- Yield: 3-4 small strudels
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Strudel, Strudel, Strudel – What makes this one so good?
I've been obsessed with "strudel" lately. Making a strudel, the flavor of strudel, How to fold the dough for strudel, what kind of berries I should feature in the strudel. Should I add a thickener, what shape should it be, and on and on. At the Fancy Food Show in NYC last week I picked the brains of our Fillo Factory rep, Michael Mech, (who is quite the baker) and fellow blogger - The Bungalow Chef . He gave me pointers as he has made many strudels. He was awesome, and so, so patient with all my questions. Thanks Mike. So using his expert advice, and combining several strudel recipes, I came up with this one- that should please most everyone at your table.
I decided to make this strudel with blueberries only. The farm markets near my home in northern, NJ are swamped with blueberries right now. We have all heard that blueberries are good for you. They are considered a "super food", containing powerful antioxidants, phytonutrients, and vitamin C among many other beneficial ingredients. It was no-brainer to use them in this strudel recipe. I'm always looking for recipes that are both healthy and flavorful at the same time. Guilt free? Almost. But don't forget....it is dessert. And you deserve it.
After deciding on the blueberry strudel, I then chose to use our Fillo Factory Country Style Fillo Dough.
Let me say here before anyone goes running out to the store, that you can use any of our dough thicknesses. I've been making a point to try all our doughs to see how they work and feel. I like the thicker one - but any would work here in this recipe. I used 2- 3 layers for the strudel wrapping. If you only could find the thinner #4 dough, just use 4-5 layers. #7 should work with 3-4 layers.
Ingredients
- blueberries - 3 cups- washed and drained
- raw or plain sugar - scant 1/4 cup
- cornstarch - 2 tablespoons
- salt - pinch
- fillo dough - 1/2 lb - thawed and ready to use
- butter - melted
Instructions
- Take the first 4 ingredients and place them in a heavy sauce pan on medium to low heat. Bring to a slow simmer. Crush about 1/4 of the blueberries while you are stirring. We want a thick sauce, but not runny. Simmer and stir for about 2-3 minutes. When thickened remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile have the butter melted in a small bowl, with a basting brush. Put your fillo dough unrolled between slightly damp dishcloths to keep it from drying out.
- Remove a sheet of fillo and butter the top. Place a second sheet on top of that, and continue with a third. Laying horizontally in front of you, cut through them so you have two rectangles - each three sheets thick.- put them under a slightly damp cloth. Repeat the entire process with another three sheets of fillo. So in the end, you will have 4 rectangles in front of you, each three sheets thick.
Get these ready before you begin - Place 1/4 of the cooled blueberry filling in the lower third of one of the rectangles. (See below) Then fold in the two sides, and fold up the bottom and roll it away from you until you have a "package" of the blueberries. Place it seam side down on parchment paper and butter the top with your brush. Repeat with the other three rectangles.
Using about 1/3 of the blueberries, place them near the bottom of the fillo. - Take 3 more full sheets of fillo - butter one and lay the other over the top then butter and layer again.
- Using a sharp knife cut thin strips. (see photo below) Lay your strudel in the center as below, and begin to fold up the strips, gently crossing them over each other as you go. Cut off the extra length of each wrap with a pair of kitchen scissors as needed.
Lay your strudel package on top of the strips and work the strips over - You are done! Place the finished strudel on a parchment lined baking tray, butter the top, sprinkle some "crystal "sugar if desired, and bake for about 20-30 minutes at 375f. Serve immediately. Garnish with mint, or vanilla ice cream. Reheat leftovers in a toaster oven or regular oven at 350 for about 10 minutes to make the fillo crisp again.
- Note: You can freeze the strudels unbaked, for a few weeks for an easy make ahead dessert.
