Cherry Blueberry Vodka Strudel

Daring Baker's May Challenge

I was delighted to discover that our challenge this month was from the mouth watering book, "Kaffeehaus." This is one of my favorite cook books as it's filled with so many fabulous foods that I loved when we visited Vienna. I have to admit that I have spent quite a few hours just oogling the beautiful images.

The strudel was a delight to make. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the cherry blueberry vodka filling. I made a maple whipped cream to go with the warmed strudel. It was an excellent way to start Mother's Day.

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 Cafes of Vienna, Budapest and Prague," by Rick Rodgers.

Recipe

Filling

1 Tb/15 ml vodka

4 oz/114 g pkg frozen cherries, pitted

4 oz/114 g pkg frozen blueberries

1/2 cup/115 g cane sugar

2 Tb/28 g cornstarch

1/2 cup/118 ml fresh gluten free bread crumbs

3 Tb/43 g butter, melted

Dough

3 1/2 Tb/50 g chestnut flour

3 1/2 Tb/50 g brown rice flour

3 1/2 Tb/50 g arrowroot starch

3 1/2 Tb/50 g sweet rice flour

1 1/4 tsp/6 g chia seed meal

3/8 tsp/2 g agar agar powder

1/4 tsp/1 g sea salt

5 tsp/24 g butter, grated & frozen

1/4 cup/52 ml water

3 tsp/15 ml vegetable oil

3/8 tsp/2 ml cider vinegar

Filling Instructions

Place the cherries (and liquid), blueberries (and liquid), sugar, and cornstarch into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool completely before using.

Dough Instructions

1. Combine the flours, chia seed meal, agar agar powder and salt into a bowl and blend together. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup, then add to the bowl. It should make a soft dough, if it doesn't add just enough water to fix it.

2. Lay out 2 sheets of parchment paper. On one sprinkle sweet rice flour over the sheet and place the dough in the center. Sprinkle the dough with sweet rice flour and cover with the 2nd sheet of parchment paper. Roll out the dough until it is around 15" x 12". Gently ease the parment paper off the top of the dough and sprinkle the dough with sweet rice flour. Replace the top sheet and flip the dough over and repeat.

Making the Strudel

1. Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees C). Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Using a silicone brush, spread the melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the frozen grated butter over the dough. Spread the filling about 3" (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6" (15 cm) wide strip. Using the parchment paper to help you, raise the paper so that the edge of the dough folds over the filling. Continue easing the dough over so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Leave the strudel on the parchment paper that it was rolled on, transfer the strudel onto the cookie sheet. Trim off the excess parchment paper that the dough had been rolled on. Tuck the ends of the dough under the strudel. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is a golden brown. Cool for about 30 minutes before slicing. Best the day it is made, but will keep nicely in the refrigerator.

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