A strudel is a treat we normally enjoy while sitting at the table of a Continental patisserie. But they’re quite easy to make at home, especially together with the family. Many little hands make light work! And there’s plenty of activity to engage the kiddies: kneading, pulling, stretching, cutting, chopping, scattering, rolling and more.
The key element of a strudel is the pastry, a paper thin sheet of translucent dough, stretched to its limits over a table top. But don’t let this put you off – think of it like blowing the biggest bubble possible from a piece of gum before it pops.
Strudels on the Continent come in many guises, the fillings can be wet and fruity, dry and cake-like, firm and nutty or stiff and milky. This recipe incorporates a sponge mixture with wet and dried fruit. Experiment with other fruit combinations, cherry and pear, apple and plum work well as would fresh or dried apricots.
Finally, there’s one issue that all strudel-makers must address: whether to roll the pasty around a single mass of filling or spread the filling evenly over the pastry and roll. My version is based on the latter approach.