Ingredients

  • 2 cups unbleached flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar
  • ½ cup water, lukewarm
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks, melted
  • 6 tablespoons dry bread crumbs, finely crushed
  • Cheese Filling
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3 lbs farmer's cheese, 6 cups
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 6 tablespoons golden raisins
  • 1 ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • Fruit Filling
  • 3 lbs Seasonal Fruit
  • 1 cup sugar, depends on fruit type
  • 4 tablespoons raisins
  • 4 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
  • 6 tablespoons cognac
  • Walnut Filling
  • 5 cups walnuts, ground
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ¾ cup raisins
  • ½ cup dark rum
  • ½ cup milk

Directions

1. Sift four and salt on pastry board, make well. Place egg yolks, oil, vinegar and water in well and mix quickly with pastry blender or broad knife. Knead with your hands until you have a soft and smooth dough, 10 minutes. Slap the dough against the pastry board until bubbles begin to show and dough very stretchy. Shape into a ball and place on pastry board.
2. Rinse a medium size metal bowl with hot water and dry quickly. Place the heated bowl over the dough and let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Spread a sheet of parchment paper at least 2 and up to 4 feet in length on a work surface. Dust with flour.
4. Divide the dough into 2 equal balls. Keep remaining ball covered. Place ball in middle of paper and roll out with a floured rolling pin to a thickness of 1/2 inch.
5. Brush the dough with 1/2 cup of melted butter. With your hands, knuckles placed under the edge of the dough, stretch it carefully in all directions until it is paper thin. The dough should be approximately 18x16 inches in area.
6. With a sharp knife, cut off the thick edges. Let the dough dry for about 15 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 375*F, 180*C, GM5.
8. Sprinkle the dough lightly but thoroughly with half the bread crumbs. Thinly spread the desired filling lengthwise over 2/3s of the dough, leaving the other third empty. Brush the empty part with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Roll, starting with filled side, by lifting the paper and letting the dough and filling roll over itself. Avoid handling the dough with your hands as much as possible, otherwise it might break. Trim the edges neatly and press to seal.
9. Repeat with the rest of the dough, using a different filling, if desired.
10. Place the strudels on an 15 x 11 x 1 inch jelly-roll plan and brush each with 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter. Bake until crisp and brown, 35 to 45 minutes. serve with confectioners' sugar before serving.
11. Cheese Filling: In a food processor, process the butter, sugar, and the egg yolk to blend. Add the cheese and sour cream and continue to process until the mixture is smooth.

Stir in the raisins and lemon zest and mix well.
12. Fruit Filling: Cut the rhubarb stalks into 1/2 inch pieces. Blanch in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain well and pat dry.

Depending on fruit, you may need to pre-cook as above. Mostly, not.

In large bowl, combine with the remaining ingredients.

Increase bread crumbs to 1/2 cup with rhubarb.
13. Walnut Filling: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir until well blended.



Keywords
cheese, fruit, pastry
MacGourmet downloadSweet Strudels. To import, drag image to your MacGourmet recipe box.