Plum Strudel Food

PLUM STREUSEL KUCHEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In another bowl, whisk egg and cream; add to crumb mixture, tossing gently with a fork until mixture forms a ball. , Press dough into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Arrange plums over crust., For topping, in a small bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add cream, mixing gently with a fork until moist crumbs form. Sprinkle over plums. , Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

PLUM STREUSEL COFFEECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour a 9-inch round or square baking pan at least 2 inches deep.
• Make streusel:
• In a food processor pulse together streusel ingredients until combined well and crumbly.
• Make cake batter:
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and vanilla. Sift in flour with baking powder and salt and beat until just combined.
• Spread cake batter in pan, smoothing top, and arrange plum slices over it in slightly overlapping concentric circles. Sprinkle streusel over plum slices and bake cake in middle of oven 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Coffeecake may be made 1 week ahead: Cool cake completely in pan on a rack and freeze, wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil. Reheat cake, unwrapped but not thawed, in a preheated 350°F. oven until heated through, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake slightly on a rack and sift confectioners' sugar over it. Serve coffeecake warm or at room temperature.

ROASTED PLUM STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut plums in half, and remove pits. Cut halves into 1-inch pieces. In a medium bowl, combine plums, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon, and toss well.
• Divide plum mixture in half, and arrange in two 9-by-13-inch glass baking dishes. Roast, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, 25 to 30 minutes. Plum juices will reduce to a glaze during roasting. Remove plums from oven, and cool completely. Recipe can be prepared to this point 1 day ahead.
• Unroll phyllo; cover unused portion with a damp kitchen towel as you work to prevent it from drying out. Cover work surface with parchment paper. Place a sheet of phyllo on parchment; brush evenly and lightly with melted butter. Cover with another sheet of phyllo, and brush again with butter. Sprinkle half the pistachios over this layer. Repeat process with two more layers of phyllo and remaining pistachios, then top with two more layers of buttered phyllo.
• With the long side of the pastry toward you, spoon cooled plums along its length, 1 inch from the edge nearest you. Using the parchment to help you, gently roll up dough to encase the plums. Don't roll the pastry too tightly.
• Brush strudel lightly with butter, and carefully lift it onto a large baking sheet. Bake until pastry is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on pan for at least 20 minutes; use two spatulas to transfer to a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into slices.

DRIED PLUM AND CHEESE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the cream cheese until soft and smooth. Add the egg and mix. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar, the vanilla, and cinnamon and mix. Add the cut up dried plums and mix just until incorporated. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with no tip and a large opening at the end (or just set aside in a bowl).
• Transfer one sheet of phyllo to the prepared pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the phyllo with butter. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the remaining sugar and 1/3 of the ground walnuts. Repeat with the two remaining sheets of phyllo. Reserve the remaining melted butter and sugar.
• Turn the sheet pan so the wide part of phyllo is parallel to your body. Two inches in from the left-hand edge of the phyllo, working from top to bottom and leaving 2 inches bare at the top and bottom, pipe or spoon 2 lines of cream cheese mixture 3/4 inches thick.
• Starting at the edge, roll up the pastry to encase the cheese. Keep rolling to form a log. Move the log to the center of the sheet pan and tuck the ends under to keep the filling from oozing out. Brush the surface with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes on the pan. Using a serrated knife, cut carefully into sections and serve warm, with whipped cream or ice cream.

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

PLUM STRUDEL WITH HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small pan and toast bread crumbs until they are golden.
• Mix all the ingredients except pastry with breadcrumbs.
• Roll out the pastry to about 5 mm of thickness and shape it into a rectangle. You can use pre-prepared puff pastry.
• Place the plum mixture on the pastry and roll it. You can use a bit of water to safely seal the ends.
• Bake in an oven heated on 180°C for 45 minutes.
• Decorate with icing sugar and serve warm.

PLUM BUCKLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Place the plums into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. In a large bowl, mash together 2/3 cup butter with 1 1/2 cup of white sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in 3 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract to make a smooth batter. Pour the batter over the plums. Mix 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of butter, 1/4 cup of flour, and cinnamon together in a bowl to make a crumbly topping; spread over the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.