Every family has a unique dish that’s been made by generations of grandmothers, aunts, wives and sisters. Unique in such a way that it is requested at every gathering. It is the most visited recipe in the crinkled pages of the family cookbook.
Traditional Cheese Strudel
The special dish in my family is a sweet one, though some would disagree. I remember bringing this to school for a project I did on Hungary, as did one of my friends with whom I had lunch, even they would agree the dessert was a unique one.
Cranberry White Chocolate Cheese Strudel
Mildly sweet with a custard meets cottage cheese filling and a buttery flakey pastry outside, my Oma’s cheese strudel is a special one.
Almond Raisin Cheese Strudel
So I’m no ordinary gal, and of course I had to create three other ways to make this delicious Hungarian strudel, and so here they are with all their scrumptious appeal. —Traditional Cheese, Cranberry White Chocolate, Almond Raisin, and Spinach Parmesan.
Spinach Parm Cheese Strudel
Ingredients:
36 sheets phyllo dough
4 cups lowfat cottage cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup butter, melted
-Variations-
Traditional
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp powdered sugar
Cranberry White Chocolate
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cranberries
1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted
Raisin and Almond
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 almonds, chopped
1 tsp powdered sugar
Spinach Parm
3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Thaw the Filo dough in the box at room temperature for a couple of hours, or overnight in the refrigerator, if frozen. Create a workstation on a large cutting board. To make Traditional Cheese Strudel, combine the cottage cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. For the Cranberry White Chocolate, add cranberries. For the Raisin Almond, add the raisins and chopped almonds, substituting almond extract instead of vanilla. For the Spinach Parm, add spinach and parmesan cheese, and omit the vanilla. Combine the mixtures well.
Carefully unroll the filo dough keeping a damp kitchen towel handy to cover the remaining sheets to prevent drying of the layers. Lay one sheet of dough carefully on the cutting board and brush lightly with melted butter, using a basting brush. Repeat with two more layers. For each flavor filling spoon one third of the filling mixture across the length of the dough and roll up leaving the ends open.
Place seam side down on a buttered baking sheet. Brush additional melted butter on top of entire strudel.
Repeat with remaining ingredients, making three strudels of each flavor to fill two baking sheets of six strudels each. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown on top. Cool slightly before slicing.
For the Cranberry White Chocolate, melt the white chocolate chips in a Ziploc bag in the microwave for 10 second intervals. Cut the corner of the bag and drizzle over the strudels. Dust Traditional Cheese and Almond Raisin strudels with powdered sugar, if desired. Sprinkle garlic salt over Spinach Parm strudels.
Strudels can be frozen and re-toasted in a small convection oven, or refrigerated and served cold.
Does your family share a much requested unique dish?
Traditional Hungarian Cheese Strudel
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Number of servings: 72
Per Serving 72 calories
Fat 3 g
Carbs 8 g
Protein 3 g
Weight Watchers PointsPlus®: 2
*Nutritional value may vary depending upon which ingredients are used.
*PointsPlus® calculated by Famished Fish and in no way endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc.
Ingredients
- 36 sheets phyllo dough
- 4 cups lowfat cottage cheese
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 3 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Thaw the Filo dough in the box at room temperature for a couple of hours, or overnight in the refrigerator, if frozen. Create a workstation on a large cutting board. To make Traditional Cheese Strudel, combine the cottage cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
- Carefully unroll the filo dough keeping a damp kitchen towel handy to cover the remaining sheets to prevent drying of the layers. Lay one sheet of dough carefully on the cutting board and brush lightly with melted butter, using a basting brush. Repeat with two more layers. For each flavor filling spoon one third of the filling mixture across the length of the dough and roll up leaving the ends open.
- Place seam side down on a buttered baking sheet. Brush additional melted butter on top of entire strudel.
- Repeat with remaining ingredients, making three strudels of each flavor to fill two baking sheets of six strudels each. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown on top. Cool slightly before slicing.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
