Daring Bakers: Strawberry-Rhubarb Strudel
Wait, where am I? Oh, wow, I'm posting on my very own food blog, the one I almost forgot existed!
As evidenced in May - July 2008, LB's blogging takes a big hit during this time of year thanks to work. Though I spend seemingly every waking minute on a computer, I've spent very little in the kitchen. To wit: One night last week I had toast with cream cheese and jam for dinner. As it was not very filling, I took down about half a loaf of bread. So after a too-stressful month of May, I decided to reclaim both my weekend and my kitchen. By Sunday night, I actually felt like a person again.* And I didn't miss another Daring Bakers challenge.
The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.
That there is the required Daring Bakers' paragraph. What it doesn't tell you is that we could put any filling we want in the strudel, which made me happy since it's May and finally, finally, there are fruits to eat other than apples. Last year, I was flummoxed by the rhubarb in the farm box and it went bad. This year, someone else got the box on Rhubarb Week, but I felt the need to absolve myself of sins against rhubarb.
My parents garden a lot now, but when I was younger I only remember a spiky tuft of chives and three big mounds of rhubarb, whose giant poisonous leaves would taunt me. I wondered why you would ruin a perfectly delicious quart of strawberries with the stuff. As usual, my parents just laughed and said "More for us."
Well, more for me now! While I probably won't make the strudel again - the recipe basically requires you to stretch your own phyllo dough** - I will most certainly be coming back to this complexly-flavored filling. I imagine it would be delicious in a pie, topped with a crumbly streusel (or not). It would also be delicious as a topping for vanilla ice cream, or spooned over pancakes.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Strudel Filling
Strudel dough recipe is available on the blogs of the Daring Bakers Challenge hosts
1 pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds ripe strawberries, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon instant tapioca
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
A good pinch or two of salt
Mix all this stuff up. No need to cook before use in pie or strudel - just bake it in the crust. For use as topping - and this is a guess, but a fairly educated one - cook in a saucepan over medium-low heat until strawberries give up their juice and rhubarb is soft to a fork.
*Not to worry - Memorial Day morning I checked my work email, immediately turned back into a robot and went to the office.
**I feel very accomlished having done this, but the resulting dough, while thin and lovely, was pretty bland and tasteless, and just served as a vessel for the filling. I've proven that I'm willing to spend hours in the kitchen for a single dish, but if I do, I want it to really blow my doors. off. However, the strudel dough did give me a reason try out the dough hook attachment on the Kitchenaid. A fascinating contraption, I must say.
As evidenced in May - July 2008, LB's blogging takes a big hit during this time of year thanks to work. Though I spend seemingly every waking minute on a computer, I've spent very little in the kitchen. To wit: One night last week I had toast with cream cheese and jam for dinner. As it was not very filling, I took down about half a loaf of bread. So after a too-stressful month of May, I decided to reclaim both my weekend and my kitchen. By Sunday night, I actually felt like a person again.* And I didn't miss another Daring Bakers challenge.
The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.That there is the required Daring Bakers' paragraph. What it doesn't tell you is that we could put any filling we want in the strudel, which made me happy since it's May and finally, finally, there are fruits to eat other than apples. Last year, I was flummoxed by the rhubarb in the farm box and it went bad. This year, someone else got the box on Rhubarb Week, but I felt the need to absolve myself of sins against rhubarb.
My parents garden a lot now, but when I was younger I only remember a spiky tuft of chives and three big mounds of rhubarb, whose giant poisonous leaves would taunt me. I wondered why you would ruin a perfectly delicious quart of strawberries with the stuff. As usual, my parents just laughed and said "More for us."
Well, more for me now! While I probably won't make the strudel again - the recipe basically requires you to stretch your own phyllo dough** - I will most certainly be coming back to this complexly-flavored filling. I imagine it would be delicious in a pie, topped with a crumbly streusel (or not). It would also be delicious as a topping for vanilla ice cream, or spooned over pancakes.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Strudel FillingStrudel dough recipe is available on the blogs of the Daring Bakers Challenge hosts
1 pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds ripe strawberries, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon instant tapioca
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
A good pinch or two of salt
Mix all this stuff up. No need to cook before use in pie or strudel - just bake it in the crust. For use as topping - and this is a guess, but a fairly educated one - cook in a saucepan over medium-low heat until strawberries give up their juice and rhubarb is soft to a fork.
*Not to worry - Memorial Day morning I checked my work email, immediately turned back into a robot and went to the office.
**I feel very accomlished having done this, but the resulting dough, while thin and lovely, was pretty bland and tasteless, and just served as a vessel for the filling. I've proven that I'm willing to spend hours in the kitchen for a single dish, but if I do, I want it to really blow my doors. off. However, the strudel dough did give me a reason try out the dough hook attachment on the Kitchenaid. A fascinating contraption, I must say.
Those of you keeping track might notice that the dining room wall is a totally different color than it used to be!
Your strudel is lookin' mighty fine and I am happy to hear that the 'ubarb has found another convert, but what most excites me is another DBer in da Burgh!!!!! Welcome, albeit a couple months belated but welcome, welcome, welcome!!!
May 28, 2009, at 11:18 AM