Pumpkin Strudel
Pumpkin strudel - sweet, juicy pumpkin, gently kissed with cinnamon, then tossed with walnuts and rolled into crispy, buttery phyllo dough parcels.
Ingredients
- 750 g butternut squash or pumpkin, grated (6 cups)
- 2/3 scant cup of sugar
- 4 Tbs butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts (preferably toasted, but raw will work just fine)
- 12-14 sheets of phyllo dough
- 1/2 cup melted butter, for brushing the phyllo sheets (can replace half with grape seed or other neutral oil)
- 6 Tbs coarse sugar (Demerara or Turbinado) for sprinkling
- powdered sugar and cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
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Peel and grate the flesh of one medium butternut squash, or sweet pumpkin.
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In a larger pan, melt the 4 Tbs butter, add the grated pumpkin, the 2/3 cup of sugar, and the cinnamon. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until the pumpkin has softened.
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Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Chop the walnuts, and lightly toast (optional, but adds more flavor). Melt the remaining butter for brushing the phyllo pastry.
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On a flat surface, unfold the phyllo dough sheet stack. Brush the top most sheet with melted butter, and flip the sheet over onto the second top most sheet, trying to align them as much as possible.
Brush the other side of the top sheet with melted butter, and spread about 1/2 cup of the pumpkin filling, plus 3-4 Tbs of walnuts, along the longer side of the phyllo sheet. Optionally, sprinkle some of the coarse sugar all over the surface.
Take the two top sheets, and roll them over the filling, into a long cylinder. Shape it into a tight coil, and place in the center of a round baking dish. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
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Brush the surface of the coiled strudel with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden. Dust with powdered sugar, and a dash of cinnamon. Best served at room temperature.