Cherry Strudel Recipe

#Don’t be intimidated by making the ultra-thin strudel pastry; the trick is to knead the dough thoroughly so it is elastic. You will, however, need a large work table and a sheet to cover it.# Make the Strudel Dough: Sift the flour onto the work surface and make a well in the center. In a bowl, beat the egg to mix with the water, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pour into the well.

Work the ingredients in the well, drawing in a little of the flour with your fingertips.

Gradually draw in the remaining flour with the palette knife, continuing to work the flour in with your fingertips. Gently knead in just enough flour so that the dough forms a ball; it should be quite soft.

Flour the work surface and knead the dough 5-7 minutes, picking it up and throwing it down, until shiny and smooth. Shape into a ball, cover with a bowl, and let rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. A note from Eatopic: “Thorough kneading is critical for creating an elastic dough. Alternatively, work the dough in an electric mixer with the dough hook.” “Dough will “relax” while it sits and will be easier to stretch” “Kneading dough thoroughly makes it elastic” #Prepare the Filling and Chantilly Cream# Stone all the cherries (Click here to see the technique). Grate the zest from the lemon onto fee plate.

Using the chefs knife, coarsely chop the walnuts. A note from Eatopic: “Nuts are best chopped by hand to control the finished texture although this will always be uneven.”

To make the Chantilly cream, pour the cream into a chilled bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and brandy or vanilla essence and continue whipping until the cream forms stiff peaks and the whisk leaves clear marks in fee cream. Chill. #Roll and Stretch the Strudel Dough# Cover the work table with the bed sheet and lightly flour it. Roll out the dough to as large a square as possible. Cover it with the damp tea towel and let rest about 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 190° C (375° F, Gas 5) and butter the baking sheet. Melt the butter in the small saucepan.

Flour your hands and place them under the dough. Starting at the center and working outwards, carefully stretch the dough with the backs of both hands. Continue to work outwards as the dough gets thinner, gently lifting and flopping it on the surface. It should be as large a square as possible. “Flour your hands from time to time while stretching dough” “Any small holes that appear will not show when the dough is rolled up” 

At once, brush the dough thoroughly with about three-quarters of the melted butter. TAKE CARE: The stretched dough dries quickly and becomes brittle. #Fill and Bake the Strudel# Sprinkle the buttered strudel dough with the stoned cherries, chopped walnuts, brown sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Trim the thick edge of the dough, pulling it out and pinching it off with your fingers. “Sprinkle filling ingredients evenly over dough”

Roll up the strudel with the help of the sheet’ Transfer the roll to the prepared baking sheet and shape it into a crescent.

Brush the strudel with the remaining melted butter and bake in the heated oven until the skewer inserted in the center of the strudel for 30 seconds is hot when withdrawn, 30-40 minutes. The strudel should be crisp and golden brown. “Use wide pastry brush to apply melted butter” #TO SERVE # Sprinkle the strudel with icing sugar and serve hot or cold, with the Chantilly cream. “Pastry is deliciously light and flaky” “Fresh cherries add a pretty touch”