Apple Strudel in Phyllo Dough

Okay, I am officially going to RAVE! This was delicious! I know that I say that about almost everything sweet, but I honestly felt like I was in some fancy-shmansy (yes, that is politically correct spelling and wordage!) restaurant. It was the perfect gooey-ness inside and crispyness outside, and the apples were not too mushy or too crisp. I did not use raisins or pecans, due to my picky hubby, and it was still delish! NOTE: I made two small strudels with this recipe because I had a lot of leftover filling(therefore, using 10 sheets of phyllo dough total; five on each). You could probably make one large strudel; if you choose to do so, I would probably add a few more sheets of phyllo dough...we loved that part of this dish!

From: Adapted from Paula Deen

1/4 cup apple juice 
1/2 cup golden raisins(optional) 
2 medium apples
1/2 lemon, juiced or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely chopped(optional) 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 
1/2 cup crushed shortbread cookies 
1/4 cup chopped pecans(optional) 
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces 
5 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
2 tablespoons butter, melted (for brushing phyllo sheets)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar 
Caramel sauce, purchased

Glaze: 

1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups confectioners' sugar 

3 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, pour apple juice over the raisins and microwave on high for 45 seconds. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Peel, core, halve, and dice your apples.

Combine the raisins, apples, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, brown sugar, cookie crumbs, pecans, and butter in a large bowl.

Remove the phyllo dough from the box, unfold, and cover with a damp towel. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on the work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat to total 5 sheets. Brushing each with melted butter, stacking when done, being sure to keep the unbuttered phyllo covered.

Place the apple mixture on the nearest third of the phyllo stack, being sure to leave a 2-inch border.

Gently lift the bottom edge of the phyllo stack to cover the filling and fold the side edges over. Continue to roll the stack away from you until the filling is completely sealed in and the seam is on the bottom. 

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown. While baking, mix the confectioner's sugar, milk, and vanilla to create a glaze. Drizzle the glaze and caramel over strudel.