Grandma Ilonka wore aprons that she cross stitched herself, colorful Hungarian flowery ones. As a special treat she baked sour cherry strudel in the spring and prune plum strudel in the fall. Always stretching the paper thin strudel dough on a wobbly wooden 8 feet long table on warm sunny days on the porch. After baking she made us wait for the strudel to cool. Sometimes she hid the strudel from us but forgot where she put it; it was a fun game to find it. My friend Becky made me this apron that took me back to that sunny porch. It is peach season so enjoy this version of strudel made with filo dough.
Peaches and Cream Cheese Filo Strudel
Yields 1 Strudel/Serves 15
Ingredients:
Cream Cheese Mixture
½ pound cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz. goat cheese
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
Peaches
4 cups Georgia peaches sliced (if not in season use canned, sliced peaches, drained)
½ cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cookie dust
½ cup melted butter
6 sheets of filo dough
Cookie Dust
2 cups blanched almonds
1cup flour
1cup sugar
½ cup Amoretti cookies
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF
1. To make cookie dust combine all ingredient in food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Keeps in refrigerator for up to 6 months.
2. For the cream cheese mixture place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with a hand mixer until light and fluffy and set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl combine peaches, sugar, vanilla, and ½ cup cookie dust.
4. Lay out 6 large sheets of readymade filo pastry. Brush with pastry brush melted butter in between each layer and lay flat onto baking sheet and sprinkle with ½ cup cookie dust.
5. Spoon cream cheese mixture in a long even shape down topside of filo leaving 2 inches on top and on either side. Top with peaches and roll the filo sheets over like a jellyroll, finish with seam side down. Brush top with melted butter, cut slits at an angle with sharp knife 2 inches apart to let the steam out. Dust with 2 tablespoon of sugar.
6. Bake strudel in middle of oven until golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool. (DO NOT HIDE) Dust with confectioner sugar and serve with vanilla or peach ice cream.