Cherry Strudel
Description
Our weekly sale from September 30th – October 6th celebrates the culinary traditions of Oktoberfest, and an Oktoberfest celebration isn’t quite complete without a cherry strudel for dessert! You’ll find frozen tart cherries in the weekly sale display and this recipe will help you roll them into a decadently delicious strudel!
Instructions
Toss the pitted cherries with the sugar and allow to macerate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain the cherries, reserving the juice. Transfer the cherries to a large bowl and set aside. Whisk a 1/2 cup of the cherry juice with the corn starch until smooth. Place the remaining juice and the salt in a small saucepan. Bring the juice to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the boiling juice in a steady stream. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it returns to a boil and thickens to a pudding-like texture. Remove the thickened juice from the heat and immediately pour it over the pitted cherries. Toss to combine. Set the cherries aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Unroll the Phyllo sheets and cover them with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out. Lay a clean kitchen towel that is larger than the baking sheet on your work surface. Lay a sheet of Phyllo on the towel with the short side facing you. Use a pastry brush to drizzle the dough with butter then overlap two more sheets of phyllo so that you form an 18” square of dough. Drizzle each layer of pastry with more butter as you overlap the sheet. Lay another 3 sheets of phyllo in the opposite direction, drizzle each sheet with butter as you build the layer. Repeat building alternating layers until all the sheets are used. Working horizontally, sprinkle the bread crumbs in a 6” wide strip down the center of the pastry. Leave a 2” border on either end. Pour the cherry filling over the bread crumbs in an even layer. Starting from the side closest to you, use the kitchen towel to fold the dough over the cherries. Fold in the two ends then continue rolling the strudel like a burrito. Use the opposite side of the towel to flip the strudel so the seam side is up. Use the towel to lift the strudel and flip the strudel off the towel onto the baking sheet, seam side down. Use your hands to tuck in the ends and straighten out the strudel. Brush the top of the strudel with more melted butter. Bake until deeply golden brown. Cool on the baking pan for at least 30 minutes then transfer the strudel to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife with a sawing motion and, working on a slight angle, slice off the ragged ends of the strudel. These can be discarded or eaten. Slice 12 equal portions. You can remove any broken bits of phyllo to make a smoother top. Sprinkle generously with confectioner’s sugar and transfer to a serving tray.