Pear and Dried Fruit Strudel
Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
Serves: 12
Yields: 1 strudel
Ingredients
Sour Cream Flaky Pastry Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon table salt
- 1⁄2 lb chilled unsalted butter, 2 sticks cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1⁄4 cup chilled vegetable shortening, cut in pieces
- 1⁄4 cup sour cream
Pear and Dried Fruit Filling
- 3⁄4 cup golden raisin
- 2⁄3 cup chopped pitted prunes
- 2⁄3 cup chopped pitted dates
- 1⁄2 cup dried currant
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest from 1 oranges
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon, juice of
- 1⁄3 cup pear brandy other brandy or 1⁄3 cup dark rum
- 2 large firm ripe pears, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 gingersnaps, coarsely crumbled use 4 if pears are very juicy
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1⁄4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cream or 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Dough: Mix flour, sugar, and salt in food processor fitted with steel blade. Add butter; pulse 5 times. Add shortening; pulse until butter bits are no larger than small peas and flour resembles cornmeal, about 4 more pulses. Mix sour cream with 1/3 cup cold water; add to flour mixture. Pulse until dough begins to clump, adding more water, 1 teaspoonful at a time, if dough does not start to come together.
- Gather dough together and transfer to lightly floured surface; turn pastry Wrap folded dough in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. (Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 weeks.).
- For the Filling: Combine dried fruits and citrus zests in large bowl. Pour brandy over fruit and stir to combine. Set aside to soak for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Toss lemon juice with pears to prevent browning. Add pears to dried fruit mixture along with honey, gingersnaps, and spices. Stir gently to combine.
- To Assemble the Strudel, roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to form a 14-by-16-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Trim off rough edges. Divide rectangle in half, forming two 14-by-8-inch rectangles. Working with one rectangle at a time, brush short edges lightly with cold water. Spoon half of filling in a narrow strip down center of rectangle, leaving about 2 inches uncovered at short ends .
- Fold one long side of pastry up and over filling. Brush upper edge lightly with cold water, then bring other side up, overlapping slightly; press gently to seal With sides of your palms, press filling toward center to keep it compact. Trim off ends of pastry if necessary, leaving about 1 1/2 inches at each end. Bring ends of pastry up and press gently onto top surface.
- Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place a baking sheet covered with parchment next to pastry. Gently ease strudel, seam side down, onto sheet Repeat process with other strudel, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Chill briefly while oven preheats.
- Brush strudels with cream, then sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool strudels on baking sheet set on a wire rack until no longer hot. (Strudel can be baked up to 3 hours before needed and warmed at serving time.).
- To serve, dust with confectioners' sugar and cut into 2-inch slices. Place slices on plates.
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