Light and Crispy Apple and Custard Strudel is delicious layers of crispy flaky pastry filled with creamy custard and apples. Serve warm & add a blob of whipped cream!

Oh yes! I am sure many of you have heard of if not tasted the famous Apple Strudel, originating from Germany and it can be eaten worldwide and found in many bakeries across the world.

But do you know, apple strudel is ever so easy to make?

Of course, you could do it the authentic way and use layers upon layers of very very thin pastry and wrap the strudel over and over, but I've got a quicker and faster way that doesn't involve using an enormous work surface to accommodate the thin pastry layers, and it's equally as delicious!

For this recipe, I've added a little twist of England.

When I lived very close to the border of Germany, Apfelstrudel as it is called there, was everywhere, from the bakeries to supermarkets, you could buy it fresh, frozen, in parts and assemble at home, in restaurants and so on.

When I used to eat it at home I would heat in the oven and then make up some custard and pour over the strudel. Then I thought, why not combine the custard into the strudel and eat it like that!

So here's my recipe for Apple and Custard Strudel. Serve it warm or chilled. I like it both ways.

You can also make ahead and freeze BEFORE baking, or freeze after baking and then heat up to make the pastry crispy again.

Here, you have the option to buy ready made puff pastry or make our very own homemade pastry dough. If you make your own, you won't be disappointed! Likewise, you can buy ready made custard, or make your own using our Custard recipe.

This is a great dessert to serve at a party. Simply slice into portions and people can help themselves, or you can serve in bowls with a blob of whipped fresh cream or vanilla ice cream. Delicious!

You may think this is an odd combination, but trust me, it's absolutely delicious. The contrast of the slightly tangy, slightly crunchy apple combined with the slightly sweet, indulgently creamy thick custard filling will leave your taste buds begging for more!

So let's get straight to the recipe and see how we make this delicious Apple and Custard Strudel. Please enjoy!

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 200C, Gas 6, 400F. Grease your baking tray.

2. Make the custard, by adding custard powder, 1 ½ tbsp sugar and the milk to a pan and heat until thick. (see photo). Leave to cool until tepid.

3. Peel, core and slice the apples to ½ cm thick. Squeeze lemon juice over them to prevent from browning.

4. Get your flaky pastry out of the fridge, divide into two and roll each one out until 4 mm in thickness.

This will give you two long strudels, roughly measuring 30cm by 12 cm.

You can choose to make smaller parcels or one long one, depending on how big your baking tray is!

Try to keep a rectangle shape when rolling.

Once rolled, place the pastry on the greased baking tray.

5. Lengthways, arrange the apple slices so they cover just less than half the pastry (see photo), and spread the custard over the apples. Keep 1 ½ cm space free around the edges. (see photo)

6. Brush the edges with milk and fold the pastry over the filling, sealing the edges .

7. Brush the TOP with milk, and NOT the edges.

Sprinkle with the remainder of the sugar.

Using a pair of scissors, make a few air holes in the top (see the crosses on the photo below). You can also use a ruler to straighten the edges but I like it looking 'natural'!

8. Place in the hot oven and bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until golden brown. The time will vary depending on how big or small you choose to make your parcels.

9. Allow to cool slightly. This is best eaten 'warm' as opposed to 'hot', either on its own or with a scoop of ice cream.

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

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