The poppy seed strudel – Mohnstrudel is a delicious dessert from Trentino Alto Adige. There are various versions, more or less with the same ingredients, like the one with yeast dough or, as in this case, based on leavened shortcrust pastry. Delicious with the distinctive taste of the poppy seed filling, enriched with raisins and flavored with cinnamon and lemon zest, it’s pleasant to enjoy both for breakfast, as a snack, or after a meal.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 14 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Trentino-Alto Adige
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (+ as needed for the pastry board)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 1/4 oz butter (at room temperature)
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk (for brushing the strudel)
- 1 packet baking powder
- 1 packet vanillin
- 1 lemon
- 1 pinch fine salt
- as needed powdered sugar
- 5 2/3 oz poppy seeds
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup milk (approximately)
- 1 packet vanillin
- as needed ground cinnamon
- as needed lemon zest
Tools
- Kitchen Scale
- Stand Mixer
- Paddle Attachment
- Pastry Board
- Tea Towel
- Plastic Wrap
- Rolling Pin
- Refrigerator
- Small Bowl
- Baking Sheet
- Brush
- Parchment Paper
- Lemon Grater
- Dough Scraper
- Kitchen Scale
- Small Bowl
- Saucepan
- Spoon
- Lemon Grater
- Stove
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Spatula
Steps
To prepare the poppy seed strudel – Mohnstrudel…
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a food processor with blades, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, vanillin, grated zest of half a lemon, fine salt and mix with a spoon.
Add the room temperature butter to these ingredients and start the mixer until a sandy texture is obtained, then add the whole eggs.
Knead the shortcrust pastry with the mixer, increasing the speed until it begins to come together.
Transfer the shortcrust pastry with a dough scraper onto a lightly floured board, quickly work it into a dough ball, then wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, while the shortcrust pastry rests in the refrigerator, soak the raisins in a small bowl filled with warm water.
In a saucepan, combine the poppy seeds, granulated sugar, vanillin, ground cinnamon, milk, and grated zest from the remaining half of the lemon.
Once the raisins are softened, drain, chop them and add them to the filling ingredients. Mix with a spoon and place the saucepan over low heat.
Cook the filling for a few minutes so that the seeds absorb the milk and flavors well. It should result in a nearly creamy and dry mixture.
Let the filling cool slightly and prepare the strudel.
Remove the shortcrust pastry from the refrigerator, work it lightly with your hands to make it more pliable.
Then take a tea towel, lightly dust it with flour, and roll out the shortcrust pastry to a thickness of about 1/5 inch with a rolling pin.
Fill the shortcrust pastry with the poppy seed filling using a spatula or a dough scraper, leaving the edges about 3/4 inch empty.
Gently start rolling the strudel with the help of the underlying tea towel, lightly pressing the dough to remove any air and make the filling adhere well to it.
Seal the edges well with your hands, place the strudel on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush the surface of the strudel with the egg yolk.
Finally, bake the strudel in a preheated oven at 350°F and cook it in static mode for 30 minutes.
Once cooked, remove the poppy seed strudel from the oven, let it cool slightly, and serve it with a dusting of powdered sugar. Cut it into 14 slices about 1 1/4 inches thick.
Storage
It keeps in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for about 7 days.
It keeps in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for about 7 days.
