Cook Club: Cranberry Strudel is perfect treat of the holiday season

When it comes to holiday spices, cinnamon may be the champion of the Christmas season. Pine cones are infused with its warm sweet spice. Candles flicker swathes of its scent.

Pumpkin pie gets a boost from cinnamon's brightness. Cinnamon also marches in tune with other sweet spices to complete the quintessential gingerbread cookie recipe.

Our December ingredient focus, cinnamon, is helping us wrap up the final Gazette KCRG-TV9 Cook Club of the year. And what better way to use cinnamon than in a delicious holiday pastry? Our Cranberry Strudel with Cinnamon Cream Cheese not only feeds a crowd but also can do dual work as dessert or brunch.

Cinnamon has quite the story with references of its existence that date back to 2800 BC China. It was extremely prized and even was traded as currency at that time. There are technically two kinds of cinnamon: Cassia and Ceylon. Cassia cinnamon is stronger and more bitter than Ceylon cinnamon and is the type we most commonly see in the United States. Ceylon cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka and lighter in color, milder in flavor and popular in Mexico and Asia. Ceylon cinnamon is considered 'true cinnamon.” It is more difficult to find, but look for cinnamon with 'Ceylon” or 'true” on the label.

Ever wonder why cinnamon sticks are in a beautiful quill shape? It's because cinnamon comes from small evergreen trees and the bark is stripped and rolled to make this fragrant product.

Beyond its interesting shape, cinnamon provides health benefits such as lowering blood sugar levels and reducing heart disease.

For this month's Cranberry Strudel with Cinnamon Cream Cheese, I chose to use cinnamon in its stick and ground form to ensure a well-rounded flavor. I used cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon in the cranberry sauce.

It wasn't until I added ginger and nutmeg that the cinnamon truly made a presence amid the strong flavor of the cranberries. We all need help from friends sometimes, so it is no surprise that even spices need aid from complementary aromatics to bring out their best form.

I also used ground cinnamon in the cream cheese, which is spread on as the base layer of the strudel. Topped with cranberry sauce, the cream cheese is the perfect foil for a soggy crust and an oft too-tart cranberry. I made use of pre-made puff pastry sheets found in the freezer section of the grocery store, but if you have cream cheese pastry dough that you love to make, it would be an excellent addition to this dessert.

Thank you for joining us for Cook Club this year. We started the year with wontons and discovered the wonders of ingredients such as celery root, rhubarb and radicchio.

We learned more about the art of poaching fish, creating crepes and using parchment paper to make effortless meals disguised as flavor packages.

We've had some tasty food and had great fun, especially with the new video shorts we created each month. Look for this addition to continue next year.

Get ready to join us in 2016 for another year of learning and discovery in the kitchen. This time, we will visit a different country each month, creating a take on recipes that are well-known to its citizens.

We can't wait to explore and taste more delicious food with you.

Cranberry Strudel with Cinnamon Cream Cheese

Serves 10-12

12 oz. fresh cranberries

½ cup orange juice

½ cup water

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

¼ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. ginger

½ tsp. cinnamon

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. orange juice

2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted

1 egg

Extra sugar for sprinkling

Place cranberries, water, orange juice and cornstarch in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and add cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until cranberries soften and just start to break down and sauce begins to thicken. Set aside and let cool completely.

Place softened cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon and orange juice in a food processor and blend.

Set puff pastry sheets on two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper and roll each sheet to a 13x10-inch rectangle.

Spread half of the cream cheese down the center of each. Top with cranberry sauce. Cut 1-inch strips down each side of the puff pastry, stopping about a ½ inch before the filling. Weave strips on top, crimping at the top and bottom of each pastry.

Place egg in a small bowl with a splash of water and whisk. Brush over top of each Danish and sprinkle with sugar.

Lift each strudel while still on the parchment sheets and put on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Or allow it to cool completely and serve it at room temperature.

Tips

' Make Ahead: The cranberry sauce and cream cheese spread can be made up to two days ahead of baking. You also can assemble the entire strudel (minus the egg wash and sugar sprinkle) and freeze before baking. Bake while still frozen - just add about 5 minutes to the baking time.

' MacGyver Magic: Don't have cornstarch on hand? Substitute all-purpose flour in its place. It has similar thickening properties as cornstarch does.