Flaky puff pastry stuffed with a fresh, tart cherries – what could be better than this easy puff pastry cherry strudel for a fruity dessert. A slice of this cherry pastry, still warm from the oven, with a scoop of ice cream is irresistible.
2teaspoonscornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 3 teaspoons water
1 ⅔sheets25cm square puff pastry (or one sheet 40cm x 25cm / 16" x 10")
⅓cupbreadcrumbs
¼teaspoonground cinnamon
1egg yolk, from a large egg
2teaspoonsheavy cream (or milk)
1tablespoondemerara (turbinado) sugar
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
Saucepan
Baking sheet / tray
Sharp knife
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C fan / 395F. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Place the cherries, white sugar, lemon zest and juice in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and let it bubble (not too furiously) for about 7-10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the liquid has increased to the top of the cherries and the cherries are soft.
Add the combined cornflour and water, while stirring, then let it bubble for another 30 seconds or so until quite thick. Let it cool to room temperature before using - you can speed it up in the fridge.
Lay out your pastry on a long sheet of baking paper, with the long side toward you. If you need to join two sheets, use a fork to press the seam together, then roll over it gently with a rolling pin.
Imagine the pastry in 4 long quarters and place the cherry sauce in the middle two quarters spreading it only to 1 inch from either end at the sides (see my video or photos in post if you're unsure).
Mix together the breadcrumbs and cinnamon then sprinkle it over the top (this will stop the sauce from making the pastry soggy).
Mix together the egg yolk and cream and brush a little on both of the short ends. Fold the short ends up and over the ends of the cherry filling.
Now fold the long side closest to you, over the top of the cherry filling. Brush the edge of the far side with a little egg wash, then pull that over the top, pressing the seam together at the ends a little.
Fold the far side of the baking paper under the strudel. With two hands, carefully lift the strudel and sit it on one side of your baking tray, then use the side of the baking paper closest to you to roll it off and onto the tray, seam side down.
Brush the top and sides all over with egg wash, then sprinkle over the demerara sugar.
Use a sharp knife to cut slits in just the top (don't go down the sides) just over an inch apart.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until it's golden brown and flaky.
Let it cool for 10-15 minutes to make it easier to cut and so the filling isn't like molten lava. Serve with ice cream, runny custard or cream.
Notes
I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons).
The cooked cherry sauce is roughly 2 cups.
Frozen cherries: If you use frozen cherries, you won't need to pit them but prepare them otherwise exactly the same way as the cherries.
Tinned cherries: If you use tinned cherries, you'll need two 400g / 14oz tins. Reserve about ⅓ cup of the juice and discard the rest, then prepare the same way as the fresh cherries.
Test the cherry flavour: When you’ve cooked the cherries, give them a taste test. You may want them more tart or more sweet depending on how tart the cherries were to start with. For more tartness add a little more lemon (not so much to water down the sauce). For more sweetness, just stir in a little extra sugar to taste. You can also add a pinch of salt if you feel it needs it.
Cool the cherries: Once cooked the cherry sauce needs to be completely cooled to room temperature at least before adding it to the pastry. You can speed this up by chilling in the fridge.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.