Apple Pear Strudel With Dried Fruit And Almonds Food

APPLE-PEAR STRUDEL

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon zest and nutmeg. Add the apples, pears and extracts; toss to coat., Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface; lightly brush with butter. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Layer with seven more sheets of phyllo, brushing each layer with some of the butter., Spoon apple mixture lengthwise over phyllo within 2 in. of a long side; fold in edges. Roll up, starting from the long side., Place seam side down in a parchment-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan. With a sharp knife, cut diagonal slits in top of strudel. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

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.

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

DIABETIC PEAR STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425F (220C)Gas Mark 7.
• Use nonstick cookie sheet, spray lightly or cover with parchment paper.
• Peel, core and thinly slice pears.
• Lightly coat a nonstick pan with butter flavored cooking spray. (I just used butter).
• Add the pears and saute for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the zest, juice and sugar substitute. Cook until the pears are just cooked through. Set aside.
• On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry to make a 12 1/2 X 10 1/2 (31.25 x 26.25) inch rectangle.
• Sprinkle almonds on the pastry.
• Drain pears and place down middle third (long way) of the puff pastry to within 1/2 inch (1.25cm) of the top and bottom edge.
• Spray the edges of the pastry and fold each 1/3 side over fruit. I brushed on butter.
• Place seam side down on cookie sheet.
• Make slashes every 2 inches (5 cm).
• Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
• Coat with butter flavored cooking spray. If you use melted butter, put on before cinnamon/sugar.
• Bake 25-30 minutes until puffed and brown.
• Allow to cool to room temperature then cut into 8 pieces. Can serve with sugar free icecream or whipped cream.

APPLE, PEAR, AND DRIED-CHERRY CRUMBLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch oval ceramic baking dish. Mix 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg in large bowl. Add apples, pears, and dried cherries to bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared dish.
• Using fingertips, mix butter, brown sugar, lemon peel, remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon in medium bowl until moist clumps form. Crumble butter mixture over fruit.
• Bake until fruit bubbles at edges and crumble is crisp and beginning to brown on top, about 1 hour. Cool about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Gradually whisk in maple syrup.
• Spoon crumble into bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream and maple cream.

PEAR STRUDEL

Steps:

• Thoroughly mix the dried pears with the pecans in a large bowl.
• Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix well.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Lighly grease a baking sheet.
• Lay 1 phyllo sheet on a large sheet of wax paper.
• Brush with the melted margarine and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon crumbs.
• Top with a second sheet of phyllo.
• Brush with margarine and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of crumbs.
• Keep remaining phyllo sheets covered.
• Put half the filling near one long end of the top sheet, arranging it in a log shape and leaving a 1 inch border.
• Starting with that end, carefully roll up the dough as for a jelly roll, using the paper to help support the dough.
• End the roll with the seam on the bottom.
• Transfer the roll to the baking sheet and brush the top with margarine.
• Repeat with the remaining filling and remaining dough.
• Bake 25 minutes or until golden.
• Just before serving the strudel, sprinkle it with confectioners' sugar.
• Serve warm if desired.

PEAR AND GINGER STRUDEL

Steps:

• Prepare the filling first. Melt first measure of butter.
• Add lemon rind and juice, almonds, ginger and sugar.
• Peel and finely slice pears.
• Add to butter mixture and stir gently so that the pear pieces are coated with mixture. Set aside. Melt the second measure of butter.
• Combine ground almonds and ginger.
• Remove filo pastry from packet. Place on a flat surface and cover with plastic wrap so the pastry doesn't dry out. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Take the first sheet of filo and place it on the tray.
• Brush pastry with melted butter and sprinkle with some ground almond mixture. Lay another sheet of pastry on top of the first, brush with butter and sprinkle with ground almond mixture. Continue using all the pastry sheets and all the ground almond mixture. On the last sheet of pastry brush butter around edge of pastry in a 4cm-wide strip.
• Position prepared pastry on baking tray so that you have one of the shorter borders near you.
• Place the pear filling on the pastry keeping the mixture 4cm from the sides.
• Cover about two-thirds of pastry with pear filling.
• Fold over the pastry at the end near you; then turn in the sides.
• Roll the strudel away from you, enclosing the filling.
• Try and end with the of the pastry underneath.
• (Do not roll too tightly as the strudel may burst while cooking.) Brush with a little more melted butter.
• Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds and brush with butter again.
• Bake at 180 C for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden brown.
• If pastry starts to dry out during cooking, brush once more with butter.
• Allow to cool 10 minutes on the baking tray before sliding onto a serving plate. Serve hot or cold, dusted with icing sugar and whipped cream.
• (Paulines Notes:---Use a serrated knife to slice the strudel with a gentle saw movement to avoid crumbling the cooked pastry. Assembling the strudel on the baking tray saves moving the strudel from the bench to the baking tray which can be difficult. Filo pastry will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. Make sure the plastic bag that it is in is well sealed.).