Strudel Two Ways

I may have said this before - but I'm not much of a breakfast person... not because I don't like it. Honestly, some of my favorite dishes are breakfast items... but I just don't usually take the time for it. I choose to sleep as late as possible and then have to get up and go... oddly even on the weekends I don't really make the time for it... and that's just usually because by the time I'm hungry it's time for lunch.

But anyways, while I don't often make time for breakfast... when I do have it easily at hand, I do eat it. So I've learned it's best for me if make it ahead of time and then have it for the week ahead so that I can grab it and head out the door. 

With breakfast in mind, I made a strudel awhile ago... and with portable, grab-and-go in mind I made individual strudels. Both recipes, while very similar, are a little different. Not because one way is better than the other - but because I had slightly different ingredients at hand. Both ways could be made with the ingredients for the other - really the biggest difference is the shape - braided strudel vs strudel pockets.

Both kinds shown are cherry, but you can always pick a different fruit filling :)

Cherry Strudel

1 Can     Crescent Dough

1/2 Cup     Cream Cheese

1                 Egg 

2 Tbl       Powdered Sugar

1     Tbl       Sugar

1/3 Cup     Cherry Pie Filling

2      tsp       Vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Grease a large cookie sheet and place your unrolled dough on it. Firmly press edges to seal.

In a small bowl combine your cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture in the center of dough, about 2 inches wide, leaving part of the dough plain. Top with pie filling.

Make cuts approximately 1 1/2 inches apart from each other on each side of the rectangle, just to the edge of the filling. Alternating side to side, fold the strips at an angle across filling, slightly overlapping the ends. 

In a small bowl scramble your egg - lightly brush over the top of the dough (there will be leftover egg). Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cherry Strudel Pockets

1 Can       Crescent Sheet Dough

8 Ounce   Cream Cheese

2 Tbl         Powdered Sugar

1 tsp         Vanilla

1 Tbl         Sugar

1/3 Cup       Cherry Preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Grease a large cookie sheet and place your unrolled dough on it. Cut it into 8 equally sized squares.

In a small bowl combine your cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Spread about one tablespoon mixture in the center of each dough square. Top with about a half a tablespoon preserves.

Bring each corner to the center, overlapping them slightly to close.

Lightly brush the top of each pocket with water or an egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

These make wonderfully easy grab and go breakfasts! The hard part was not grabbing them as snacks so that they could be saved for breakfast :)