Rick Rodgers

Grape Strudel with Wein Chaudeau

Weintraubenstrud el Mit Weinchaudeau

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Makes

    8

    servings

Appears in

Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague

Kaffeehaus

By Rick Rodgers

Published 2002

This recipe sounds so cutting-edge that my American baker friends don’t believe it’s an old classic from Styria, the region south of Vienna. The Weinchaudeau, a Viennese-style zabaglione, is a wonderful extravagance and part of the traditional presentation. This strudel is one of my favorites to show the range of Austro-Hungarian desserts (photograph).

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided
  • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
  • ½ cup toasted, peeled, and coarsely chopped hazelnuts
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • pinch of ground cinnamon
  • Strudel Dough
  • 1¼ pounds seedless green grapes
  • Weinchaudeau

Method

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons of the melted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden and toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool completely.
  2. Process the hazelnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until the nuts are very finely chopped.
  3. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 400°F. Line an 18 X 13-inch halfsheet pan with parchment paper. Stretch and trim the strudel dough as described. Using your hands or a feather pastry brush, spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle the crumbs over the dough. Spread the hazelnuts in a 6-inch-wide strip, about 3 inches from the short end of the dough. Spread the grapes over the hazelnuts.
  4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Pick up the end of the tablecloth at the short end of the strudel, and lift the tablecloth to roll the strudel on itself. Lift the strudel (be brave) and transfer to the baking sheet, curving it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top of the strudel with the remaining melted butter, leaving any milk solids behind in the bottom of the saucepan or bowl.
  5. Bake until the strudel is deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut into thick slices and serve warm or at room temperature, with a spoonful of Weinchaudeau on the side.

© 2002 All rights reserved. Published by Echo Point.

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