Like many dishes, this one is a fusion of different cultures. Strudel is an Austro-Hungarian pastry made with a thin, layered dough. Originally that dough was the almost transparent sheets of Turkish phyllo. Subsequent cultures employed the much easier to use puff pastry.
The word strudel is a Germanic word for ‘whirlpool’. You can visualize someone back than saying …… ‘can I please have some of that stuff that looks like’, (and they spin their fingers) and say ‘whirlpool’.
Strudel fillings have varied over the years from savory to sweet, depending on who was making them. European immigrants brought their recipes to North America in the early 20th century, and strudel became popular in bakeries and restaurants.
Today, I’m making some individual strudels in a little different style. I guess I’ll just say I’m ‘reinterpreting the strudel’.
Servings |
STRUDELS
|
- 135 gm (pkg) cook & serve lemon pudding, NOT INSTANT
- 1 1/2 cups water This amount is LESS than in the package directions.
Ingredients
Lemon Pudding Mixture
|
|
- Peel & dice kiwi; place in a large bowl. Gently fold in lemon juice (if using) & set aside.
- Roll out half of the puff pastry until thin; cut into 3 even, long slices. Lightly brush the slices with cream.
- Spread half of the drained kiwi/lemon mixture down the center on all 3 slices.
- Roll the dough over the kiwi mixture from bottom to top, until you have even rolls. Pinch the sides of the rolls to seal them. Repeat with second half of puff pastry & kiwi mixture until you have 12 strudels.
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin OR use silicone cups.
- Cut rolls in the middle & transfer with the closed side down into a muffin tin.
- In a pouring container, whisk together lemon pudding powder with 1 1/2 cups water. Pour about 2 tablespoons into each strudel. Spread egg wash over strudels.
- Bake strudel for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from oven & allow to cool for a few minutes. Take strudels out of baking cups. Top with a dollop of lemon pudding (see NOTES below).
- You will have some lemon pudding & egg wash leftover. I added the egg to the pudding mix & cooked it until it thickened.
- I placed a dollop on top of each strudel for a nice finishing touch.
- It was a good way to use the leftovers.