Twice Baked Cheese Strudel Food

FLORET CHEESE STRUDEL

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 1 in. of water, broccoli and cauliflower to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside., In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, broccoli and cauliflower; set aside., Melt remaining butter. Place one sheet of puff pastry on a piece of waxed paper; brush with butter. Spoon half of the vegetable mixture along one long side of pastry. Sprinkle with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting from the long side topped with the vegetables; pinch seams and ends to seal. Brush top with melted butter. Carefully place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and vegetable mixture., Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes. Slice with a serrated knife.

CHEESE AND CHERRY STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat the 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), blend the cream cheese until soft and smooth. Add the farmer's cheese and continue to blend. Add the egg and mix. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar and the vanilla. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (or just set aside in a bowl).
• Transfer 1 sheet of phyllo to the prepared pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the phyllo with butter. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/3 of the ground walnuts. Repeat with the 2 remaining sheets of phyllo--reserving the some melted butter and nuts for the top, once rolled.
• Turn the sheet pan so that the phyllo is horizontal 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 a 3/4 inch thick line of cream cheese mixture.
• Alongside the cream cheese, pour the cherry pie filling. Turn the sheet pan a quarter turn and, starting at the edge the fillings are near, roll up the pastry to encase the filling. 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 remaining sugar and nuts.
• 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.

TWICE-BAKED CHEESE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place one sheet of phyllo on a clean surface, and brush evenly with butter. Repeat with two more sheets of phyllo. Sprinkle third layer of buttered phyllo evenly with 2 tablespoons of each cheese and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds. Add four more layers with cheeses and seeds, for a total of two layers just with butter and five layers with cheeses and seeds.
• Carefully roll up the pastry and filling lengthwise so it is compact. The roll should measure 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Brush the outside of the roll with butter, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and remaining 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds. Cut the roll in half, and transfer to a parchment- lined baking pan. (Alternatively, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and place in freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, remove plastic; bake on parchment-lined baking pan.)
• Bake until deep golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack until cool enough to handle.
• Using a serrated knife, carefully slice the roll into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and return to baking pan, cut-side down. Bake until golden throughout, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve warm or at room temperature.

CREAM CHEESE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine both packages of cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer. Set aside.
• Lightly spray a 9x13" pan with Pam. Spread out one package of the crescent rolls to cover the bottom of the prepared 9x13" pan.
• Gently spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the pressed crescent roll.
• Take the second package of the crescent roll and roll out between two pieces of wax paper. (This is much easier than trying to spread out on top of the cream cheese mixture already in the pan) Lay on top of the cream cheese mixture.
• Mix together your topping ingredients and spread out over the second layer of the crescent rolls.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until sides turn lightly brown.

FARMER'S CHEESE AND RAISIN FILO STRUDEL

Steps:

• 1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Lightly brush a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with a little of the melted butter.
• 2. Using a rubber spatula, work the cheese through a medium-meshed wire sieve into a medium bowl. Stir the bread crumbs and milk in another medium bowl.
• 3. Beat the room-temperature butter in a large bowl with a handheld mixer on high speed until creamy. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Mix in the farmer's cheese, soaked bread crumbs, and sour cream.
• 4. In another medium bowl, using very clean beaters, beat the egg whites at high speed until they form stiff peaks. Stir about one fourth of the whites into the cheese mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Fold in the raisins.
• 5. Place a filo sheet in the prepared pan, letting excess dough hang over the sides. Using a soft brush, lightly brush the filo as best as you can with melted butter. Layer 5 more filo sheets, buttering each layer. Pour in the cheese mixture and spread evenly. Layer with 6 more filo sheets, buttering each layer and the top. Tuck the excess filo into the baking pan.
• 6. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool for 30 minutes. Dust the top of the strudel with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or cooled, with the vanilla sauce, if you wish.
• MAKE AHEAD
• The strudel is best the day it is baked.

TWICE-BAKED MINI POTATOES

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Cool slightly and cut each potato in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the pulp, leaving thin shells., In a large bowl, mash pulp with butter, milk, cream cheese, horseradish, salt and pepper. Stir in the bacon, onion and half of the cheese. Spoon mixture into potato shells; sprinkle with remaining cheese., Transfer to a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Top with chives.

BLUE CHEESE AND PECAN STRUDEL

Steps:

• Make the clarified butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until the bubbling starts to slow down; remove from the heat and let cool. Skim the white foam off the surface and discard. Spoon the remaining butter into a bowl, discarding the solids at the bottom of the saucepan.
• Whisk the egg white, cream cheese and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Gently fold in the blue cheese and candied pecans with a rubber spatula.
• Lay out 1 sheet of phyllo on a large cutting board or work surface with a long side in front of you. (Keep the remaining phyllo covered with a slightly damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Brush the phyllo lightly with some of the clarified butter. Sprinkle evenly with 2 teaspoons breadcrumbs. Repeat to make 5 more layers (phyllo, clarified butter, breadcrumbs), stacking the phyllo as you go. (Reserve some clarified butter to brush on the strudel before baking.)
• Spoon the cheese mixture in a strip down the length of the phyllo, about 1 inch from the long side closest to you. Starting from that side, roll up the phyllo to make a thin log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap or cover with a towel and refrigerate until the filling is firm, at least 1 hour.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Place the phyllo roll seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush all over with the remaining clarified butter. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the phyllo is crisp and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool about 15 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board to slice. Lightly drizzle the slices with honey and serve warm or at room temperature.

BREAKFAST STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Thaw pastry according to package directions, about 30 minutes.
• Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. add potatoes and sauté 5 minutes.
• Stir in bell pepper (can be red or green) and onion; sauté 3 minutes then add cubed ham.
• Add eggs cream cheese and orange juice in blender blend at medium till mixed well.
• Add eggs to the pan and scramble till set.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate eggs while working with puff pastry.
• Unfold a pastry sheet on a work surface that's been lightly dusted with flour. Roll pastry lengthwise to 12X10 then transfer to a piece of parchment cut to fit a baking sheet. Trim pastry cut off top corners notch bottom to create flaps.
• Spoon half the egg mixture down the center; cut strips on both sides at a a 45 degree angle.
• Fold up the flaps at both ends, then braid the strips across the filling.
• Lift parchment and strudels onto baking sheets.
• Combine the remaining egg and water; brush over top of strudels. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 20-30 minutes, or until golden.
• Let cool 5 minutes before slicing.
• The ingredients in this can be altered in anyway -- I have used Italian sausage instead of ham and mozzarella cheese. You could do all kinds of different combinations.