1 lb Strudel dough (see next mess
1/2 lb Poppyseeds, ground in mortar
3/4 c Vanilla sugar (see below)
2 Large eggs, the yolks separa
Whites, and the whites stiff
1 tb Flour
1/2 ts Lemon peel, grated
6 tb Butter (unsalted), softened
1 c Milk, heated
1/4 c Raisins, soaked in warm wate
Minutes then drained
1 Apple, peeled, cored and gra
4 tb Butter or lard, melted
In a bowl, beat the vanilla sugar with the egg yolks until the mixture is
smooth and light-colored. Beat the flour, lemon peel, butter
and--finally--hot milk into the egg-and-sugar mixture. Put the mixture into
a saucepan. Bring it gently to a simmer and mix in the poppyseeds. When the
mixture returns to a simmer, turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool to
room temperature. When the mixture is cooled, mix in the raisins (soaked
and drained) and grated apple, then fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites;
if this filling is too thick to spread, add a little COLD water. Sprinkle
melted butter or lard over the prepared sheet of strudel dough. Spread the
filling on one third of the dough and foll up the strudel. Bake in
preheated 375-degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until the strudel is
crisp and brown. Serve while still warm, cut into short lengths. NOTE:
Although many traditional recipes mix the poppyseeds with apricot jam, you
will find substituting grated apple, as in this recipe, a wonderful taste
alternative.
For yet another variation, reduce the quantity of poppyseeds to 1/4 lb, and
instead of the apples, use 1 lb of pumpkin flesh, diced and cooked. *
VANILLA SUGAR: Granulated sugar--or, in special cases, confectioner's
sugar--flavored by being stored with a vanilla bean (sliced) in a tightly
covered container for a week or more. Instead of posting the Strudel Dough
recipe under it's own title, I'll post it under this heading so as to keep
them together.
