Sweet Potato Strudel with Brown Butter and Cranberries

Place the cranberries and raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water for 10 minutes to allow them to plump. Then drain and set aside.

Place the potatoes and carrots in a pan of hot water. Add a large pinch of salt. Cook and cook over high heat until fork tender (this should take about 10 minutes but use your fork to test it a few times – it also depends on the size of your chunks). Drain off the water and set aside.

Put the butter in a small saucepan over high heat. Let the butter melt while stirring continuously until the butter starts to brown on the bottom of the pan. It may start to bubble and foam a bit. But it should have a medium brown color. At that point, immediately take it off the heat and pour butter into a bowl.

Smash the cooked potatoes and carrots with a potato masher. You want a slightly lumpy consistency. Stir 6 Tablespoons of the brown butter into the vegetables. Blend in the cranberries and raisins. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Layer a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll the phyllo dough and lay it on a flat, clean work surface. The dimensions should be 9 x 13 inches. Place one sheet of dough on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with some of the melted brown butter. Sprinkle with pecans and coarse sea salt (save some of each to garnish the finished roll). Repeat this with the remaining 7 sheets of phyllo. Then carefully spoon the vegetable mix along one of the long edges of the dough and roll the pastry into a tube. Start with the filling side of the dough, roll the strudel tightly into a log. Place the log in the center of the baking sheet, brush with the remaining butter, sprinkle with remaining pecans and sea salt.

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan to a cooling rack and transfer the strudel to a cutting board. Cut the strudel into pieces using a serrated knife. Serve warm and enjoy!