Homemade Toaster Strudel

-->

I'm sure you've had this feeling: 

I know I have. 

They may taste "good" but man are they "bad" for you. 

My husband used to eat them a lot as a young boy, and for me, I ate it's devious counter part: pop-tarts.

Thankfully we both became healthier-minded eaters in our college days and my developed allergy of red dye 40 put those preservative filled breakfast "treats" on the back burner.

But you can't say "no toaster strudel forever," that would be deprivation and I don't like that word or that action. 
So I say, "Make my own, healthier toaster strudel"; and thus I did.

I made the puff pastry from scratch, a conquest I hold with high honor since I made it with NO BUTTER.
You can find that HERE along with it's epic story.

But you could--and by could I mean you shouldn't unless you ABSOLUTELY are in a bind for time-- but the per-packaged pastry puff.

My end result were unbelievably delicious, why did I ever buy the store bought brand,  flaky, gooey, strawberry filled breakfast pastries.

Ingredients:
homemade puff pastry dough (found here)
3/4 cup strawberry jam
1 tbs cornstarch
1 egg

Creamy icing
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1tbs milk or cream or half and half

Directions: 
Preheat oven 350 F

Divide dough into 2 equal parts (if you are using my dough recipe  ~8 oz ea.)

Roll each dough half into 9x12 squares--don't worry they don't have to be perfectly square.

Width-wise, cut the dough into 4 strips--approx every 3 inches.

Cut each strip in half, and lay the two pieces on parchment lined baking sheet: keeping the pieces next to each so that they pair up correctly.

Repeat with second half of dough

Whisk egg and brush the top of each dough square.

Combine Strawberry jam and cornstarch in a small bowl until jam is thick.

Scoop 1 tbs of the thickened jam onto the center of one half of the cut strip. Gently spread it out while leaving about 1/4 of the edges untouched to close the seam.

Take the other half of the strip and lay it directly on top of the jam filled square and pinch seam all the around to form a jam filled pocket.

Repeat with the other 8 pastry paired squares.

Brush the tops of the pastry pockets with remaining egg mixture.

Bake for 25-30 min until tops are golden brown.

Serve warm and with creamy icing.

ENJOY!!!!

Strawberry Cream Pastry Bake

 

Mhmmm mmm Hmmm!  

This was so delicious and very simple to put together. 

I found this recipe from this lovely website, and made some minor adjustments, but my oh my, it was wonderful! 

I made it as a breakfast treat and it was devoured in seconds by the family.

The key to this recipe is making homemade strawberry filling. 
The canned stuff makes it even easier to put together, but I was willing to sacrifice 15 min of my time to make this WAYYYYY healthier version myself.
No artificial flavoring, no high fructose corn syrup, no RED DYE 40! --which I'm extremely allergic too-- Just natural goodness. 

Roll it, and pat it, and cover it with cream cheese, then put in the oven and enjoy it like me!

Ingredients:
2 can of refrigerated crescent rolls
1 8oz  package of cream cheese, softened*
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
Homemade strawberry pie filling** --or any fruit flavor you want!

*To easily soften cream cheese complete unwrap from packaging, and place on plate. microwave for 8 sec. Flip cheese and microwave for another 8 sec. Should be pretty mushy but still holding its shape.
**You can find the recipe HERE for the strawberry pie filling

Directions: 

Roll out the crescent rolls and separate the triangles. Put aside 4 of the triangles.
Take the remaining triangles and align them  on a 10x15 pan so that the wide edges of the triangles are touching the edges of the pan and the thin part of the dough is laying to the center of the pan forming about a 3 inch circle. Flour  lightly and pinch seams together on all open parts (I tore some of the triangles apart to fill gaps).

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla together. 
Top dough with cream cheese mixture leaving 1/2 inch uncovered on both edges. 
Spread Strawberry filling over the top of the cream cheese mixture. 
Take the remaining 4 dough triangles and cut them in thirds. 
Arrange them over the top of the strawberry mixture, pinch seams together. 

Bake for 25-30 min until dough is golden brown. 

Slice up and serve with some home brewed coffee.

ENJOY!!!!