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Autumn Fruit Strudel

By Jeanne Besser

Cox News Service

I adapted this from a recipe in Williams-Sonoma's Fruit Desserts (Simon & Schuster, $16.95). Because so many layers of phyllo are used in the pastry, if one sheet tears, it's not noticeable in the final dessert. Keep the extra layers covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. If the fruit mixture creates a lot of juice in the bowl, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the phyllo. It appears that the commercial phyllo dough has been resized and repackaged; the phyllo sheets should measure 81/2 by 13 inches.

Makes 12-14 servings

6 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups mixed chopped dried fruit, such as sour cherries, apricots, cranberries, raisins, golden raisins or currants

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 (16-ounce) package phyllo dough, thawed if frozen

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

13 teaspoons granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl, combine apples, dried fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

On a work surface, place 1 sheet of phyllo. Using a pastry brush, brush well with melted butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo, brush with butter and sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar. Repeat until 12 sheets of phyllo are used, brushing each with butter and sprinkling every other sheet with sugar, including the last sheet.

With a slotted spoon, place half the apple mixture along the long side of the phyllo, about 1 inch from the edge. Fold the edge over the filling, then carefully roll up the phyllo into a log. Place on the parchment, seam-side down. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.

Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets (depending on the package, you will have only 10 or 11 sheets left) and filling. Bake until the phyllo is golden and apples are tender, 30-35 minutes. Cool on the pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Cut slices crosswise and serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving, based on 12 servings:

222 calories, 26 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat.