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I created this little gem last fall while working as Cafe Chef for Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding California. Keeping the doctors, staff & visitors entertained with a little charm & a lot of butter. This indulgent pastry is going to become your quintessential for fall baking.

Strudel-Lava would make a lovely hostess gift, wrapped in parchment & tied off with twine & a cinnamon stick, as one should never arrive empty handed.

/Strudel/

a layered pastry containing a sweet filling.

/Baklava/

a rich sweet dessert with layers of filo & chopped nuts held together with honey.

/Strudel-Lava/

an ingenious creation that combines layers of filo with butter, honey & chopped toasted walnuts that envelop layers of tart, sliced apple.

serves 8

Begin a day ahead as you will need to thaw the filo dough in the refrigerator overnight.

• 8 sheets of filo dough (Phyllo)
  

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 1/2 cup honey
  

• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts

• 2 seeds from a star anise (save the seed shelling to add to the apples)

• 1/2 cup organic brown sugar, packed

• zest of 1 large orange (use a microplane zester for this)
  

• 1 tbsp. ghee

• 3 large tart baking apples (Granny Smith or Pink Lady)

• 1 star anise

• 1/4 cup apple juice concentrate

• juice & zest of 1 lemon

• pinch of salt

1.) Allow filo dough to thaw under refrigeration over night. Remove filo from fridge. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Whip together softened butter & honey, set aside. In a food processor, pulse together toasted walnuts, star anise, brown sugar & orange zest.

2.) In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt ghee. Toss in apples & star anise, saute a few minutes then add apple juice concentrate, lemon juice with zest & pinch of salt. You want the apples just browned in spots giving you some caramelization but do not cook them through. Set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350f.

3.) Lay out 8 pieces of filo dough & cover with a towel (refrigerate or freeze the rest). Place first sheet of filo on parchment lined sheet pan, brush lightly with butter honey mixture using a pastry brush. Place another sheet on top, brush with mixture then crumble 1/4 cup of the nut mixture evenly over the filo. Repeat this layering process two more times ending with the last 2 sheets of filo. Stack cooled apple slices down the center of the pastry lengthwise (leaving excess juices & star anise in pan). Carefully fold one length over filling, brush with a little butter honey mixture, fold in ends. Then finally fold pastry over placing seam on the bottom. Brush pastry with remaining butter & honey & bake until fragrant & golden brown, 30-35 minutes.

4.) Serve warm or at room temperature. Cut into 8 portions. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chef Notes: Resist the urge to add sugar to the apples. The juice concentrate is all that is required & allows the true apple flavor to shine through. You want that wonderful contrast of a tart apple complemented by the layers of honey, butter & brown sugar. Serve with a cup of afternoon Earl Grey tea or after dinner with an expresso or dessert wine.