Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, unfold pastry and roll out to a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Place on the cookie sheet and refrigerate.

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium, add the apples, 1/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon.  Increase the heat and cook, tossing occasionally, until the apples are tender and the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.  Set the filling aside and allow to cool completely.

With one short side of the pastry facing you, mound the filling horizontally in a strip across the center, leaving a 1-inch border on both long sides. Fold each side of the dough over the filling and turn the pastry over, seam side down.

Brush the pastry with a little bit of cream and sprinkle with a titch of sugar. Using a paring knife, cut a few steam vents down the center of the pastry. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes, then allow it to rest 10 minutes before cutting it up and serving.

If you do the filling ahead it’s a very fast dessert that only looks like you went to a lot of trouble – and it’s easy to make 2 or more strudels depending on how many people you’re feeding.  Yum.