Cherry Strudel

Cherry strudel sliced and dusted with icing sugar and a pinch of cinnamon.

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5 from 1 vote

Phyllo pastry and a few tricks lighten up traditional strudel.

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 265kcal

Author: Carolyn Hetke

Ingredients

3 cups cherries pitted, fresh or frozen
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tbsps butter melted (set aside 2 tsps to brush the top)
2 Tbsps canola oil see note below if you want to lighten up with cooking spray.
6 sheets phyllo pastry

Topping

2 Tbsps sugar
2 tsps melted butter (reserved from above)
pinch of cinnamon
icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Make a sheet of parchment paper to line a baking sheet. You will use the parchment as your work surface to form the strudel and then transfer it to the baking sheet.
Prepare filling by mixing the cherries, flour almonds and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
Mix the butter and canola oil, reserving 2 tsps. Position a sheet of phyllo on your parchment paper. (Keep remaining sheets covered with a damp, clean tea towel so it doesn't dry out.) Lightly brush the sheet with the butter mixture. Repeat with the other 5 phyllo sheets. See note below if you want to lighten it up with cooking spray.
Spread cherry mixture evenly over the strudel leaving a 2" edge all the way around.
Fold the short ends in over the filling. Gently roll up the long edge using the parchment paper to help roll if necessary. Finish with the strudel roll seam side down. Brush with the reserved 2 Tsps of butter. Sprinkle the top with the 2 Tbsps of sugar and the pinch of cinnamon.
Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes. Pastry should be golden brown.
Remove from oven and dust with icing sugar just before serving or after it has cooled a bit if not serving immediately. Cut into 6 even slices and serve.
This is best served slightly warm. It will keep in the fridge a day or so but will become noticeably soggy if longer than next day. It freezes beautifully. Wrap unbaked strudel tightly and freeze up to 3 months. You can bake it at 350° from frozen for 55-60 minutes. Sprinkle with final icing sugar just before serving.

Notes

Note: If you want to further lighten the recipe use only 2 Tbsps of melted butter and replace the canola oil by spraying every 2nd phyllo sheet with cooking spray.

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