Melt-in-Your-Mouth Nut Strudel

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup ground walnuts or pecans

Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until well combined.  Add flower and mix well. Shape into a ball.  Cover and chill dough for 1 to 2 hours.

2. For filling, in a saucepan, cook sugar and milk over medium heat until the milk boils and sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.  Stir in ground nuts. Remove from heat; cool until spreadable.  (Don't let it cool too long; it will be very hard to spread.  About 5 minutes is fine.)

3. Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to form an 18 x 12 inch rectangle.  Cut lengthwise into 2 strips.  Spread each with nut filling.  Starting from a long side, roll up each strip, jelly-roll style.

4. Cut rolls crosswise in half to fit on the baking sheets.  Place, seam side down, on ungreased cookie sheets.  Cut into generous 1/2 thick slices, without separating.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until medium brown.  Let cool slightly.  Remove.  Cool on wire racks.

5. Dust with powdered sugar. Separate the slices into individual cookies.

Cover and refrigerate or freeze.