INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted in the oven
- 1/2 pound cream cheese
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/3 cup sugar, plus ¼ cup more for sprinkling
- 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 10 sheets Athens phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted
- 4 medium bananas, peeled
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- 1-pint vanilla bean ice cream
DIRECTIONS:
- In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the cream cheese, until smooth. Add the egg yolk, 1/3 cup of the sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon, and beat until blended. Add the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture and mix until just incorporated. Set aside.
- Lay one sheet of phyllo dough onto a large piece of parchment paper, then another one overlapping it to make a 13” x 16” rectangle. Brush the phyllo with some melted butter all around. Sprinkle evenly with 1-tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons of the toasted walnuts. Repeat the steps 4 more times to get 5 layers. Reserve the remaining melted butter and sugar for the top of the strudel.
- Spoon half the cream cheese mixture in a long strip along the length of the phyllo, leaving 2 inches from the edges. Lay 2 bananas end to end on the cream cheese, then the 2 other bananas right next to them, so you have a double row. Spoon the remaining cream cheese mixture in a strip onto the bananas. Starting with the filled end, roll the dough tightly into a log, then put onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, brush the surface with the melted butter and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons sugar.
- Bake the strudel at 375-400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until crisp and brown.
- Let cool on the pan for about 10 minutes or so. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut into pieces and place onto a plate and dust it with some powdered sugar and serve warm with some vanilla bean ice cream.