Marks and Spencer once made a TV advert for their ultimate apple strudel made with filo pastry and rum-soaked sultanas.
I had to give it a go - this is my copycat recipe. 😊
*Post updated February 2024 from the original post in 2011
Marks and Spencer - are a major British multinational retailer selling clothing beauty, home products and more importantly for me, FOOD! 😋
Oh my goodness their food is the best. I worked for Marks and Spencer for just over 38 years, I know, yes I am that old.
In fact, I took early retirement back in 2017, can't believe that was 7 years ago this month. 😱
What is Strudel?
A strudel is a type of layered pastry with a usually sweet filling.
It became popular in the 18th century throughout the Habsburg Empire. Strudel is part of Austrian cuisine, but is also common in other Central European cuisines. Source: Wikipedia
Although I'm not one for desserts, I had a go at making it myself. I'm so not into pastry or baking, but the result was good and if I can do it, anyone can.
Ingredients
- 800g Bramley (cooking apples), not dessert apples - peeled and cored then cut into 2cm chunks
- 120g sultanas
- 4 or 5 tablespoons of dark rum
- 5 tablespoons soft dark brown sugar
- zest of 1 lemon and the juice of half the lemon
- 80g (2.8 oz) unsalted butter - melted
- 270g pack (6 oblong sheets) of ready-made filo pastry (phyllo dough)
- icing sugar - for sprinkling
Top Tips!
You will need to soak the sultanas in the rum for at least 2 hours so they soak it up and are nice and plump. Cheap rum will be just fine for this - I suggest ALDI or Lidl.
Filo pastry dries out very quickly, so keep the rest of the sheets covered as you go.
Confession 😳 I didn't use a tea towel or greaseproof paper to roll my strudel as you might notice from the pictures, I made mine to not just taste like the one from M&S but to look like it too.
However, when it came to explaining how I layered the pastry, it sounded far too complicated and so I gave up writing it.
The top filo pastry sheets of mine were kind of pleated - folded back on themselves. Fancy ah?!
Anyway, it worked and did look just like the Marks and Spencer strudel. 😊
Equipment - what do we need?
Greaseproof paper to line the baking tray, plus another sheet of greaseproof paper (or a clean tea towel) to roll the strudel.
And a pastry brush is kinda vital for brushing the filo with the melted butter.
Full details are in the recipe card below. Basically, prepare the apple and sultana mixture.
Brush each sheet of filo with melted butter - that's what makes it delicious and, stops it from sticking to the next sheet, otherwise, you'll have stodgy thick pastry.
Drain the sultanas from the rum and add to the apple mixture. Put the filling onto the pastry sheets.
Encase the filling in the pastry. Brush the top with melted butter, dust with icing sugar and pop into your preheated oven.
Bake on the middle shelf for 35-40 minutes until golden. If not, pop it back in and check again in 5 minutes.
Allow to cool a bit before slicing and serve with ice cream or cream. 😋
You might also like this Baked Apples Recipe.
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!
Apple Strudel with Filo Pastry
Ingredients
- 800g Bramley (cooking apples), not dessert apples - peeled and cored then cut into 2cm chunks
- 120g sultanas
- 4 or 5 tablespoons of dark rum
- 5 tablespoons soft dark brown sugar
- zest of 1 lemon and the juice of half the lemon
- 80g (2.8 oz) unsalted butter - melted
- 270g pack (6 oblong sheets) of ready-made filo pastry (phyllo dough)
- icing sugar - for sprinkling
Instructions
- Start by soaking the sultanas in a small bowl. Add enough rum so the sultanas are more or less covered and put to one side. If you can, leave them overnight, but you do need to soak them for at least 2 hours for the sultanas to get nice and plump.
- Line the tray with the greaseproof paper and butter it all over so the strudel doesn't stick. Put the apples into a bowl along with the sugar, the zest of the lemon and the juice of half the lemon.
- Put the sultanas in a small bowl and stir in the rum. Leave for at least 2 hours so they end up nice and plump.
- Melt the butter in a pan. Drain the sultanas or any rum if there is any, add them to the apple mixture and mix well.
- Place a large oblong sheet of greaseproof paper (or a clean tea towel) on the worktop with the long edge towards you.
- Lay a sheet of the filo on top, and brush with some of the melted butter. Lay another sheet on top, and repeat until you have used all the filo.
- Now pile the filling on the filo, leaving about 3cm clear all around. Tuck the ends in, then, using the greaseproof or tea towel to help, roll the pastry away from you to enclose all the filling.
- Transfer the roll seam-side down to the lined baking sheet and brush with the rest of the melted butter. Brush the top with melted butter dust with icing sugar and pop into your preheated oven.
- Bake on the middle shelf for 35-40 minutes until golden.
- If not, pop it back in and check again in 5 minutes.
- Allow to cool a bit before slicing and serve with ice cream or cream.
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