Sweet and cinnamony apples, woven into golden brown, flaky puff pastry. The apples are tender, the pastry is crisp and feathery, and the whole thing is dusted with crunchy sugar. The entire experience is pure warmth. Like a strudel hug.

After you get over the fact that this is one incredible breakfast and/or dessert, you'll be floored by how easy the process is. The puff pastry is store-bought, and the apples just require a quick dance in butter and cinnamon to soften. That's basically two steps - saute the apples and then roll them in the pastry. The oven does the rest. And that aroma wafting from oven...

So why do I add cornstarch to the filling? Yes, flour is often used to catch the juices from the apples so the puff pastry doesn't get soggy. But, I find that flour creates a murky filling - as in, sort of cloudy. Cornstarch cooks up clear, so all you see are those glorious apples.

Want to prep ahead? Sweet, that's exactly what I did. Prepare the strudel as directed and, before baking, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Pull the strudel from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and bake as directed.

About the apples: I chose Mackintosh because I like a sweeter apple for the strudel filling. Plus, I don't need to add a lot of sugar to balance the flavors. For a slightly tart filling, choose Granny Smith.

Easy Apple Strudel

1 tablespoon butter

2 large apples (Granny Smith or Mackintosh), cored and thinly sliced (see note above)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over the strudel

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Flour or powdered sugar for dusting the work surface (about 1 tablespoon)

1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed according to package directions

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until they soften, stirring frequently. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and cinnamon and toss to coat. Cook for 1 more minute. Add the cornstarch and toss to coat the apples. Remove the pan from the heat.

Lightly dust your work surface with flour or powdered sugar. Roll the puff pastry out on the surface until you have a 12x15-inch rectangle. Spoon the apples on the shorter (12-inch) end, covering about 1/3 of the bottom of the pastry, to within 1-inch of edges. Roll up the pastry tightly, jelly roll style.

Transfer the strudel to the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Brush the mixture all over the strudel. Sprinkle sugar all over the top of the strudel. Make several slits in the surface of the strudel (to allow steam to escape during cooking).

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing.

Serves 4-6