Dried Fruit Strudel With Apricot Preserves Recipes

APPLE PEAR STRUDEL WITH DRIED FRUIT AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment.
• Place the dried fruit in a bowl and pour on hot or boiling water to cover. Let sit 5 minutes, and drain. Toss the apples with the lemon juice.
• Heat a large, heavy frying pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. Wait until it becomes light brown and carefully add the apples and the sugar. Do not add the apples until the pan and the butter are hot enough, or they won't sear properly and retain their juice. But be careful when you add them so that the hot butter doesn't splatter. When the apples are brown on one side, add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and almonds, flip the apples and continue to sauté until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the pears and dried fruit, then scrape out onto one of the lined sheet pans and allow to cool completely. Divide into two equal portions (easiest to do this if you weigh it).
• Place 8 sheets of phyllo dough on your work surface. Cover with a dish towel and place another, damp dish towel on top of the first towel. Place a sheet of parchment on your work surface horizontally, with the long edge close to you. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on the parchment. Brush lightly with butter and top with the next sheet. Continue to layer all eight sheets, brushing each one with butter before topping with the next one.
• Brush the top sheet of phyllo dough with butter. Sprinkle on half of the almond powder (50 grams). With the other half, create a line 3 inches from the base of the dough, leaving a 2 1/2-inch margin on the sides. Top this line with one portion of the fruit mixture. Fold the bottom edge of the phyllo up over the filling, then fold the ends over and roll up like a burrito. Using the parchment paper to help you, lift the strudel and place it on the other parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with butter and make 3 or 4 slits on the diagonal along the length of the strudel. Repeat with the other sheets of phyllo to make a second strudel. If you are freezing one of them, double-wrap tightly in plastic.
• Place the strudel in the oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush again with butter, rotate the pan and return to the oven. Continue to bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

APRICOT STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degree celcius (180 degree for fan-forced).
• Grease oven tray.
• Combine apricots, sugar, cinnamon, sultanas and nuts in medium bowl.
• Stack pastry sheets, brushing each lightly with milk as you layer them.
• Spread apricot mix over pastry, leaving a 5cm space at edge of both short sides and 2cm at edge of one long side.
• Fold short sides over; starting from filled long side edge, roll strudel to enclose filling.
• Place seam side down on prepared tray.
• Bush strudel with remaining milk.
• Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Dust strudel with icing sugar before serving, warm or cold, with icecream if desired.

APRICOT STRUDEL

Steps:

• Cream the flour, butter, and cream cheese into a ball and chill it.
• Divide dough into 4 parts.
• Roll each into a rectangle.
• Spread mixture of apricot preserves, shredded coconut, and chopped nuts.
• Roll up as a jellyroll.
• Put on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
• cool and slice.

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

DRIED-FRUIT STRUDEL WITH APRICOT PRESERVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter rimmed baking sheet. Roll out crust on floured surface to thin 16-inch square. Spread all of preserves over pastry, leaving 1-inch plain border. Sprinkle dried fruit and nuts evenly over preserves. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Fold about 1 inch of each pastry side over filling. Starting at bottom, roll up pastry jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using large spatula, transfer strudel to prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Bake strudel until golden, about 35 minutes. Cool completely. Cut strudel into 1-inch slices.