(Topfenstrudel)
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Rick Rodgers's book Kaffeehaus: The Best Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. Rodgers also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.
To read more about Austrian cooking, click here.
Not every café has a full-time baker. At many, it's just Mama in the kitchen and often Mama doesn't feel like (or doesn't have enough counter space for) hand-pulling strudel dough. This classic recipe layers store-bought filo dough with a Topfen filling in a pan to make a deep-dish dessert. Thanks to Gerda Hofer for this recipe.
Topfen is a white, Austrian fresh curd cheese. Farmer's cheese makes a good substitute — while its taste is not very distinctive, it has the perfect texture. Do not substitute ricotta or cottage cheese, as they will add too much liquid. Since the strudel is best soon after it comes out of the oven, you might want to time your meal so that it bakes while you're eating. Let it sit for about half an hour after baking and it will be the perfect temperature for serving.
