This old-world favorite gets a quick and easy update from ready-made phyllo pastry.
CHERRY STRUDEL
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 1/2 tbs cornstarch
- 4 cups cherries tart, fresh or frozen, thawed
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tsp lemon peel or Orange zest
- 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
- 1/4 tsp allspice ground
- 1//8 tsp cinnamon ground
Pastry
- 8 sheets phyllo pastry thawed if frozen
- 3 tbs butter melted
Topping
- 1 tbs confectioners sugar
Instructions
- To prepare the filling. in a medium saucepan, mix together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Stir in cherries, water, lemon zest, and vanilla. Cook over medium heat until bubbling and thickened.
- Reduce heat to low, add allspice and cinnamon, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 400* F. Grease a baking sheet.
- To prepare pastry, unfold sheets of phyllo so they lie flat. Stack 4 sheets on plastic wrap. Brush top sheet with 1tbs melted butter. Keep remaining sheets covered with plastic wrap. and a damp cloth to prevent them drying out.
- Spread half filling along a short side of top pastry sheet. Starting with short side and using plastic wrap as a guide, roll up pastry jelly-roll style. Fold ends under.
- Place strudel, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet. Brush with 1/2 tbs melted butter. Repeat with remaining phyllo, melted butter and filling to make second strudel.
- Bake until golden15 to 20 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Transfer strudels to cutting board to cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
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