DRIED CHERRY-CHOCOLATE STRUDEL BARS

Dried Cherry-Chocolate Strudel Bars image

Provided by Leslie Berman

Yield Makes 24

Number Of Ingredients 8

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2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups cherry jam
2 cups almonds
1 cup dried tart cherries
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (about 6 ounces)

Steps:

Using on/off turns, blend first 3 ingredients in processor until coarse meal forms. Add sour cream and process just until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Flatten each dough piece into thin rectangle. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm enough to roll, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out 1 dough piece on lightly floured surface to 14x12-inch rectangle. Leaving 1-inch plain border at 1 long side, spread with 3/4 cup cherry jam, then sprinkle with 1 cup almonds, 1/2 cup dried cherries and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Starting opposite plain end, roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Push in ends to compress log to 12-inch length; seal ends. Transfer strudel, seam side down, to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling, spacing strudels evenly apart on baking sheet.
Bake strudels until golden, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Slide spatula under hot strudels to loosen from sheet. Cool completely on sheet. Cut strudels crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick bars. (Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days.)