Fresh Fruit Strudel Recipes

BLUEBERRY STRUDELS

Steps:

• In a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, bring the blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and a pinch of salt to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a sheet pan.
• Cover the phyllo sheets with a piece of plastic wrap and a damp paper towel.
• Arrange 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface with the short side nearest you (keep the remaining sheets covered) and brush with some butter. Top with 2 more phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with butter. Place a heaping 1/4 cup blueberry mixture over the lower third of the buttered phyllo, leaving a 2-inch border along the bottom and sides. Fold the bottom edge of the phyllo up over the blueberry mixture and fold in the sides to enclose the filling completely. Roll up the phyllo to form a strudel, about 4 by 2 inches. Transfer, seam-side down, to the prepared sheet pan. Brush the top with some butter and sprinkle with sugar. Using a paring knife, cut 2 vents across the top of the strudel. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

QUICK PUFF PASTRY APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Combine apples, 3/4 cup sugar, raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon in a large bowl for the filling.
• Dust a flat work surface lightly with flour. Unroll puff pastry and sprinkle lightly with flour. Roll out slightly and mark into 3 equal sections. Spoon filling into the central section then fold over the section on the left and brush with egg. Fold the right section on top, just like a letter. Make shallow diagonal cuts in the top layer of the apple strudel. Brush with egg and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until apple studel is puffed up and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

EASY APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place apples in a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar and golden raisins; set aside. Place puff pastry on baking sheet. Roll lightly with a rolling pin. Arrange apple filling down the middle of the pastry lengthwise. Fold the pastry lengthwise around the mixture. Seal edges of pastry by using a bit of water on your fingers, and rubbing the pastry edges together. Whisk egg and milk together, and brush onto top of pastry.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

FRUIT STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Put the flour, sour cream and butter in a large zip lock bag. Mix until combined. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight, or put in the freezer for 1 ½ hours.
• After the dough is well chilled, divide into four parts.
• Flour work surface.
• Take one part and roll into a fat snake like shape with hands.
• Then with a rolling pin, roll into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick.
• Spread jam evenly onto dough, leaving an small edge without jam.
• Roll up like a jelly roll.
• Press seams together and seal.
• Lay seam side down on a cookie sheet.
• With a sharp knife, cut slits across the strudel in a diagonal pattern.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• To make icing, combine the powdered sugar and milk. You want it to be thick.
• While strudel is still warm, drizzle powdered sugar mixture over strudel.
• Cut into bite size servings to serve.
• Feel free to add nuts with the jam.

APPLE STRUDEL WITH FRESH BERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine the apples, raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a baking dish. Bake until the fruit is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the mixture to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
• Lay the 3 sheets of phyllo in a stack on a large nonstick baking sheet. Mound the fruit mixture in a row running along 1 of the short sides of the phyllo, leaving about 1 1/2 inches empty around the apples on the sides. Fold the close short side over the apples and fold in the long sides. Roll the phyllo and filling over onto itself to form a strudel roll. Place the roll seam side on the baking sheet. Brush the top of the strudel with the butter. Score the strudel with a sharp knife to mark the 6 portions.
• Bake to a golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cut into portions. Decorate 6 dessert plates with the berry sauce and top with the pieces of strudel. Dust with a sifting of the confectioners' sugar, if using, and serve.
• Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. Push through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Use as directed.

DRY FRUIT STRUDEL AS MADE IN ASSISI

Steps:

• A day before baking the cookies, prepare the fruit: Mix the chopped dried fruit and chopped apple in a bowl, toss with 1/2 cup of the sugar, pour in the vin santo, and stir. Cover with plastic wrap, and macerate overnight in the refrigerator.
• The next day, strain the fruit, catching and reserving the juices in a small saucepan. Return the fruit to the bowl, and toss with the chopped nuts.
• To make the dough: Stir together the flour, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, tossing the dry mix with a fork to form coarse crumbs. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water, and pour over the crumbs, tossing and mixing them into a slightly sticky dough. Wrap the dough in plastic, press it into a small flat block, and let it rest briefly.
• Arrange two racks in the oven, and heat it to 375°. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Unwrap the dough, place it between two other pieces of parchment paper, and roll it into a thin rectangular sheet, 12 by 15 inches. Remove the top parchment, and spread the fruit-nut filling on the dough, leaving a 1-inch margin uncovered on all sides. Gently pat the filling so it adheres to the dough.
• Roll up the dough like a jelly roll, starting at one of the longer sides, into a cylinder or log about 15 inches long. You can lift the bottom parchment to support the dough sheet as you fold it over into a spiral, enclosing the filling. When the log is finished, wrap it fully in the parchment paper (so it doesn't stick to the table), and roll it back and forth a few times to make it more compact (and easier to cut).
• Unwrap the log, and trim off the ends with the serrated knife. Next, slice the log crosswise every 1/2 inch or so, into disk-shaped spiral cookies. (If these begin to crumble as you cut, re-form the log into a compact shape, and start cutting again.) Lay the cookies flat and spaced apart on the lined baking sheets.
• Place the sheets on the two oven racks, and bake for about 15 minutes, then rotate the pans-top to bottom rack, and back to front-and bake another 15 minutes or so, until the dough is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
• Meanwhile, heat the reserved fruit juices to the boil in a small saucepan, and cook until syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup. Remove the baking sheets from the oven onto wire racks, and while the cookies are still hot, drizzle the fruit syrup over them.
• Let the cookies cool completely. They will keep for a week or two if well wrapped or in a cookie tin.

LEMON CREAM CHEESE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Defrost filo, following the package directions.
• Zest the lemon, mince and reserve. Carefully peel the lemon, removing all of the white pith. Thinly slice the peeled lemon with care, set aside. Lemon is easier to cut if first frozen.
• Combine the cheese, yolks, sugar and extract with an electric mixer or food processor. Blend until creamy.
• Fold in raisins if desired, and zest. Refrigerate.
• Heat oven to 375. Grease a baking sheet.
• Dampen a large cotton cloth, place on work surface.
• Remove first filo (phyllo) leaf from package and place on cloth. Brush the leaf quickly with melted butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Top with another filo leaf, butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs.
• Repeat with 2 more filo leaves.
• Working across only the bottom half of the short end of the prepared filo, spread half of the filling on the pastry, leaving a one-inch border acress the short end and halfway up both sides.
• Lay half of the lemon slices in a row across the filling.
• Fold the border over the filling, and using the cloth as a guide, loosely roll the pastry jellyroll fashion, taking care to keep ends tucked inches.
• Place rolled strudel, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet, brush with butter. Using a sharp knife, make seven slashes just through the top layer of filo leaves dividing the strudel into 8 equal servings. Repeat entire process with remaining filo leaves and filling to make a 2nd strudel.
• Bake 50-55 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar.