Hungarian Strudel with Nut Filling (rolled or Stretched Strudel)

Instructions

FOR THE ROLLED STRUDEL DOUGH:

Sift flour and salt with baking powder. Make a well in the mixture and drop in egg and butter. Add grated lemon rind. Gradually add ice water, mixing in a little at a time, until the dough forms a soft ball. Knead until smooth and pliable. Cover with a warm bowl or clean cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board until it is very thin. Spread with nut filling recipe below. Roll up like a jelly roll, brush top with melted butter, sprinkle with chopped nuts and bake in a preheated moderate 350 F. oven until golden, about 35 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and cut into slices. Yields 12 slices.

STRETCHED STRUDEL DOUGH:

Sift flour and salt into a deep bowl. Make a well in the center and add slightly beaten eggs, oil, and warm water. Mix dough quickly with a knife until it forms a ball. Turn the dough out on a floured board and knead it until it becomes elastic. Cover with a warm bowl for 30 minutes.

Cover your kitchen table with a large, clean white cloth. Brush cloth lightly with flour. Roll dough out as thin as possible. Flour your hands and gently begin the stretching process. Placing hands underneath, work from the center out on any part. Keep stretching dough carefully until it is transparent and as thin as paper. Cut away any thick edges.

Brush it well with melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, and fine bread crumbs. Cut it into 4 strips and spread them with your filling. Then lift the cloth on one end and start rolling strudel as you would a jelly roll. Trim off the ragged ends. Place them on well buttered baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Brush tops lightly with butter and sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired. Bake in a preheated moderate 375 oven until nicely brown and crisp, from 35 to 40 minutes. Cut into slices. Makes 16 to 18 large slices.

NOTE: You can fill any of the two strudel dough recipes with apples, sauerkraut, nut filling, poppy seed, cheese, cherry, liver and potato fillings.

NUT STRUDEL FILLING:

Blend together the nuts, raisins, sugar, cinnamon, lemon rind, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and sour cream. Roll out strudel dough. Use the rolled strudel dough or the stretched strudel dough. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with fine bread crumbs. Spread nut mixture evenly over prepared strudel dough. Roll up and place on a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Brush top lightly with melted butter.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Mark individual portions with a knife, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake in a moderate oven 375 F. for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the strudel is golden.

Jolie Gabor’s Family Cookbook

Author's Comments

There is a packaged, ready-made frozen strudel dough, already stretched out into paper thin leaves, now availabe at the Hungarian specialty shops.

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