Ingredients
2 baking apples, peeled and cored
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. Caramel
1 package puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
4 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 375°.Step 2Prepare filling: Grate one apple on the large side of a box grater. Squeeze out excess juices (don’t dry out completely, but the apple shouldn’t be dripping). Dice other apple into very small (about 1/8") chunks.Step 3Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, then add grated and diced apple and stir to coat. Add flour, cinnamon, and salt and cook over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add caramel and cook for another 5 minutes, until thick and syrupy; let cool before using.Step 4On a well-floured surface, roll out one sheet of puff pastry into a large 10”-x-14” rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut rectangle in half lengthwise, creating two 5”-x-14” rectangles. Cut each into four equal rectangles.Step 5Place one heaping tablespoon caramel apple mixture in the middle of four rectangles of puff pastry. Brush the other four rectangles of puff pastry with beaten egg using a pastry brush and lay egg-washed side down on top of filling. Use a fork to seal edges, then make a few holes on top with tines of the fork. Repeat with other sheet of puff pastry.Step 6Bake strudels on a parchment-lined baking sheet; let cool 15 minutes before serving. Step 7Make icing: In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a plastic bag or piping bag and drizzle on toaster strudels just before serving. (Strudels are best served warm; reheat for a few minutes in a toaster oven if desired.)
