My Grandma's Apple Strudel

I wanted to share my Grandma's Apple Strudel recipe from the Czech Republic! There used to be a time when my grandma would make the pastry dough from scratch but she has discovered the beauty/convenience of store bought phyllo pastry dough. This is probably the only short-cut I have ever seen her make during baking but really, who can blame her? The dough bakes just as flaky and delicate as homemade and it saves a whole mornings' worth of hard work! Apple Strudel is simple, relatively light, and can be paired with a number of delicious sides. My personal favorite is a warm apple strudel slice over a vanilla cream or pudding sauce. Vanilla ice cream and berries accompany it perfectly as well!

Grandma's Apple Strudel (makes one log)
*1 package of store-bought phyllo pastry dough (6 layers)
*1/2 stick of melted butter
*1/2 cup of dark rum
*1 pound of tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
*1/4 cup of brown sugar
*1/2 cup breadcrumbs
*1 teaspoon of cinnamon
*1/2 cup raisins
*1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine melted butter with 1/4 cup of rum. Stack layers of dough on a cookie sheet, lightly brushing each layer with the butter/rum mixture before topping with the next layer. Brush top layer with the butter/rum mixture. In a bowl combine sliced apples, breadcrumbs, brown sugar, 1/4 cup of rum, raisins, cinnamon, and walnuts. Spoon filling down the left long-side of the phyllo pastry rectangle. Fold the top edge down and the bottom edge up, enough to cover the filling (about 2 inches). Roll dough up along long-side to enclose filling. Make small fork incisions atop the log in order for the apples to bake evenly. Brush the strudel log with remaining butter/rum mixture and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar to taste. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed.