Step 1

Puff pastry prep – you need to thaw out your frozen puff pastry sheets. I always like to use the Pepperfridge Farm kind that is found in the freezer dessert section. It’s best if you place a sheet in the fridge for 24 hours to thaw, but you are doing it last minute, you can place it on the counter for 30 minutes. You need it to be pliable to roll out but not thawed out to be the point you can’t handle it/move it/the butter has melted inside.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 3

Once you puff pastry is thawed, sprinkle your counter with some flour and roll out to a 12″x16″ rectangle roughly. It will be the same shape and dimensions as the original size but just larger.

Step 4

The sheet comes folded in thirds. as you roll it out, you will be able to still see those fold lines. Keep these fold lines long ways (16″) and use them as a guide to making out braid slices. Move the puff pastry to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

Step 5

Using a sharp knife, cut a strip out a 1/2″ wide and all the way into the fold line (see pictures and video below). You will get about 15 strips all the way down. Repeat on the other side.

Step 6

Once you have cut the strips, spoon out the cherry pie filling down the middle on the puff pastry.

Step 7

To begin the braid, start at the top of the puff pastry and take one strip from the right side and pull it over to the left at a slight angle. Take the top strip from the left side and wrap it over to the right, overlapping the first slightly. Repeat all the way down the pastry forming an overlapping braid. (see video)

Step 8

Beat an egg with a splash of water in a bowl and whisk together. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the braided puff pastry and place in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top and the bottom is cooked fully.

Step 9

When finished, remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes until drizzling with icing and serving.

Step 10

While the toaster strudel is baking, in a small bowl combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, the zest of 1/2 lemon, and the juice of 1/2 the lemon. Whisk until smooth with no lumps remaining.

Step 11

Once the grown-up cherry toaster strudel has cooled after baking for 10 minutes, drizzle the lemon icing oven top with a spoon.