Each country has its own national dessert: in Italy - tiramisu, in America - cheesecake, in the UK - pudding. In Austria, strudel is such a confectionery. In Vienna or Salzburg, it is served in every cafe with vanilla ice cream or chocolate syrup for tea or latte. We will tell about what strudel is, what is the history of the appearance of this dessert and what types of fillings are used in its preparation, in our article. Here we also offer a recipe for German strudel with meat and sauerkraut.
What is strudel?
Every tourist who comes to Austria should first try strudel. Even in the smallest Austrian town this dessert is prepared as deliciously as in any of the most expensive restaurants in Paris or London. The smell of cinnamon, apples and vanilla fills the streets of the city in the morning to please its residents with a freshly baked treat right by breakfast. What is strudel here everyone knows.
For the first time, a sweet-filled roll was prepared at the end of the 17th century, and the recipe for this strudel is still stored in a cookbook dated 1696. The name of the dish is translated from German as "funnel", "whirlpool". Juicy apple or cherry filling is wrapped in a thin, almost transparent, drawn out dough and baked in the oven for several minutes. The finished roll is greased with butter and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Strudel is especially popular in German-speaking countries. Here it is cooked not only with traditional sweet filling, but also with potatoes, meat, sauerkraut, liver. Strudel is also popular in Israel, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Vienna apple strudel
A true strudel is made from a very thin dough. Apple filling is traditionally used with the addition of raisins and nuts.
To prepare the Viennese strudel, it is recommended to use the step-by-step instruction:
- Sift flour (250 g), salt (¼ tsp) into a deep bowl and drive 1 egg.
- The mixture is mixed well, add olive oil (1 tbsp.), And then 100 ml of cold water.
- Knead the dough thoroughly, add some more olive oil (1 tbsp. L.) And collect the bowl. While the dough is resting in a bowl covered with a damp towel, prepare the filling.
- Apples (1 kg) are washed, peeled and core, cut into thin plates.
- Raisins (80 g) are soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, then dried on a paper towel.
- Walnuts (70 g) are chopped with a knife.
- On a clean towel, thinly roll out the dough and grease it with butter (1 tbsp. L.).
- A layer of dough is sprinkled with breadcrumbs or crumbs from cookies and spread the filling (apples, raisins, nuts), stepping back from one edge of 10 cm. Top the filling sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
- Using a towel, the dough is wrapped in a roll to the edge that was left without filling. The resulting seam is glued with yolk whipped with milk.
- Strudel is baked for 40 minutes at a temperature of 200 ° C.
- The most delicious strudel in the cooking process is lubricated several times with yolk. Before serving, the roll is sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Juicy strudel with cherries and nuts
This strudel can be prepared in just half an hour, of course, if the refrigerator has ready-made puff pastry and cherries. Despite the fact that preparing such a dessert is much easier than the original, it does not affect the taste in any way.
Cherry strudel from the finished puff pastry is prepared in the following sequence:
- The yeast-free puff pastry (500 g) is rolled into a thin layer and greased with melted butter (1 tablespoon).
- Top dough is sprinkled with breadcrumbs (4 tbsp. L.) And chopped walnuts (80 g) or almonds, 2 cm back from the edge.
- Cherry (500 g) is thawed, the juice is drained, and the berries themselves are mixed with starch (1 tbsp) and laid out on top of nuts.
- The dough sheet is rolled up tightly, laid out on a baking sheet, greased with yolk and sent to the oven for 20 minutes at a temperature of 200 ° C.
- The cooled strudel is sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Meat strudel
And this is not a dessert, but a full-fledged dish that can be served, for example, for Sunday lunch. In its preparation, ground beef, vegetables and aromatic herbs are used, and the result is a hearty and healthy meat strudel from puff pastry.
A step-by-step recipe for cooking is as follows:
- The oven is preheated to 180 ° C.
- All vegetables (carrots, onions, celery stalk, 5 mushrooms, potatoes, a clove of garlic) are fried in vegetable oil for 7 minutes, with constant stirring. Then, frozen green peas and chopped rosemary are added, after which the vegetables are fried for another 3 minutes.
- The cooled vegetable mass is mixed with ground beef (500 g), salt, pepper and 1 egg are added.
- On a table dusted with flour, a layer of puff pastry (500 g) is rolled out.
- The filling is laid out in the center in the form of a large patty and is tightly sealed with dough.
