The Jewish High Holidays are a time when family and friends come together to share a meal and celebrate the new year. Paris-trained pastry chef, Paula Shoyer created the essential baking book for that provides desserts and breads perfect for any Jewish holiday or dinner. THE HOLIDAY KOSHER BAKER has desserts that follow the latest trends but also recipes that remind us of those our grandmothers used to make – but with Paula’s distinctively modern and healthier twist.

Apricot and Berry Strudel
Makes 2 rolls, serves 10
For this recipe, I took apple strudel, a delicious dessert that has been absent from holiday tables since my childhood, and instead substituted berries and dried fruit for the apples. You could also make this dessert with plums, or substitute dates or dried figs for the apricots. You will have enough filo to double the recipe and can easily double the filling to serve more people.  I always thought the filo came in large boxes and needed trimming, but recently learned that it also comes in smaller, about 8 X 12-inch, sheets.  They are easy to work with and were used to make the cute rolls pictured here.
APRICOT-AND-BERRY-Strudel
1 cup dried apricots, chopped into 1/3- inch pieces
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) blackberries or blueberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 pound filo dough (8 X 12-inch sheets), thawed according to package directions
Spray oil
Preheat oven 350°F.  Line a jelly roll pan with parchment. Set aside.  Place the chopped apricots and berries into a medium bowl.  Add the sugar and cornstarch and toss lightly.  Set aside.
Have ready a clean, damp dish towel. Place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter. Take the filo out of its package and unroll. Separate one sheet and place on top of the parchment.  Spray with the oil. Place a second sheet on top and spray again. Repeat with two more sheets. Cover the remaining filo with the damp towel.
Place ½ of the filling along the long end of the filo, two inches from the edge.  Fold the right and left sides (the short sides) in one inch. Starting from the side with the filling, roll up tightly until you have a long log. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat to make another log.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.  Let cool and cut into two-inch slices.  Serve warm or at room temperature.   Store covered at room temperature for up to two days.  Reheat to serve.
Recipe from The Holiday Kosher Baker by Paula Shoyer Sterling / November 2013