Dessert: Holiday Pumpkin-Chocolate Strudel

Enjoy the convenience of Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust in an elegant pumpkin dessert from Chef Marcel Cocit, perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Holiday Pumpkin-Chocolate Strudel

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

1 package (4 oz) cream cheese
1 large egg yolk, plus 1 yolk mixed with some water for an egg splash
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 box Pillsbury™ refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on package
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 °F. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 egg yolk, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and pumpkin until blended. Stir chocolate chips into cream cheese mixture. Chill 10 minutes.
On cutting board, unroll one pie crust. Sprinkle crust evenly with granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the pecans. Spread half of cream cheese mixture in a strip across top of crust. Starting at filled edge, roll dough into a log. Place log on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining crust and filling.
Mix 1 egg yolk with water. Brush logs with egg wash; sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; slice ends off each roll. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. To serve, slice each roll into 1-inch slices.

Share Holiday Pumpkin-Chocolate Strudel