with icing sugar and serve sliced with cream or custard.

Words and image: Ideas magazine