Easy as pie (easier, actually) and healthier than store-bought, toaster pastries are a fun breakfast surprise. They also make an excellent midnight snack, which is how I found myself making them late one night. Of course, when making pastries at an odd hour of the night, one should be careful to properly crimp the edges. I must say, though, that the browned jelly goo slid nicely off the pan and made a delightful treat. :)

Toaster Pastries

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe butter-crust pie dough*
• Jams and other fillings, to taste

Make your pie dough according to your preferred recipe and allow it to chill for one hour. Divide into 8 parts and roll each into a square (for rectangular pastries) or circle (for half-moon shaped pastries) approximately 3/8″ thick. Spread filling on one half of the dough, leaving a 3/4″ margin on 3 sides. Lightly dampen margins with water and fold empty side over to seal. Transfer to lined or greased baking sheet and crimp edges with floured fork tines. Dock the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape. If desired, coat lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

To par-bake for later toasting: bake in a 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Freeze.

For a soft crust: bake as-is in a 350-degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Serve hot or cool on wire rack.

For a crisp, browned pastry: chill crimped, docked dough on sheet pans in freezer for 20 minutes or in refrigerator for one hour. transfer directly from freezer/fridge to a 425-degree oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Serve hot or cool on wire rack.

Filling suggestions: strawberry or blueberry jam, apple butter, peanut butter mashed with a bit of cocoa powder, Nutella, lemon curd, well-drained ricotta cheese and sun-dried tomato paste, b’stilla filling, the goo portion of a favorite strudel, and anything else you can imagine might do well with a butter crust - sweet or savory.

Icing: if you’d like to ice your, er, toaster tarts, combine four parts confectioner’s sugar to 1 part water, milk, or juice and smear on top after baking.

*Might I suggest this one? Substitute an equal amount of butter for half of the shortening/lard.

I’ve been making this dish for years, for parties and catering jobs. The strudel filling is creamy and luscious, and the syrup topping tastes like candy. The original recipe is from Epicurious, but the version below is my own adaptation. There’s a lot of work involved, and it’s quite time-consuming, but the end product is well worth the effort; for this reason, I will often make a double-batch and freeze the extra before baking.

Goat Cheese and Mushroom Strudel with Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons unmelted
• 1/4 cup shallots, finely diced
• 1/4 cup garlic, finely minced
• 10 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, stems removed, chopped
• 10 ounces button mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup sherry (do not use “cooking sherry”)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider or white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dried chopped parsley
• 4 sheets phyllo dough
• 6 ounces creamy goat cheese (pref. Montrachet)
• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large pan set over medium heat, sautee shallots and garlic in 2 tablespoons butter, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add an additional 2 tablespoons butter plus the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid given off by the mushrooms has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to color, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add sherry and cider or wine vinegar. Increase heat to medium-high, and return pan to burner. Cook, uncovered and stirring often, until the pan is almost dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and parsley, and set mixture aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese and cream cheese. Do not whip — hands or a wooden spoon work well for this. Filling should be dense but mixed thoroughly. Set aside.

Lay one sheet of parchment on a cold surface. Brush entire sheet with melted butter, and top with second sheet of phyllo. Repeat until all sheets of phyllo are used, ending with a layer of melted butter. Spoon cheese filling onto long side of phyllo, one inch from long edge and 1/2 inch from short edges. Smooth cheese out evenly, and top with cooled mushroom mixture. Roll tightly, starting at long end closest to filling. Place seam side down on greased or lined baking sheet. Brush top with melted butter and score top with a serrated knife. Bake for approximately 1 hour.

While strudel is baking, whisk together balsamic vinegar and molasses. Place in a heavy-bottomed shallow pan over medium-low heat and cook until mixture has thickened significantly and volume has reduced by more than 2/3. Finished syrup should be thicker than caramel and be almost as thick as melted road tar on a hot summer day. Cool to room temperature but do not refrigerate.

Allow strudel to cool slightly before slicing into rounds. Serve warm with a drizzle of syrup on top.

Serves 8 as an appetizer or 3-4 as a main course.