Caramelized Brazil Nut Strudel Recipes

CARAMELIZED BRAZIL-NUT STRUDEL

Steps:

• Combine the raisins, apricots and rum. Set aside.
• Melt the two tablespoons of butter in a large heavy skillet just until foaming. Stir in the apple and let it cook over medium heat for about five minutes until softened. Add the brown sugar, lemon juice, zest, cinnamon, cloves, salt and raisin-apricot mixture. Mix well. Turn up the heat and allow the mixture to boil gently until thickened and slightly reduced - five to six minutes.
• Add the chopped Brazil nuts and stir to blend. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan.
• On a clean work space, spread a large towel, place one sheet of phyllo on it and brush a 1-inch strip along the top with melted butter. Place the lower edge of a second sheet of phyllo along the buttered edge of the first sheet, overlapping about 3/4-inch. Brush both sheets lightly with butter and sprinkle about two tablespoons of bread crumbs evenly over this. Repeat with the third and fourth, and again with the fifth and sixth, sheets of phyllo. Place the seventh phyllo sheet on top, brush the edge with butter and place the eighth sheet on top, but do not brush all over with butter.
• Transfer the nut mixture to lower edge of phyllo, forming it into an even cylinder, and leaving a 1 1/2-inch border on each side. Holding the towel by the lower edge, flip it, causing the phyllo to roll over on itself. Turn in the phyllo edges and continue to roll.
• Carefully roll the strudel onto a cookie sheet, seam side down. Brush the top and ends with butter and bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
• Remove from the oven and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar and garnish with the three whole Brazil nuts. To serve, use a serrated knife to cut 1-inch slices and garnish with unsweetened whipped cream.

THE BEST BUTTERMILK BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to blend. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and buttermilk to blend slightly. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, add the cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks form when beater is raised. Set aside briefly.
• Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and mix lightly with a fork until flour is moistened. Stir in the cooled melted butter. The batter should be lumpy; overmixing makes tough pancakes. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites.
• Preheat the griddle or skillet. Lightly butter the hot griddle before each batch of pancakes. Pour out the batter to make four-inch rounds. Quickly drop about six to eight frozen berries onto each pancake. Test for doneness by lifting a corner of a pancake with a metal spatula. When golden brown, turn over and cook about 30 seconds on the other side. Serve with warmed maple syrup, hickory bacon, sausages or scrapple.