Cheese Strudel
This German cheese strudel is made with phyllo dough for buttery, crispy layers that envelope a sweet and tangy filling made with lemon zest, sugar, and quark or labneh.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from one whole medium lemon)
- 1½ cups labneh (about 12 oz)
- 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 10 sheets Phyllo dough, thawed overnight (store bought; also called filo pastry)
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup unseasoned bread crumbs or Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (optional topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add the labneh and flour, and mix with a large spoon or spatula until it’s well combined. Set aside.
- Separate one sheet of thawed phyllo dough and place it on your prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush melted butter on the entire sheet of dough.
- Place another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first one. Brush that sheet with melted butter. Continue layering all ten sheets of phyllo dough, with melted butter in between each layer. Reserve some remaining melted butter to brush on top.
- Spread the bread crumbs evenly over the phyllo dough.Spread the labneh mixture down the center of the phyllo dough length-wise.
- Fold the two short sides of phyllo dough over the labneh filling, then fold the longer sides over the filling so they overlap. Gently roll the strudel so it’s seam-side-down on your baking sheet.Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the strudel is golden and crispy on the outside.Allow your strudel to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then dust it with the optional powdered sugar. Enjoy!!
Notes
- You can also mixed all the filling ingredients in a blender or food processor to ensure a smooth texture. Just be careful not to whip too much air into it.
- To melt the butter, I recommend cutting it in small pieces then microwaving it in a microwave-safe bowl on 20 second intervals, stirring it after each burst.
- To prevent the delicate phyllo dough from drying out and tearing, keep it covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel. And allow it to thaw slowly, according to your package's instructions.
- To slice your baked cheese strudel, gently slice it in a sawing motion with a sharp serrated knife.
- Cheese strudel is best eaten fresh, warm, and crispy from the oven. After a while, the phyllo pastry becomes soft and loses it's crispy texture on the sides and bottom.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 6gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 189mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 224IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg
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