Recipe Name
Basic Croissant Dough
Serves:  
Calories:  
Prep Time:  
Occasion: Any
Effort: Easy

Ingredients:

Chess filling:

  1. 1 egg beaten with 1T milk
  2. 1/4C cherry preserves
  3. Sour cream


     
  1. 1 lb cream cheese, room temperature
  2. 3T sugar
  3. 2T all-purpose flour
  4. 2 (large) eggs, lightly beaten
  5. 1/4t cinnamon
  6. 1/3C raisins (preferably golden)
 
How to Prepare:

Combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, eggs, cinnamon in a medium bowl and mix well.   Stir in raisins.  Set aside.  (Why not use 1/3C dried Montmorency cherries, whole or chopped up, instead?  -Babs)

Divide dough into 4 pieces. Return 3 pieces to refrigerator. Roll remaining dough out on lightly floured surface to 6" X 16" rectangle. Using pastry bag or spoon, pipe or spread 3/4" strip of cheese filling across long side of rectangle 1" from closest edge.  Roll dough up to encase filling, sealing edges firmly.  Place roll, seam side down, on ungreased rimmed baking sheet.  Brush with egg mixture.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Set strudels aside, uncovered, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1-1/2 hours; reglaze once during rising.
 
Preheat oven to 450F:

Place oven rack in center of oven.  Reglaze strudels.  Place baking sheet in oven and reduce heat to 400F.  Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Immediately remove from oven to rack to cool.

Strain cherry preserves through seive set over small saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to boil.  Brush tops of rolls with cherry glaze. Cut strudels into 1-1/2 to 2 section. Serve immediately or let cool on rack.  Pass sour cream separately.
 
Petites Pains Au Chocolate:

"Your favorite chocolate bar -- with or without nuts -- can be used here."
 
Makes 32 pastries:

1 recipe basic croissant dough, ready for shaping 6 semisweet or milk chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 egg beaten with 1T milk

Divide croissant dough into 4 equal pieces.  Return 3 pieces to refrigerator.  Roll remaining piece out on lightly floured surface into rectangle slightly more than 10" X 12".  Using pastry wheel (or ravioli cutter?  -Babs), trim dough to exactly a 10" X 12" rectangle.  Divide into eight 6" X 2-1/2" rectangles.  Sprinkle 2t chocolate across each rectangle, leaving 1 border at each end.  Starting at one short end, roll dough up around chocolate; do not seal ends of roll.  Arrange rolls seam side down on ungreased baking sheet.  Brush with egg glaze.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Set them aside, uncovered, to rise in a warm area (70F-75F), until almost doubled in volume, about 1-1/2 hours.  Reglaze once during rising.
 
Preheat oven to 450F:

Place rack in center of oven.  Reglaze rolls once more.  Cut several 1/8"-deep diagonal lines across the tops for decoration.  Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.  Cool on racks and serve at room temperature.