- with fresh cherries and laminated filo:
As long as you follow a few basic rules, it is possible
to make strudel from frozen filo. Some videos suggest scattering the filling, generally fruit, all over the dough. Don’t do this with
commercial filo.
There are two types of cherries, sweet and
tart and they cannot be used interchangeably.
Sour cherries have a robust flavor and can be enhanced with ground cinnamon
and ground walnuts. Sweet cherries on the other hand are mild, so cinnamon
and walnuts would just overpower the delicate cherry flavor. Therefore always pair sweet
cherries with finely ground almonds and for flavoring use vanilla or some type
of sweet liquor instead.
SWEET CHERRY STRUDEL
For one strudel use:
4 sheets of commercial filo pastry
1/3 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups sweet pitted cherries
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup finely ground almonds
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 egg whisked
1 Tbsp sugar for sprinkling
icing sugar for dusting
Strudel should be soft and sweet on the inside and wispy and crispy on the outside. The
introduction is a must read. It contains pertinent information.
Place the frozen
filo dough in the refrigerator to thaw for at least 12 hours. If thawed too
quickly the filo will harden and crack.Once the dough
is fully thawed, prepare the fruit.Remove the stems
and wash the cherries.Pit them and
combine them with 1 cup sugar.Set them aside
for 1 hour.Meanwhile line a
baking sheet with parchment paper.After one hour
drain the juice.Then using your
hands squeeze out all remaining juice. Set the cherries
aside.Next take out 4
sheets per strudel and place immediately on a large piece of plastic wrap on a
smooth, clean surface. Cover the filo
right away with a large piece of plastic wrap. Place a damp
kitchen towel on top of the plastic. Rewrap the extra
dough tightly in plastic wrap, box it and put it in the freezer or refrigerator
for storage.Preheat the oven
to 375F.Place one sheet of
filo on the work surface.Dip a soft
pastry brush into the melted butter and brush it all over the pastry lightly.Sprinkle 1 Tbsp
of ground almond all over.Place the next
sheet on top.Butter and
sprinkle with the ground almonds again. Try not to
position tears on top of one another.After the last
sheet is buttered, lift the laminated filo onto a clean kitchen towel.With a spoon place
the remaining finely ground almonds along the long end.Gently arrange the
prepared cherries on top of the ground almonds.Using the
tablecloth flip the filo over the filling.Gently lift the
roll onto parchment lined baking sheet.Tuck the ends
under.Brush the top
first with butter and then with the egg wash.Sprinkle sugar
on the top Bake in the
preheated oven until golden brown. Remove from the
oven and let the strudel cool to room temperature.Dust with icing
sugar and cut into slices Cover up
leftovers with a clean kitchen towel and store on the counter or in the
cupboard. It will keep for a couple of days. However strudel is best on the day
it was made.
