Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Stone Fruit Strudel (in honor of the start of World Cup)

Let it not be said that I would pass up an opportunity to be uber Croatian!  Tomorrow is the opening game for World Cup Soccer and my favorite team plays Brazil. Naturally, I am talking about my wild eyed temperamental Croatian team! I won't watch just any old soccer team.... It's got to be THIS team. 

So.... I found out this fan thing is in my blood.  See http://www.likecroatia.com/news-tips/top-ten-reasons-to-date-a-croatian/. Turns out this is what WE DO (the rest of the article is pretty spot on too).  That takes us to food.... We COOK anything!

So here is a batch of stone fruit strudel. A little time consuming in the beginning but the flavor is better with the long term cooking:

8 Santa Rosa plumbs, cut in cubes. Thank you Kevin and Greg Mizuno (Mizuno Farms) for the outstanding fruit!
1/2 organic sugar
1 crockpot....place the above in the crock pot on low for 3.5 hours, stirring occasionally to cook this down to a roasted jam like consistency.

Next:
1 sleeve of frozen FILO dough thawed
4 large peaches, cut in bite size pieces
1 T slivovica, loza or good brandy
2 cubes of butter melted
Powdered sugar 

Add sliced peaches to the cooled and cooked plumb mixture, toss to coat.  Add slivo or brandy and toss again. If it looks more juice than fruit... Add more fruit. Next batch I will add a little lemon zest.

Take 10 sheets and layer them and dot with butter.  Spoon fruit along the long side of the FILO and roll up jelly roll style. Place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat as this should make 3 rolls. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 and top with powdered sugar when cool. Cut in to 2 inch slices and serve.