Sunday morning brunch: Strawberry Cream Cheese Streudel

I started making this streudel for brunch this morning yesterday afternoon with our market strawberries from McLean's Berry Farm, only to remember that I don't actually own a rolling pin. I sent Tim to his parents' house to get a rolling pin, only to find out that theirs is missing a handle! I made it work. 

Strawberry Cream Cheese Streudel

1 brick full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar with a beater, or if you're lucky like me, in your KitchenAid stand mixer. Scrape down the sides and bottom into the mix a few times. When it's completely incorporated, add the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Let it mix until everything is fully integrated - you'll have to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few more times. Chill the cream cheese mix while you do the rest. 

10 (approximately) medium sized strawberries, washed, DRIED, and sliced

Please wash and dry your strawberries really well. Any extra water on them could make the pastry mushy.

1/2 pkg Tenderflake puff pastry, THAWED

Couple tbsps of milk or beaten egg white

 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Rip off a piece of parchment paper big enough to cover your baking sheet. Lightly flour your rolling pin and the parchment paper. Roll out the puff pastry to approximately a 9x12" rectangle on the parchment paper. Arrange it so that the shorter side is facing towards you. Spread the cream cheese mix down the middle about 3" wide. Yes, use it all. Tim thought it was too much, but it isn't. Arrange the strawberries on top. Cut the side edges into horizontal strips up to the filling that are about 1 cm wide. Alternate folding those edges over the filling so that you have something of a braid. Use a little dab of milk or egg wash on each piece to help it stick to the next one. We used milk because I stupidly threw out the egg whites left over from the yolks for the custard. 

Transfer the pastry on the parchment paper to the baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes. It should be lightly brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. A completely cool streudel will allow the glaze to actually stay on the surface instead of soaking into the pastry and becoming soggy.

1 cup icing sugar

Few tbsps of milk/table cream/heavy cream

Whisk little bits of milk into the icing sugar until you have a thick glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the streudel once it's completely cooled.