Apple Strudel -made with a cream cheese pastry.

                       Apple Strudel -made with a cream cheese pastry.

I've been experimenting with Mom's Cream cheese strudel dough. I love this pastry, but it was a real pain to work with. But I have found, that if I add one more cup of flour, It can be left at room temperature, and rolls very nicely. This isn't a crisp dough, like the classic strudel, but very tender, and tastes great.

For the dough:
2sticks real butter- softened
8oz. cream cheese-softened
1/4tsp. salt
1/2cup confectioners sugar
3cups flour

Preparation:
Beat together the butter and cream cheese, until fluffy. Add the salt and sugar, beat until well combined.
Stir in as much of the flour as you can, with a spoon, then knead in the rest.
Split the dough into two equal pieces. Set aside while you slice the apples.

For the filling:
1/4 peck of tart apples- I used 15 Jonathon apples-peeled and very thinly sliced
1/2cup confectioner's sugar
1tsp. cinnamon

Combine the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it over the apples in a large bowl, toss to coat.

Rolling the pastry:
Preheat the oven to 350*
Sprinkle 1/2cup flour onto a large flat surface. Smooth it across the surface, but leave most of the flour in the center.
Shape one of the dough pieces, into a rectangle. lay it on the pile of flour in the middle, and roll into a large rectangle, that is so thin, you can practically see through it.( I flip it over, a few times, before it becomes to large)
Put half of the apples, near one of the short ends, and carefully begin rolling, toward the other short end. (the dough tears easily)
Fold the ends under, and transfer the pastry to a large un-greased cookie sheet.
Continue the same way with the other piece of dough.
Bake about 1 hour, or until the edges of the pastry begin to brown.
Serve hot or cold. Alone, or with warm cream, or ice cream.

Make the dough, split it into two pieces, and leave at room temperature, while you prepare the filling.

       Slice the apples, very thin, so they won't tear the dough, when you roll it.

Smooth 1/2cup flour, onto a large work surface, leaving most of the flour in the center.

Shape one piece of the dough, into a rectangle, lay it on the pile of flour, in the middle. then flip it over, to coat both sides. Begin rolling into a large rectangle. (It doesn't have to be perfect.)

                   It has to be rolled, so thin, that you can see through it.

Put half of the apple mixture, near one short end, and gently fold the end over it. I have never made a strudel, that didn't have a tear, her and there. Gently roll it, all the way to the other short end, and roll it a bit more, so that the loose end is under the strudel. Fold the ends under, and transfer it to a large cookie sheet. Repeat this process for the other piece of dough.

 Bake about 1hour, or until the edges of the strudel, are starting to brown.