KosherEye.com
by Estee Kafra, Cooking with Color
I call this a winter strudel because it uses fruits that are readily accessible throughout the winter season. This strudel is great for advance planning, because it can be made in steps.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Bartlett pears (peeled, cored and diced)
2 lbs. Golden Delicious or Cortland apples (peeled, cored and diced)
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins (or 1/4 cup of each)
1/4 cup dried apricots chopped (see note below)
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil or butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
1/2 cup additional sugar
Extra oil or melted better for brushing
6-7 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed overnight in refrigerator (see note below)
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling
Directions:
Place diced pears, apples, cranberries, raisins, chopped dried apricots, lemon juice, 1/4 cup sugar and oil into a large saucepan and cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender.
Remove from fire and let cool 5 – 10 minutes. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped walnuts. Stir and refrigerate overnight or until cooled.
When ready to assemble, combine finely ground walnuts with sugar in a small bowl. Set parchment paper on the counter, larger than a leaf of phyllo (you may need to overlap two pieces) and brush paper with oil or melted butter. Place sheet of phyllo on the paper and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar/nut mixture, place another sheet on top, brush with oil or butter, and sprinkle again with 2 tablespoons of the sugar/nut mixture. Continue until all sheets are used. Sprinkle nuts and sugar on top sheet as well.
Place filling about 2 inches from the edge of the long end of the phyllo sheets. Start rolling jelly roll like fashion from the fruit end, using the parchment paper to help you.
Place roll seam side down on large lined cookie sheet. Brush with oil or melted butter and cover loosely with plastic wrap if not baking right away.
Preheat oven to 400° and bake for 35 minutes until phyllo is golden.
When done, cool for 20 minutes, brush with confections sugar and cut slices to serve.
Notes:
Yield: 8 servings
When using phyllo, it is best to keep the sheets covered with a kitchen towel until immediately before use.
If dried apricots are soaked for 2 hours in water before use, they become soft and plump.
Recipes: Desserts, Strudel, Fruit, Parve, Kosher