Peach Strudel
We can’t believe that we’re already nearing the end of August, which means summer is almost over and the bounty of fresh fruit that has been at our disposal for the last four months is going to start dwindling. We're taking advantage of every last bushel that we can before everyone’s attention shifts to apples, pears and pumpkin. A few years ago our Chief Culinary Consultant and we went to Hofbrauhaus here in Pittsburgh not long after its grand opening. We stuffed ourselves full of beer, soft pretzel appetizers, schnitzel sandwiches the size of our head and, we're pretty sure, more beer. Which is why we shocked myself when we readily accepted a dessert menu even though we could barely breathe. (It must have been the beer talking.) New restaurant, must have dessert – right?! We smartly decided to share something and settled on the apple strudel. To say it was memorable would be an understatement. Flaky layers of pastry wrapped warm, soft and slightly spiced apples, served with vanilla and raspberry sauces. When we were thinking about how we could use up some of our peaches, our Chief Culinary Consultant reminded us of that epic dessert, and we set out to make a peach version. And make it, we did.
We truly anticipated a strudel would take us all day and be a giant headache. It couldn’t have been more the opposite. We were astounded to find that we could make and bake a beautiful, flaky strudel in about an hour. We sliced up some peaches and threw them together with some sugar, spices and thickener, a la pie filling. To make the strudel, all you need to do is stack up some phyllo dough that you brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Add the filling, roll it up, and pop it in the oven.
In less than an hour, you’ll have a gorgeous, rich strudel that will totally impress. We don’t know about you, but we can’t resist anything that involves buttery, flaky layers. Throw in some peaches and you have a reliable late-summer dessert.
One year ago: Honey Fig Scones
Two years ago: Lemon Bars
Three years ago: Blueberry-Buttermilk Scones
Four years ago: Croissants
Peach Strudel
Yield: 4 servings (large or 2 small strudels) A rich recipe for a fruit dessertFor the Filling:
- 20 ounces fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/8-inch slices
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Strudel Assembly:
- 5 sheets phyllo dough, thawed (use 14x18-inch phyllo for 1 large strudel; use 9x14-inch phyllo for 2 small strudels)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Stir together the peaches, brown sugar, flour, pecans, vanilla extract and cinnamon; set aside.
- Place a silicone mat or a piece of parchment on your work surface. Place a sheet of phyllo on the mat or parchment, with the long side facing you. Brush the sheet of phyllo with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Repeat with the remaining four sheets of phyllo, stacking them on top of one another.
- Place the filling in a 3-inch-wide strip about 2½ inches from the bottom and 2 inches from each side of the phyllo (if you are using the smaller size phyllo, use half of the filling and repeat the steps with additional phyllo). Fold the short sides of phyllo over the filling. Then fold the bottom of the phyllo over the filling and gently roll the strudel loosely.
- Place the strudel, steam-side down, on the baking sheet. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Cut four 1-inch-long vents in the top of the strudel. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and allow to cool until warm, about 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one serving
- Yield: 4 servings (large or 2 small strudels)
- Prep: 1 hour
- Cook: 15 minutes
- Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 20 ounces fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/8-inch slices
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Strudel Assembly:
- 5 sheets phyllo dough, thawed (use 14x18-inch phyllo for 1 large strudel; use 9x14-inch phyllo for 2 small strudels)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Method
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Stir together the peaches, brown sugar, flour, pecans, vanilla extract and cinnamon; set aside.
- Place a silicone mat or a piece of parchment on your work surface. Place a sheet of phyllo on the mat or parchment, with the long side facing you. Brush the sheet of phyllo with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Repeat with the remaining four sheets of phyllo, stacking them on top of one another.
- Place the filling in a 3-inch-wide strip about 2½ inches from the bottom and 2 inches from each side of the phyllo (if you are using the smaller size phyllo, use half of the filling and repeat the steps with additional phyllo). Fold the short sides of phyllo over the filling. Then fold the bottom of the phyllo over the filling and gently roll the strudel loosely.
- Place the strudel, steam-side down, on the baking sheet. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Cut four 1-inch-long vents in the top of the strudel. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and allow to cool until warm, about 30 minutes.
