Fresh Fruit Strudel

One of my fondest memories growing up was going to Hans and Harry's Bakery and picking up a fresh fruit strudel. The ride home was sheer torture because as soon as we got into the car, the sweet aroma of buttery pastry would swirl around me and make my mouth water. It took every bit of restraint for me not to open the box and pluck a strawberry right off. If you've ever tasted their fruit strudel, you know exactly how I feel (if you haven't, I strongly recommend that you do). Admit it, you've thought about taking a strawberry (or two) before making it home.




Years later, I was lucky enough to work there and learn how to make these delicious strudels. No, I'm not going to divulge their recipe (are you kidding me?), but I will offer up my homemade version. It's almost as good as the original and the best part is you can customize it to your heart's desire. You can even munch on a few strawberries and no one will ever know. It's okay. I won't tell.



Fresh Fruit Strudel
Allergy note: contains wheat and dairy

puff pastry:
1 package of frozen puff pastry dough
turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw) or light brown sugar

cream filling:

4 Tbsp. water

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1/4 ounce or 7.2 grams)

2 cups whipping cream, cold

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

fruit toppings:*
peaches
strawberries
blueberries
kiwi fruit

seedless raspberry jam
powdered sugar

*Fresh fruits that are in season work best, but if they're not available or limited, you can use canned or frozen fruits instead. I used canned peaches and frozen blueberries myself :-)
If you're going to use frozen blueberries, put them on the fruit strudel while they're still frozen - they'll be too messy to handle if you let them thaw first. Don't worry, they'll be at room temperature by they time you're ready to serve it.

To prepare the pastry:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Let the puff pastry thaw at room temperature (about 40 minutes). Brush a little bit of water along each side of the puff pastry and fold about 1/2 inch inward. Press and seal the edges. Brush on top of the edges with a little water and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Dock with a fork and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool completely before assembling the fruit strudel.

To make the cream:

In a small bowl, sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the water. Let the gelatin bloom for a few minutes (it will absorb some water and swell up a bit). Add 1/4 cup of the whipping cream and microwave for a minute or until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Set aside.

Whip the cream cheese then add the whipping cream, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Whip to soft peak stage. Add gelatin mixture and vanilla. Continue to whip to stiff peaks.

To assemble the fruit strudel:
Spread some seedless raspberry jam on the bottom of the puff pastry. Spread a layer of cream filling and top with fruits. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

NOTE: Instead of powdered sugar, you can brush a nice shiny glaze on the fruit strudel. Just mix together some apricot jam or preserves with a tiny bit of water. Heat in the microwave for a minute or so until melted. Let it cool then use a pastry brush to lightly glaze the strudel.

Good Morning Croissants!

These buttery, flakey, oh-so-good and crunchy almond croissants are, I think, the best way to start your day. Just imagine yourself sitting there, sipping some coffee and enjoying this heavenly pastry. Now isn't that a beautiful image or what? One bite, just one bite, and I know you'll be hooked.

I learned how to make these almond croissants back in pastry school. Chef Yves shared this recipe with us after a lesson in making classic butter croissants. We gathered up all the leftover croissants from the day before and transformed them into these tantalizing beauties. Oh, I could still remember the rolling rack filled with trays and trays of these sweet babies. (sigh)

Nowadays, I just buy croissants from the bakery or the supermarket and let them dry out for a day or two. When I'm lucky, I find day-old croissants for half the price, which saves me time and money :-)

Instead of powdered sugar, you can try drizzling glace icing, melted chocolate or caramel sauce on top of these almond croissants. Mmmmm!

Almond Croissants

Allergy Note: contains eggs, tree nuts, dairy and wheat
makes 1 dozen

1 dozen day-old butter croissants

simple syrup:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

filling:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature

4 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cups finely ground almonds *

powdered sugar

sliced almonds

*If you can't find ground almonds, you can buy sliced or slivered almonds and pulse them in the food processor until they have the same texture as corn meal.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the simple syrup, heat the sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

To make the filling, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time then pour in the ground almonds.

To assemble, cut the croissants lengthwise and brush them with simple syrup. Spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling inside each croissant. Place the sliced almonds in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Spread a thin layer of filling on top of the croissants and press them into the sliced almonds. Place the almond croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sliced almonds are golden brown.

Let cool completely. Dust the almond croissants with powdered sugar.