It’s deep winter now, the holidays have come and gone, and on some grey days, I like to surprise my family by making Mimi’s Strudel.
This is my mother’s recipe, and a favorite of my children and grandchildren. Nothing beats the winter blues like an unexpected treat.
Watch this video, produced by Slow Films, and I’ll teach you the technique for rolling up a perfect strudel.
It all starts with a pate brisee, add in some fruit and nuts and a little cinnamon sugar, and you’ve got something special on an ordinary day.
To change it up and keep it fresh, sometimes I use raspberry or even orange jam.
This time of year it’s not easy to find fresh ingredients at my farmers’ market, but sometimes the jelly and jams folks surprise me with something good to put into my Mimi’s Strudel.
Now hit play on your video window, and I’ll show you what I mean by “seeing with your hands.”
Have fun making my Mimi’s Strudel and bon appetit!
Makes enough for 8-10 servings
Mimi's Strudel
1 disc of pate brisee (pie dough)
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup (more or less) strawberry jam
1 pound sugar with 3 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon milk
1 sheet pan lined with Silpat (rubber baking mat)
1 rolling pin
1 small pastry brush
flour for rolling dough
Method
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
1. Remove dough from refrigerator
2. Dust counter with flour
3. Roll dough into a large rectangle (about 19” long by 13” deep)
4. Dip pastry brush in the beaten egg and milk mixture and lightly brush the rolled out pastry
5. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar all over the dough
6. Distribute the pecans evenly
7. Sprinkle pecans evenly
8. Place dollops of the strawberry jam so that it’s evenly distributed
9. Fold right edge and left edge in 1” on both sides
10. From long side closest to you, roll pastry gently but tightly to create a long tightly rolled outside.
11. Lift with both hands carefully and quickly and place diagonally on the sheet pan lined with the Silpat.
12. Brush egg mixture onto roulade and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar
13. Place in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, then lower to 375 degrees and remove when pastry is firm and golden brown
14. Remove from oven and cool. Gently release from Silpat.
15. When completely cool, wrap and store.
Photo Credit: Slow Films
How do you beat the winter blues? Do you get in the kitchen?
The post Cooking with Chef Glady: Mimi’s Strudel appeared first on HandPicked Nation.