CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY STRUDEL

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY STRUDEL image

Yield 4-8

Number Of Ingredients 7

1/2 C Butter, softened to room temp
1/2 C. Parkay Margerine, softened to room temp
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
Good Quality Dark Chocolate Chips
Good Quality Cherry Preserves
Dried Cherries

Steps:

Mix first four ingrediants in a mixer to blend. Dough will be very sticky. Divide into 4 equal sized balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. When ready to make strudel remove dough from freezer and thaw in refrigerator. One ball per strudel that you'd like to make. Roll thawed dough ball out on floured pastry cloth or towel using well floured rolling pin. Roll into a cirle as thin as you can get it. This dough is very sticky and you will end up incorporating alot of flour into it to keep it from sticking to your surface, hands, and rolling pin. Now it's time to fill it: at end closest to you, drop teaspoons of preserves in a line crosswise about 3-4 inches from the end. Then sprinkle with chocolate chips and dried cherries. The amount of filling you use is up to you depending on if you want the roll to be thick or thin. Fold end of dough closet to you over filling. Turn ends over an inch or so to help keep filling inside roll. Using pastry cloth roll the dough into a log. Use pasty cloth to place on baking sheet. If you are using a freezable filling such as apples, you can freeze the strudel at this point for future use. They then can be baked straight from the freezer and are great to have on hand for unexpected company or a quick dessert. If you like you can finish this with an egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 350 dgrees until strudel is golden brown. Allow to cool, slice, and serve.