This recipe follows on from our What’s in Season apple feature, using beautiful frosted Granny Smith apples from the Granite Belt.
These apples are left on the trees a little longer, allowing the cooler conditions and natural frost to help develop a sweeter flavour than a standard Granny Smith. You still get that lovely Granny Smith structure and gentle tartness, but with a little extra natural sweetness — perfect for a warm apple strudel.
Crisp buttery filo pastry, soft spiced apples, raisins, currants, flaked almonds and a simple vanilla custard cream sauce make this a beautiful cool-weather dessert.
The technique is very achievable: let the apples macerate, use a little panko crumb to help absorb excess moisture, roll the filo gently using foil as a guide, then allow the strudel to cool before slicing.
Serve warm or cold with icing sugar, cinnamon, vanilla ice cream and a quick vanilla custard cream sauce.
Recipe: Apple, Raisin & Currant Filo Strudel
Serves: 4–6
Cooking method: Oven or Ninja-style oven/air fryer function
Temperature: 175°C
Cooking time: Approx. 25 minutes
Skill focus: Working with filo pastry, macerating fruit, rolling strudel, clean slicing
Place the finely sliced apples into a bowl.
Add the caster sugar, cinnamon, raisins, currants and lemon juice.
Mix well, then leave the apple mixture to sit for 30 minutes. This allows the apples to macerate, soften slightly and release some of their natural juices.
Before filling the pastry, mix through the panko crumb. The panko helps absorb some of the excess moisture from the fruit, which helps protect the filo pastry from becoming soggy.
Lay a large piece of aluminium foil on the bench. This will help you roll the strudel more easily.
Place one sheet of filo pastry onto the foil and brush lightly with melted butter.
Add another sheet of filo on top and brush again with butter.
Repeat this process until all 8 sheets have been layered together.
Spoon the apple mixture along the bottom edge of the filo pastry, spreading it evenly from end to end.
Try to keep the filling in a neat line so the strudel rolls evenly.
Using the foil to help guide the pastry, carefully roll the filo forward over the apple filling.
Continue rolling until the pastry meets the other edge.
As you roll, tuck in the ends to help keep the filling inside.
Place the rolled strudel onto a lined baking tray, seam-side down.
Brush the outside with a little more melted butter, then sprinkle the top with almond flakes.
Preheat your oven or Ninja-style oven to 175°C.
Bake the strudel for approximately 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden, crisp and cooked through.
Remove from the heat and allow the strudel to cool before slicing.
Do not cut the strudel as soon as it comes out of the oven.
When filo pastry is very hot, it is extremely delicate and can shatter when sliced. Letting the strudel cool gives the pastry and filling time to settle, which makes it much easier to cut clean portions.
For cleaner slices, dip your knife into boiling water, wipe off the moisture, then cut through the strudel carefully.
Repeat this process for each slice.
The warm knife helps glide through the pastry and filling, giving you neater, cleaner portions for serving.
Place the custard, pouring cream and vanilla bean extract into a bowl or jug.
Mix well.
To warm, place in the microwave for approximately 1 minute, then stir before serving.
Spoon the warm custard cream sauce around or over the strudel just before serving.
Cut the strudel into even slices.
For a warm dessert, place the slices back into the oven at 175°C for around 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Dust with icing sugar and a little cinnamon.
Serve with vanilla ice cream and warm vanilla custard cream sauce.
Use a standard oven.
Preheat to 175°C, place the strudel on a lined baking tray, and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
The key is gentle, even heat. If your oven runs hot, check the strudel after 25 minutes to make sure the filo is not browning too quickly.
A little lemon zest or orange zest can be added to the apple mixture for a brighter flavour.
Walnuts or pecans can be added to the filling for extra texture.
Instead of one large strudel, you can make smaller portions by cutting the filo sheets and rolling individual parcels. Reduce the cooking time slightly and keep an eye on the pastry colour.
For a lighter option, serve with the vanilla custard cream sauce and a little pouring cream.
Filo pastry can feel a little intimidating, but the main rule is simple: work gently and don’t rush.
Each layer is brushed with melted butter, which helps create that crisp, flaky texture when baked. The foil underneath acts like a rolling mat, helping you roll the strudel without tearing the pastry.
The panko crumb is also doing an important job. Apples release moisture as they cook, and the crumb helps absorb some of that liquid so the pastry stays crisp rather than soggy.
This is a great Kitchen Confidence skill because once you understand the method, you can use the same idea with other seasonal fruits.
For a simple but professional finish, place one or two slices of strudel slightly overlapping on the plate.
Dust with icing sugar and cinnamon just before serving.
Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the side, then spoon the warm custard cream sauce around the plate or over part of the strudel.
A few extra toasted almond flakes can be sprinkled over the top if you want a little more texture.
This is one of those desserts that looks much harder than it really is.
Once you understand how to layer the filo, control the moisture in the filling, roll it gently and let it rest before slicing, you can use this same technique with all sorts of seasonal fruit.
Simple ingredients, a little technique, and a very comforting result.
Chef Ian