Apple Strudel

Preheat oven to 375F with rack in middle.

Soak raisins in hot water until slightly softened, about 1 hour or overnight. Drain raisins and stir together with apples, walnuts, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir together remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

On a work surface arrange an 18-inch-long-piece of wax paper with a long side facing you, cover it with 1 sheet of the phyllo, and brush the phyllo lightly with some of melted butter then lightly sprinkle with sugar mixture and graham cracker crumbs. Layer 5 more sheets of phyllo over the first sheet in the same manner, brushing each sheet lightly with some of the melted butter, then sprinkling with sugar mixture and graham cracker crumbs. Mound half the apple mixture (about 33/4 cups) evenly along the long side facing you, leaving a 2-inch border at each end. Using the wax paper as a guide and rolling away from you, roll up the strudel gently but tightly and, with the seam side down (ends will be open; stuff any fallen pieces of apple back into strudel).

Carefully transfer strudel to a lightly buttered jelly-roll pan. Make another strudel with the remaining ingredients in same manner and transfer it to the jelly-roll pan 2-inches leaving a 2-inch space between strudels. Brush strudels with some of the remaining melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. (You may have some remaining cinnamon-sugar and graham cracker crumbs.)

Bake strudels until golden, 35 to 45 minutes, and gently loosen with a spatula, then cool to warm in pan, about 30 minutes. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut strudels and dust with confectioners' sugar if desired. Transfer to plates and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

Cooks' tip: Strudels may be made 1 day in advanced and kept covered loosely at room temperature. Reheat strudels in a preheated 400°F. oven for 15 minutes. Transfer strudels with slotted spatulas carefully to serving platters and dust them with the confectioners' sugar.