I’ve taken some favorite Jewish holiday comfort foods and reimagined them (making them lighter and more modern) in my latest cookbook, “The Healthy Jewish Kitchen: Fresh, Contemporary Recipes for Every Occasion.”

Apple strudel is one of those Old World desserts that few people bake from scratch anymore. But the whole-grain dough in this recipe is very easy to make and roll out. I like to rewarm the strudel after the first day.

For advance prep, this parve and vegan strudel can be made two days in advance—just reheat to serve!

Caramelized Apple Strudel

Serves 10 to 12

Ingredients

  • Dough:
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
  • ½ cup white whole-wheat flour
  • ½ cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup sunflower or safflower oil
  • ½ cup water
  • Honey to drizzle over the strudel (optional)
  • Filling:
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 Gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced into ½-inch slices
  • 3 tablespoons ground almonds

Directions

  1. To make the dough, place the all-purpose flour, white whole-wheat flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar, salt, oil and water into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with a dough hook attachment, or by hand, until it comes together into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature.
  2. To prepare the filling, heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the coconut oil, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon, and stir. Add the apples to the pan and cook them, stirring often, for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the apples are fork-tender. Place the mixture into a bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes. Add the ground almonds and mix well.
  3. When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide the dough into three pieces. Cut off a large piece of parchment paper and sprinkle it with some all-purpose flour. Roll out a piece of dough into a rectangle about 8×14 inches, lifting the dough a few times to add more flour underneath it. Place a third of the filling down the length of the dough, 2 inches from the edge. Fold in the right and left sides (the short sides) about 1 inch from the edge. Roll the long end of the dough (with the filling) into a tight, long log. Place it on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Repeat the same steps to make two other logs.
  4. Bake the strudel for 30-40 minutes, or until it is lightly browned, and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with a drizzle of honey over the top, if desired.

Recipe reprinted from “The Healthy Jewish Kitchen” by Paula Shoyer,
Sterling Epicure/November 2017.