Sweet cheese strudel

1 Strudel

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
⅓ cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Cornstarch
1 Egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon Grated lemon zest
1 cup Part-skim ricotta cheese, preferably without added gums or stabilizers
½ cup Raisins
1 tablespoon Canola oil
½ tablespoon Butter, melted
2 tablespoons Fine dry breadcrumbs
8 Sheets phyllo dough (14x18 inches), thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons Confectioners' sugar

Directions

CHEESE FILLING

STRUDEL

Phyllo dough, low in calories and fat, is a crisp counterpoint to the creamy cheese filling.

To make filling: In a small bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, egg white, vanilla and lemon zest; stir gently until well combined. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in ricotta cheese just until combined.

Gently fold in raisins. Set aside.

To make strudel: 1. Preheat oven to 350 B0F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet or coat it with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, combine oil and butter. Unroll phyllo onto a clean, dry surface; cover with wax paper and then a slightly damp tea towel to prevent the dough from drying out.

3. Lay one sheet of phyllo on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the oil/butter mixture and spread it thin with a pastry brush. (Not all the dough will be covered.) Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon breadcrumbs. Repeat with 7 more sheets of phyllo, aligning each sheet over the previous ones. Over the eighth layer, sprinkle all the remaining breadcrumbs; reserve the remaining 1½ teaspoons of the oil/butter mixture.

4. Gently spoon the cheese filling in a long, 12-by-2-inch mound along one long edge of the phyllo layers, leaving a 2-inch border between the mound and the edges of the phyllo. Fold up the long edge and loosely roll up the strudel. (Do not roll too tightly; the filling will expand during baking.) Set the strudel seam-side down on the baking sheet. Fold and tuck the open ends securely but not tightly beneath the roll.

5. Brush the strudel with the remaining oil/butter mixture. With a sharp paring knife, make four short (1-inch) diagonal slashes along the top of the strudel to allow steam to escape. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the phyllo is golden brown. Carefully transfer the strudel to a wire rack and let cool completely. Just before serving, dust with confectioners 92 sugar.

Serve the strudel at brunch, or dress it up at dinner with a strawberry puree.

165 Calories per serving: 5 G Protein 5.0 G Fat 25 G Carbohydrate 110 MG Sodium 11 MG Cholestrol 1.0 G Fiber

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