It's like rolling down a hill, pastry style

May 2009 Daring Baker’s Challenge: Strudel

Dough recipe from Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rogers

Never before have I had so much fun baking. I’ll let the pictures explain.

First, the dough:



Yes, that is a bed sheet on the table. I didn’t have a table cloth, and it turns out it’s necessary to cover the table in cloth to prevent sticking and to allow the strudel rolling/wrapping/flopping that is so much fun.

Then, the filling. The first I made was strawberry rhubarb with cheesecake. I put about 1.5 pounds of strawberries into a pan, added maybe a half pound rhubarb, some sugar and a little bit of water. This simmered for 20 minutes or so.



In the meantime, I made a cheesecake-like filling by mixing 16 ounces of cream cheese, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup sugar, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract.

I coated the dough with butter, added the toasted bread crumbs, and then put down my cheese mixture in a line at one end. I topped with the strawberry rhubarb compote, and flipped over the end of the dough.



Then, just like the recipe instructed, I lifted the end of the sheet, toppling the strudel log over itself over and over again, until it was completely wrapped up at the other side of the table. It worked!


I transferred to a baking sheet and cooked for about 30 minutes.

Then, I did it all over again! The second time was slightly different. I made a chocolate almond strudel that had filling all over the rolled out dough, so the dough and filling were in layers throughout the log. I beat 3 egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar, separately whipped the egg whites, and then combined the two. I spread this over the entire dough (no breadcrumbs needed this time because the filling itself would separate the dough layers). I then sprinkled 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate and 3 ounces minced toasted almonds.





I rolled it up the same way as the first, and baked for about 40 minutes.

They turned out pretty well. At first I thought the strawberry rhubarb one was the best thing I had ever tasted, but after my initial response I felt it was a little too sweet. It was also very difficult to slice both, and they ended up pretty messy once cut. They were so fun to make though, they could have ended up horrible and I still would have been happy. Okay, probably not, but seriously, these were fun to make.







The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.