Dried Plum And Cheese Strudel Recipes

DRIED PLUM AND WALNUT PHYLLO TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
• On a work surface carefully brush a sheet of phyllo with melted butter and sprinkle it with 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar. Cut 6 strips from top to bottom 3 inches wide.
• Place a cube of cream cheese, a piece of dried plum, some chopped walnuts, and a piece of candied orange peel at the end of each strip. Fold them into triangles by folding the dough over itself as if folding a flag. Place them on the sheet pan. Brush the tops of the triangles with butter and a final sprinkling with sugar.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the phyllo is golden brown. Let cool and serve within 6 hours sprinkled with powdered sugar.

DRIED PLUM AND ALMOND PHYLLO TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lay a sheet of phyllo on a cutting board with the short part facing you and brush lightly with clarified butter then sprinkle with sugar. Cut into 4 long, even strips.
• Open up each dried plum and place a cube of cream cheese and a toasted almond inside. Place a stuffed dried plum at the end of each strip of phyllo. Fold it up to make a triangle, like folding a flag. Brush the outside with butter and sprinkle with more sugar.
• Repeat with the rest of the phyllo. Bake until light golden brown about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm, if possible, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

RUSSIAN STYLE MIXED/DRIED FRUIT STRUDEL

Steps:

• Put the flour in the bowl of an electric mixer. On slow, mix in the butter until it looks like very coarse meal. Mix in the sour cream until it masses together to form a dough. Pat into a rectangle, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
• Filling:
• Coarsely chop the prunes. In a small saucepan, cover the prunes with the prune juice and sugar. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes. Place in a food processor with the vanilla and puree to a paste. Mix in the raisins, cherries and walnuts. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a square 16 by16 inches. Place the filling in a log running along the bottom and roll up. Pinch the ends closed. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet, seam side down. Mix the egg and water together to form a wash and paint the strudel. Bake for 30 minutes until crisp and golden. Let cool on a rack, then slice into 1 inch pieces.
• This was my Grandma Bessie's baking specialty. I haven't had this since she died but my brothers and I talk of it often, trying to re-construct what was in it. I re-discovered it at the Golden Key in Brighton Beach. Can be made on a rainy day with items in the pantry

OLD VIENNA APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon, and raisins in a medium saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour filling into a baking dish and stir in the walnuts; let cool to room temperature.
• In a small saute pan, melt 5 tablespoons butter and add breadcrumbs. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until toasted and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Wipe pan clean and melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter; set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack positioned in the middle of the oven. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a double thickness of parchment paper.
• Lay a large, clean cloth or sheet (at least 3 feet long and wide) on a work surface, and sprinkle well with flour. Remove strudel dough from bowl without folding it over on itself and set it in the center of your work surface. Use the palms of your hands to flatten the dough. Dust dough lightly with flour and roll it in all directions, as well as rolling over the edges, making it as thin as possible. Lightly brush entire surface with oil.
• Slide both hands, with slightly curved palms facing down, under dough toward the center. Holding this position, lift the dough off the cloth with your knuckles, and begin stretching from the center out to the edges until it is too large to stretch easily with your hands. Carefully set dough back on cloth, spreading it to smooth out any wrinkles or folds. Starting in the center again, continue to stretch out the dough in all directions, maintaining a rectangular shape, until the dough is almost translucent everywhere except the edges, which should be thicker. If the dough tears while stretching; you will be able to patch any holes with some of the excess stretched dough.
• Once dough is stretched, let dry for 10 minutes.
• Using a pizza wheel or kitchen scissors, trim all the thick edges until the dough is approximately 24-by-30-inches. With the 24-inch edge facing you, scatter the breadcrumbs on a 12-by-4-inch rectangle of dough centered about 3 inches in from the 24 inch side so the 16 inch side of filling is parallel to the 24 inch side of dough. Scatter the cooled filling on the same space.
• Use a brush to drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of cooled butter all over the unfilled portions of the dough, reserving a little to brush the strudel with once it has been rolled.
• Roll strudel by folding 3 inches of dough from the 24-inch side of dough over the filling, then fold the unfilled dough in from each side. Lift the cloth and roll the strudel, stopping to fold the edges inward as you roll. Transfer to prepared pan, seam side down, positioning diagonally if necessary.
• Brush the top of the strudel with remaining butter, and snip vent holes in with sharp scissors.
• Place strudel in oven. Bake, rotating pan halfway though, until deep golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut on the diagonal into slices. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

DRIED PLUM WHIP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
• Place the dried plums in a saucepan with 1 cup water and cook at a simmer until soft, about 30 minutes. Push the mixture through a strainer to puree. Add the sugar to the puree and cook 5 more minutes or until it is like marmalade. Let cool slightly. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks, then gradually mix in the puree, and lemon juice.
• Pour into a buttered casserole or souffle dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.