Savory Cheese And Pear Strudel Recipe

How to make it

---

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs and nuts; set aside.
• In food processor combine cream cheese and Stilton or Brie; process until smooth. (Alternatively, in medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and Stilton or Brie until smooth.) Set aside.
• Place 1 sheet of phyllo on large piece of waxed paper on work surface. Brush sheet of phyllo with some of the butter. Place another sheet of phyllo on top of the first; brush with butter. Repeat layering and buttering with 6 more sheets to give a stack of 8 sheets of phyllo altogether. Sprinkle top sheet with half of bread crumb mixture.
• About 1 1/2 " from one long edge of pastry, spoon one half of the cheese mixture in a 2 " wide strip along long edge, stopping 1 1/2 " from each short end. Arrange half of pear slices evenly over cheese mixture. Season with pepper to taste. Starting at long end where you've placed filling, roll up pastry jelly roll style, using waxed paper as an aid and folding in short edges as you roll. Place strudel on lightly greased baking sheet; brush with melted butter. With a sharp knife, make 9 diagnonal cuts, 1 " apart, through top of pastry to mark slices. Sprinkle strudel with half of poppy seeds. Repeat method with remaining ingredients to make second strudel. Strudels can be assembled ahead of time. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 day, or freeze for up to 1 month. Bake refrigerated strudel in 400 F. oven 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Bake frozen strudel, without thawing, in 350 F. oven 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown.