This Easy Apple Strudel made with canned fruit and puff pastry will make your guests think you spent all afternoon in the kitchen, but it only takes about half an hour! Thanks to my friends at Luck’s for sponsoring this post—all opinions are my own.
Several years ago we were hosting our annual friends’ Christmas party when disaster ensued. I was in the middle of making Caramelized Bacon, a strenuous undertaking—ok, maybe strenuous is a little much, but it is a lot of work!—and David was cleaning up after me, washing dishes and tools in the sink.
Suddenly, I heard an ominous sound from the sink area. The sound began and ended with un-printable curse words.
I ran to see what was the matter, only to find that he had sliced his finger on the food processor blade. Now, “beins as” (you know that’s a Southern term) our daughter is a CRNA and multiple friends are nurses, I had direct access to qualified folks who could tell me what we should do.
You know how whenever there’s a cut, whether yourself or your kids or family member, you always wonder, “Does this need stitches? Do we have to go right now?”
And so there was unanimous consensus among the nursing community that yes, it needed stitches, and yes, we should go right then. Meanwhile, we were preparing for a DINNER PARTY of more than 50 people. A debated ensued, with me saying we should just go and my husband refusing to do so.
Our son, Brian, and our friends’ daughter, Calli, had been tasked with picking up the yeast rolls, and our friend Tracy was on the way over to help with that darn bacon. All three walked in just as the debate turned into a heated argument.
The kitchen was a mess, dishes were everywhere, tables still needed to be set up, and dessert wasn’t made.
Did I mention that the clock was ticking and there were 50 people coming to my house for dinner that night?
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My stubborn husband finally left and drove over to our friend Nurse Maureen’s house, where she proceeded to bandage him as best she could, the next best thing to going to the ER.
I’ll spare you the details on that score and just let you know that he wasn’t a whole lot of help the rest of the afternoon AND THERE WERE 50 PEOPLE COMING TO OUR HOUSE FOR DINNER.
Have you ever experienced something like that? When you’ve planned and made lists for weeks for a dinner party and then all of a sudden, something happens that totally pulls the rug out from under you?
The key to successfully surviving such a disaster is to always have a backup plan, whether it’s for a super easy entree that you can pull together in no time, or even just slashing that cheesecake from your list and turning to an easy dessert that you can make with all pre-made ingredients, like this Easy Apple Strudel.
Easy Apple Strudel with Luck’s Fried Apples and puff pastry
It’s hard to go wrong with apple desserts, and this one is so quick and easy you’ll find yourself making it again and again, not just for dinner parties but also for weeknight family dinner.
All you need is a sheet of puff pastry and a couple of cans of Luck’s Fried Apples or Luck’s Fried Peaches.
Do y’all know about Luck’s Fried Apples and Peaches? I’m sure you’ve used Luck’s Beans before as they’re a staple in most Southern homes. Luck’s has been delivering premium quality beans and fruit since 1947!
And Luck’s has that signature Southern taste because the company’s culinary roots originated in the South. Canned fruit is a great way to get dessert on the table quickly since you don’t have to peel and slice, and you can always trust Luck’s for guaranteed great taste.
To make the Easy Apple Strudel, start with one sheet of puff pastry, and roll it on a lightly floured surface to about 16×12. I usually just roll right on my parchment paper so I can slide it right onto the baking sheet.
Then take a sharp knife and cut lattice strips on each side of the puff pastry.
Your strips don’t have to be perfect so don’t worry if everything doesn’t look even. Cut the top corners off and make two notches in the bottom next to the center.
Brush with melted butter, then just pile on two drained cans of Luck’s Fried Apples or Peaches, right down the center. Sprinkle on some brown sugar and then tuck in the top middle section, then pull each lattice slice over the peaches, alternating sides to create a braid.
Tuck in the bottom middle and braid the last two strips over it, tucking them underneath. Brush with an egg wash, slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet, and bake 20-30 minutes, until pastry is a deep golden brown.
Allow the strudel to cool for about 5 minutes, then use a large spatula to gently loosen each side and slide onto a platter.
You can serve this Easy Apple Strudel warm with a little vanilla ice cream on the side, or serve it at room temperature.
It’s also a great breakfast dish when you have company!
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Easy Apple Strudel
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cans Luck’s Fried Apples or Peaches, drained
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 tablespoon Turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. On a large sheet of lightly floured parchment paper, roll the puff pastry to about 16×12.
- Picture the pastry in thirds longways, and on each side cut diagonal strips toward the middle, leaving the middle third of the pastry uncut. Cut the corners off the top and the notch between the bottom middle and the last bottom strips.
- Brush the pastry with melted butter then spoon the fruit onto the middle section. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the fruit.
- Pull the top middle piece of pastry over the fruit, then pull each strip of pastry over the fruit, alternating sides to create a braid down the middle. Pull the bottom middle piece of the pastry then pull the last two strips over and tuck under the sides.
- Lightly beat the egg and milk with a fork to create an egg wash and brush over the pastry. Sprinkle the Turbinado sugar over the top. Gently pull the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, until deep golden brown.
Nutrition
Luck’s provided me with cans of Fried Apples and Fried Peaches, which I used to create this yummy, Easy Apple Strudel! This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own and I will never promote a product to you that I don’t believe in and use myself! For more information, read my Disclosure and Privacy page.
I live in Colorado and no Luck’s here. Can I substitute a canned apple pie filling – drained first?
I’m sure that would work just fine!
i can not find them anywhere to buy locally or online can you help even tried wal mart not available only apple thanks
i just made this and it is delicious,and so easy to make, can i freeze it to save it for later?
I have never frozen it but I don’t see why you couldn’t!