The Altitude Adjustment Section
Strudel is one of my fallback desserts. We always have Phyllo dough in the freezer. And now they have modified the product so you can keep in defrosted in your fridge for about 4 weeks without spoilage. So you can whip up a few pieces of strudel any time you feel like it. Now that cherries are in season, try this classic cherry dish.
Ingredients
5 cups fresh pitted sour cherries, about 1 1/2 pounds
(you can also use frozen, but it won’t be quite as good)
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 box defrosted Phyllo sheets
1 cup clarified unsalted butter
vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to garnish
Procedure
In a sauce pan, combine cherries and any juice with 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch and bring to the boil stirring occasionally. Lower temperature and simmer for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely.
Preheat oven to 400. Arrange 3 sheets of phyllo on work surface and let dry for about 15 minutes. Then crumble them into a bowl. Now take one sheet of phyllo and brush with the melted butter, repeat 3 times. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the crumbled phyllo along the lower third of the sheets. Leave a two inch border on sides and bottom. Now top with 1/3 cup cherry filling. Spread evenly. Fold up sides and begin to roll up to enclose filling completely. Transfer carefully, seam side down, to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush top with butter and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Cut 2 1 inch vents on the top with the tip of a sharp knife. Continue the same process to make 4 more rolls. Bake in the middle of the over for about 20 minutes or till golden brown and crisp. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Nice with a light dusting of powdered sugar.
