Pear and Dried Fruit Strudel

Name: Pear and Dried Fruit Strudel
Yield: Serves 12
Ingredients: 3 cups, all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons, sugar; 1/2 teaspoon, table salt; 1/2 pound (227 grams), chilled unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch pieces; 1/4 cup, chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut in pieces; 1/4 cup, sour cream; 3/4 cup, golden raisins; 2/3 cup, chopped pitted prunes; 2/3 cup, chopped pitted dates; 1/2 cup, dried currants; 2 tablespoons, grated orange zest from 1 orange; 1 tablespoon, grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon; 1/3 cup, pear brandy (poire eau-de-vie), other brandy, or dark rum; 2 , large firm, ripe pears, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice; 2 tablespoons, honey; 3 , gingersnaps, coarsely crumbled (use 4 if pears are very juicy); 1 teaspoon, ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon, ground allspice; 1/4 teaspoon, ground cardamom; 1/4 teaspoon, grated nutmeg; Pinch, ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon, cream or milk; 1 tablespoon, granulated sugar; , Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Desserts or Baked Goods
Fruit
Fruit Desserts

Appears in Cook's Illustrated September/October 1994

In Richard Sax's updated recipe, flaky sour cream pastry evokes old-fashioned strudel dough better than the packaged phyllo favored by modern cooks.

SERVES 12

TIME 2 hours, plus 1 hour chilling, 30 minutes soaking, and 30 minutes cooling

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