- 1/3 cup vanilla cookie crumbs
- 1 cup Bing or other dark, sweet cherries, rinsed and pitted (or use frozen pitted cherries)
- 1/3 cup dried sweet cherries
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon kirsch (optional)
- 6 sheets filo dough (about 12 by 18 in.)
- 1/4 cup Lucerne Sweet Cream Butter, melted
- Powdered sugar (optional)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, gently mix cookie crumbs, fresh cherries, dried cherries, almonds, chocolate chips, sugar, cinnamon, and kirsch, if using.
- Lay 1 filo sheet flat (cover remaining filo with plastic wrap to prevent drying) and brush lightly with butter. Cover with another filo sheet and brush lightly with more butter. Repeat to stack remaining filo.
- Spread cherry-chocolate filling in a 3-inch-wide band along 1 long edge of the dough, 2 inches in from edge and ends. Fold long edge, then ends of dough, over filling. Gently roll the filled side of dough over the unfilled side to form a compact cylinder, ending seam side down.
- Gently transfer the strudel roll, seam side down, to a buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheet. Brush top of roll with remaining melted butter.
- Bake on center rack of oven until golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes. Using 2 wide spatulas, carefully transfer strudel to a platter. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar, if desired. Cut into 1-1/2-inch-wide slices and serve warm.