Thursday, December 1, 2011

Farmer's Cheese and Raisin Filo Strudel



adapted from Rick Rodgers
Kaffeehaus: The Best Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague, because nobody wrote down my Oma's recipes!!!

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
20 ounces farmer's cheese
2 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 cup milk
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 cup golden raisins (I did not use them) 
12 12-by-17-inch sheets of fresh or thawed frozen filo
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish


1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Lightly brush a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with a little of the melted butter.
2. Using a rubber spatula, work the cheese through a medium-meshed wire sieve into a medium bowl. Stir the bread crumbs and milk in another medium bowl.
3. Beat the room-temperature butter in a large bowl with a handheld mixer on high speed until creamy. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Mix in the farmer's cheese, soaked bread crumbs, and sour cream.
4. In another medium bowl, using very clean beaters, beat the egg whites at high speed until they form stiff peaks. Stir about one fourth of the whites into the cheese mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Fold in the raisins.
5. Place a filo sheet in the prepared pan, letting excess dough hang over the sides. Using a soft brush, lightly brush the filo as best as you can with melted butter. Layer 5 more filo sheets, buttering each layer. Pour in the cheese mixture and spread evenly. Layer with 6 more filo sheets, buttering each layer and the top. Tuck the excess filo into the baking pan.
6. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool for 30 minutes. Dust the top of the strudel with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or cooled. This is really yummy with vanilla sauce.
The strudel is best the day it is baked.enjoy!

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