Ingredients:

3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¾-inch chunks
18 dried apple slices, coarsely chopped
½ cup water
¹/³ cup dark raisins
¹/³ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup walnuts
4 gingersnap cookies
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 (12 × 17-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Directions:

To make filling, combine fresh and dried apples, water, raisins, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in large nonstick skillet. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples are very tender and mixture is slightly thickened. Stir in vanilla. Remove skillet from heat and let cool completely.

Combine walnuts and gingersnaps in food processor; pulse until finely ground.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.

To assemble strudel, reserve 2 teaspoons of butter. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on clean kitchen towel and lightly brush with some of remaining butter. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with damp paper towel to prevent it from drying out.) Top with another sheet of phyllo; lightly brush with butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of cookie crumb mixture. Repeat layering with phyllo, crumb mixture, and butter, ending with phyllo. Spoon apple filling over phyllo leaving 2-inch border. Using towel to help lift edges of phyllo and starting at long side, roll strudel up jelly-roll style to enclose filling. Cut strudel in half.

Place strudel halves, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet; brush with reserved butter. With small sharp knife, make 7 evenly spaced cuts through top layers of phyllo (do not cut through to fi lling) in each strudel.

Bake until golden, 40–45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Transfer one strudel to cutting board. With serrated knife, slice strudel through cuts. Repeat with remaining strudel.