SOUR CHERRY STRUDELS

By á-32773

Ingredients

• 5 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed pitted sour cherries (1 1/2 lbs)
• 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbs cornstarch
• 15 (17- by 12-inch) phyllo sheets, thawed if frozen
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
• Garnish: Confectioners sugar
• Accompaniment: Vanilla ice cream or whipping cream

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from epicurious.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring cherries (with any juices), 3/4 cup sugar, and cornstarch to a boil in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, then simmer 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely.

While cherry filling cools, arrange 3 phyllo sheets in 1 layer on work sruface and let dry 15 minutes. Keeping 12 remaining sheets stacked, halve crosswise, then stack halves. Cover stack with a piece of plastic wrap and a dampened kitchen towel. Finely crumble 3 dried phyllo sheets into a bowl.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Arrange 1 piece of phyllo on work surface with a short side nearest you (keeping remaining sheets covered) and brush some butter. Top with 3 more phyllo pieces, brushing each with butter.

Sprinkle 2 Tbs crumbled phyllo over lower third of buttered phyllo, leaving a 2-inch border along the bottom and sides, then top with 1/3 cup of filling. Fold bottom edge of phyllo up over filling and fold side to enclose filling completely, then roll up phyllo to form a strudel, about 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches. Transfer, seam side down, to a buttered baking sheet. Brush top with some butter, thn sprinkle lightly with 1/4 tsp sugar. Cut 2 (1-inch) vents diagonally across top of strudel, about 1 1/2 inches apart, with a paring knife. Make 5 more strudels in same manner.

Bake strudels in middle of oven until golden brown and crisp, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool 30 minutes.

Garnish with powdered sugar and serve with ice cream or whipping cream.

NOTE:
*Strudels can be baked 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.
*Cherry filling can be made 1 day ahead adn chilled, covered.