Sweet Cheese Strudel

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sweet_cheese_strudel.html

From EatingWell:  January/February 1997

Phyllo dough, low in calories and fat, is a crisp counterpoint to the creamy cheese filling in this luscious strudel.

8 servings | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
• 8 sheets phyllo dough, (14x18 inches), thawed if frozen
• 2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
• Raspberry Coulis (recipe follows)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine sugar, cornstarch, egg white, vanilla and lemon zest in a small bowl; stir gently until well combined. Gently fold in ricotta with a rubber spatula until just combined. Gently fold in raisins. Set aside.
3. Combine oil and butter in a small bowl. Unroll phyllo sheets onto a clean, dry surface; cover with wax paper and then a slightly damp tea towel to prevent the dough from drying out.
4. Lay one sheet of phyllo on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of oil mixture and spread it around with a pastry brush. (Not all the dough will be covered.) Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon breadcrumbs. Repeat with 6 more sheets of phyllo, aligning each sheet over the previous ones. Lay the final phyllo sheet on top; do not sprinkle with oil, but sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs; reserve remaining oil/butter mixture.
5. Gently spoon the cheese filling in a long, 12-by-2-inch mound along one long edge of the phyllo layers, leaving a 3-inch border between the mound and the short edges of the phyllo. Fold up the long edge and loosely roll up the strudel. (Do not roll too tightly; the filling will expand during baking.) Set the strudel, seam-side down, on the baking sheet. Fold and tuck the open ends securely, but not tightly, beneath the roll.
6. Brush strudel with remaining oil mixture. Make four short (1-inch) diagonal slashes along the top of strudel with a sharp paring knife, to allow steam to escape. Bake until the phyllo is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Carefully transfer strudel to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
7. Just before serving, dust strudel with confectioners’ sugar and slice with a serrated knife. Pool a spoonful of Raspberry Coulis on each dessert plate and top with a slice of strudel.

Nutrition

Per serving : 244 Calories; 6 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 11 mg Cholesterol; 42 g Carbohydrates; 7 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 183 mg Sodium; 154 mg Potassium

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• To ensure the smoothest texture for your strudel filling, check the labels on the part-skim ricotta in your supermarket and choose one that does not contain gums or stabilizers.Part-skim ricotta has about half the fat of whole-milk ricotta.