 |  |  |
 |  silpat mat |  roll between wax paper |  bottom piece gets wrinkled ~ turn over & smooth out |
 trim excess & stick onto thin spots |  smooth with hands & light roll |  spread liquid over whole dough ~ sprinkle Craisins |  sprinkle chopped almonds |
 gently roll up dough (I use a butter knife to get under sticky dough to start) |  use bottom wax paper to help roll up dough |  push all large cherries & Craisins back into the roll as you get to the end |  finish rolling up log |
 use wax paper to transfer log to baking sheet (open edge underneath) |  use your hands to even up log ~ press the ends back with palm of hand |  2 to a sheet (if they fit) ~ but may have to do 1 across the sheet if too big |  baked & cooled ~ cut off the ends (reward for the cook) |
A variation of my mom's apricot strudel which I always make for the Holidays, and several other times during the year. A recipe makes 4 logs (which you can bake and then freeze, then slice after you thaw them out later), but this time I thought I would do just 2 apricot strudel logs and then try 2 cherry logs too! They were just as delicious and nice to have a different flavor.
If you also want to do both ~ use apricot preserves with finely chopped pecans (or walnuts) ~ a handful or so of flaked coconut per log ~ and some golden raisins ~ but remember to use half of the amount of filling in the recipe for each flavor.
If you're a pie maker, you need to change your "mind set" to rolling out very thin dough. Conversely, since I rarely make pies, I have to keep reminding myself (when I do make pies) to make the crusts thick enough so it doesn't fall apart!
CHERRY & ALMOND STRUDEL BITES
2 cups flour.............................................2 sticks real unsalted butter (softened)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened...............1 ( 8-12 oz) jar cherry preserves
1 cup small (almost finely) chopped almonds (easiest to start with sliced almonds)
1 cup dried cranberries.........................1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3-4 drops almond extract......................about 2-3 TB milk or cream
powdered sugar
***
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat the butter and cream cheese together with your electric mixer; then gradually add the flour ~ beating until well blended.. Roll into a ball; wrap in saran and refrigerate at least an hour (or overnight) (dough will keep for days in the refrigerator).
DOUGH ROLLING TIPS: I find it's easiest to use a silpat mat to roll the dough out on ~ with measurements marked along the top. Then I also roll the dough between 2 big pieces of waxed paper ~ with just a 1-2 TB of flour need on the bottom piece of waxed paper. When I take out the dough, I press the piece that I'll be rolling in a somewhat rectangle down on the flour ~ then flip it over so each side has a very light dusting of flour. Put the top sheet of waxed paper on and now you're ready to roll it out (almost mess free). ** As you'll notice in one of the photos above, the bottom wax paper will get really wrinkled, so just flip over the whole thing ~ smooth out that piece of wax paper with your hands ~ and keep on going. **
Divide dough into 4 part. Put the ones you aren't working with back in the refrigerator.; Roll one part into a rectangle about 12x14” (close is fine, as long as your dough is nearly thin enough to read through!). Carefully spread the jam over the rectangle (best to beat it a little with a fork, so it's easier to spread). Evenly sprinkle 1/4 of the coconut, nuts and raisins over the jam. Carefully roll rectangle up lengthwise and place on baking sheet. (If you use a silicon mat, you can move the mat to the baking sheet and slide the log off).
Bake about 30 minutes (until just barely golden brown) ~ brush with the milk and bake for another 5 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Slice into 1" to 1-1/2” slices. (Logs can be frozen unsliced, after baking ~ keep about 3 months in freezer)
NOTE: If the filling leaks during baking, DON'T PANIC! After the logs cool on the pan, you can slice the cooled leakage next to the logs and it will come right up. It's a yummy reward for the cook!
If you also want to do both ~ use apricot preserves with finely chopped pecans (or walnuts) ~ a handful or so of flaked coconut per log ~ and some golden raisins ~ but remember to use half of the amount of filling in the recipe for each flavor.
If you're a pie maker, you need to change your "mind set" to rolling out very thin dough. Conversely, since I rarely make pies, I have to keep reminding myself (when I do make pies) to make the crusts thick enough so it doesn't fall apart!
CHERRY & ALMOND STRUDEL BITES
2 cups flour.............................................2 sticks real unsalted butter (softened)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened...............1 ( 8-12 oz) jar cherry preserves
1 cup small (almost finely) chopped almonds (easiest to start with sliced almonds)
1 cup dried cranberries.........................1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3-4 drops almond extract......................about 2-3 TB milk or cream
powdered sugar
***
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat the butter and cream cheese together with your electric mixer; then gradually add the flour ~ beating until well blended.. Roll into a ball; wrap in saran and refrigerate at least an hour (or overnight) (dough will keep for days in the refrigerator).
DOUGH ROLLING TIPS: I find it's easiest to use a silpat mat to roll the dough out on ~ with measurements marked along the top. Then I also roll the dough between 2 big pieces of waxed paper ~ with just a 1-2 TB of flour need on the bottom piece of waxed paper. When I take out the dough, I press the piece that I'll be rolling in a somewhat rectangle down on the flour ~ then flip it over so each side has a very light dusting of flour. Put the top sheet of waxed paper on and now you're ready to roll it out (almost mess free). ** As you'll notice in one of the photos above, the bottom wax paper will get really wrinkled, so just flip over the whole thing ~ smooth out that piece of wax paper with your hands ~ and keep on going. **
Divide dough into 4 part. Put the ones you aren't working with back in the refrigerator.; Roll one part into a rectangle about 12x14” (close is fine, as long as your dough is nearly thin enough to read through!). Carefully spread the jam over the rectangle (best to beat it a little with a fork, so it's easier to spread). Evenly sprinkle 1/4 of the coconut, nuts and raisins over the jam. Carefully roll rectangle up lengthwise and place on baking sheet. (If you use a silicon mat, you can move the mat to the baking sheet and slide the log off).
Bake about 30 minutes (until just barely golden brown) ~ brush with the milk and bake for another 5 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Slice into 1" to 1-1/2” slices. (Logs can be frozen unsliced, after baking ~ keep about 3 months in freezer)
NOTE: If the filling leaks during baking, DON'T PANIC! After the logs cool on the pan, you can slice the cooled leakage next to the logs and it will come right up. It's a yummy reward for the cook!
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