Austrian cheese strudel: A delectable twist on classic pastry
If you're not fond of raisins, you might want to avert your eyes. Austrian cheesecake is a treat for those who cherish dried fruit, and some enthusiasts even rank it high on the list of desserts featuring cottage cheese as the prime ingredient.
Topfenstrudel, also known as cheese strudel, is a traditional Austrian pastry popular across Europe. Although the apple variant is more widely favoured, this version with cheesecake merits attention and is sure to please all lovers of rich cheesecakes.
Cheese strudel
This Austrian dessert can compete with Polish cheesecake when it finds someone who appreciates raisins. Beneath the flaky pastry lies a simple and delicious filling. The entire dish is typically served warm and dusted with icing sugar. For added indulgence, you might pair it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
The key component of the filling is cottage cheese (referred to as "Topfen" in Austria), combined with sugar, eggs, raisins, and often lemon zest or vanilla. This mixture is enveloped in special strudel pastry. However, you may substitute this with puff or filo pastry for convenience.
Ingredients:
- 1 package of puff pastry,
- 500 grams of semi-fat cottage cheese,
- 100 grams of sugar,
- 2 eggs,
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar,
- Zest from 1 lemon,
- 50 grams of raisins,
- 1 egg for brushing the pastry,
- Icing sugar.
Preparation:
- Transfer the cottage cheese to a bowl and mash it thoroughly with a fork or pass it through a mincer.
- Add sugar, eggs, vanilla sugar, lemon zest, and raisins. Mix everything well.
- Unroll a sheet of puff pastry on the work surface.
- Spread the cheese filling evenly over the pastry, leaving the edges clear.
- Roll the pastry into a log, beginning from the longer side.
- Pinch the ends of the pastry to prevent the filling from escaping during baking.
- Carefully transfer the roll to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, beat the egg with a fork and brush it over the cheese strudel.
- Place in an oven preheated to 180°C and bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
- After baking, remove the strudel from the oven.
- Dust the Austrian dessert with icing sugar.
The quick-to-prepare cheese strudel is now ready to savour. It is delicious when warm, and you can reheat portions briefly in the oven, microwave, or air fryer. Enjoy!