- Top roll is smeared with beaten egg and sent to the oven for 50 minutes.
Recipe for strudel with meat and potatoes
A simple roll can be served for dinner or lunch. Strudel with meat and potatoes is prepared from pre-cooked potatoes and fried minced meat. The filling can be prepared in advance, and half an hour before dinner, simply wrap in puff pastry and send to the oven.
Step by step cooking:
- Potatoes (6 pcs.) Are boiled until tender and chopped in mashed potatoes with butter and milk.
- Minced meat (600 g) is fried in vegetable oil with onions and herbs (thyme, rosemary).
- Puff pastry rolls on a table dusted with flour and is transferred to a baking sheet.
- From above on a layer of dough, backing off 2 cm on each side, laid out first cooled mashed potato, then minced meat.
- The dough with the filling is rolled up and smeared with an egg.
- Strudel with meat and potatoes is sent to the oven preheated to 200 ° C for 25 minutes. And after 10 minutes, the dish can be served at the table.
German strudel with meat and sauerkraut
In Germany, strudel is prepared in a slightly different way than we are all used to seeing. These are small rolls cooked in a thick-walled pan for a couple.
German strudel is prepared in the following order:
- From the flour (2 tbsp.), Warm kefir (1 tbsp.), Vegetable oil (1 tbsp.), Dry yeast (1 tsp.), Salt and sugar (½ tsp.) Knead the dough. While it is resting in a bowl covered with a damp towel, the main course is prepared.
- Onions, then pork (800 g) are fried in vegetable oil in a cauldron, ducklings or multivark, and as soon as a brown crust is formed on the meat, sauerkraut (500 g) or potatoes are laid on it. Salt, pepper and spices are added to taste.
- Stew the meat with cabbage for about 40 minutes until tender.
- The dough is rolled into a layer, greased with butter, rolled into a roll and cut into pieces of 4 cm each.
- A little broth or water is added to the pan to the meat and vegetables, and dough pieces are laid out on top. It is important that they do not touch the water, but are steamed.
- After 50 minutes, the dish will be ready. Do not open the pan lid during cooking.
Quick Lavash Strudel Recipe
To prepare such a roll, you will need a minimum of time and material costs. Pita strudel is prepared with a filling of ripe plums, so it turns out very juicy. Other fruits, such as apples or cherries, can also be used if desired.
To prepare the filling in the pan, sugar (180 g) and vinegar (3 tbsp.) Are brought to a boil. After dissolving the sugar, sliced plums (500 g) and cinnamon (1 tsp) are added to the syrup. The mass is removed from the heat and cools.
At this time, sugar (75 g) is beaten with eggs (2 pcs.) Into a lush mass. Thin pita bread is spread on a baking sheet and greased with an egg mixture. Top filling is distributed. After that, pita rolls. Pita strudel is prepared at 180 ° C for 25 minutes. Served to the table and cut into portioned portions in a cold form.
Chocolate strudel
We offer another variant of delicious toppings for traditional Austrian pastries. Everyone knows what strudel is and that, according to the original recipe, it is prepared from exhaust dough. But if you do not have enough free time, you can use the ready-made puff pastry.
To prepare the filling, the proteins of 4 eggs are beaten with sugar (75 g) in a strong foam. Dark chocolate (100 g) is heated in a water bath, and then whipped with a mixer with butter (175 g). Yolks (4 pcs.) Are gradually introduced and driven into it. Then the proteins are introduced into the chocolate cream mass and combined with chopped almonds.
The dough is rolled into a thin layer. A filling is laid out on one edge of the dough, after which the layer is rolled up. Strudel is baked for 30 minutes at 200 ° C.
Curd strudel
Delicate curd strudel will be a great option for a healthy breakfast for children and adults. Cooking baked goods does not take much time, thanks to the use of ready-made puff pastry in the recipe.
First of all, the filling is prepared from cottage cheese (600 g), sugar (160 g), pre-soaked and dried raisins (50 g) and eggs (2 pcs.). Puff pastry is rolled into a thin layer, and the filling is distributed on top. After this, the dough needs to be rolled up, turning the edges inward. To get a golden crust, the roll is smeared with an egg.
The strudel from the finished puff pastry is baked in the oven for no more than 30 minutes at a temperature of 200 ° C. After 15-20 minutes, it can be cut into portioned portions and serve.