Poppy Seed Strudel or Mohnzopf Yum! I am so thrilled to have finally figured out how to get the poppy seeds to stick together in a sweet mass. For years I have been trying to get it, but the poppy seeds just keep falling out, all over the plate, dress, floor.... My craving goes way back to the Jewish pastries of my childhood (German inspired, now I know), to a danish at a cafe in Yorkville (remember Cake Master?), to a frum bakery in Paris's Marais district. Finally, thanks to my 2010 trip to Vienna, and subsequent purchase of a cookbook, I learned the centuries old secret of traditional Germanic households. The recipe follows.Poppy Seed Filling:
Cook this first so it has time to cool before you add it to the pastry.
1 1/4 cup milk
7/8 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Scant 1/3 cup semolina or cornmeal
1 1/2 cup poppy seeds
1 tbsp. almond extract
Hot apricot jam for glaze
Heat the milk with sugar and spices. Add cereal, stirring constantly. Then add the poppyseeds. Cool completely. Add a little rum if it is too thick.
Brioche dough:
2 eggs
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 package yeast
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1/3 tsp. salt
1/2 generous cup soft butter
Prepare yeast in warm water with sugar. Mix eggs and sugar and add to finished yeast. Stir in flour and at the end, salt and butter. Knead into a smooth dough and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Procedure:
Roll out dough into 16 x 8" rectangle. Spread filling all over the lower half of the dough. Fold the remaining dough over the filling. Make diagonal cuts at regular intervals on two sides, and cross these strips into a braid.
Lift strudel and place in a buttered loaf pan. Put in a warm place and let it rise by 1/3. Preheat your oven to 350 and bake for about 45-55 minutes. Finish with a glaze of hot apricot jam and sprinkle with a few more poppy seeds.
Enjoy for brunch, afternoon tea, or all day! Who cares if the poppy seeds get into your teeth. We're all family and friends!
