Traditional Hungarian Quark Strudel Recipe

Strudel is a type of layered pastry (similar to filo pastry) with a filling that is usually sweet, but savoury fillings are also common. It has been a popular in the 18th century throughout the Habsburg Empire but also in Israel and the Balkan. Many people think it is in fact a Jewish dish. The main ingredients are flour water, oil, and salt. The dough is worked vigorously, rested, and then rolled out and stretched by hand.

About Traditional Hungarian Quark Strudel 

Strudel is one of the most popular desserts in Hungary, a very traditional dish according to lifestyle.reviews. People love to serve it on special occasions like big family lunches, birthdays, Easter, Christmas – you name it. My grandma and my mum used to make so much at once, that everyone in the family had to eat strudel for every meal for the next three days. But I understood that, as a few decades ago, ready to use filo pastry wasn’t really available in the supermarkets in Hungary. 

But what does it taste like?

I hear you wonder, if you never tried a quark strudel before. But what does it taste like? It sounds a bit odd. Well, the closest I can think of is cheese cake – but in flavours only. The texture is completely different though, firmer and more body because of the pastry. One thing I can promise you: it’s delicious!

What is quark?

This has been asked a few times on my Pinterest, so let’s just clear this up as well. Quark is a dairy product made with curdled milk, but in Hungary, it’s not soft and not like cottage cheese textured, it’s a drier variant,  called turo.

My mum’s recipe

This is a traditional recipe I’m sharing with you, coming originally from my grandmother and my mum added her own idea of mixing the melted butter with some sour cream or creme fraiche. Which in fact stops using too much butter and making the pastry soggy. With the ready to use filo pastry, it takes no time these days. A little bit fiddly preparing the sheets and applying the butter and sour cream mixture – but it’s only fiddly for the first time you make it.

So here’s the recipe, enjoy as a dessert or an afternoon snack. You will make 2 strudels with the ingredients listed. Grind your favourite coffee (in a coffee grinder for french press, for example), brew it and enjoy!

Traditional Hungarian Quark Strudel Recipe

This is a traditional recipe - the way my mum prepares it and my grandma used to make it. It's very yummy and makes a great, vegetarian dessert or snack. It's a little similar to cheesecake in flavours.

4.50 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

  

• 8 sheets filo pastry
• 500 g quark
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp vanilla sugar
• 1 medium lemon's zest
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp semolina
• 150 g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp sour cream or creme fraiche
• 2 handfuls raisins

Instructions

 

• Prepare the filling first. In a bowl, mix the quark, the eggs, the sugar, the vanilla sugar, the raisins and the lemon zest until combined. If its too runny, add a tablespoon of semolina.
  
• Melt the butter until it's runny and add mix the sour cream (or creme fraiche) in. Lay out the first layer of filo pastry on a clean kitchen towel. With a brush, start applying the mixture with great big streaks, all over the filo pastry sheet. Take another sheet, place it on the first one and repeat applying the mixture. Keep doing this with 4 sheets. 
  
• Before placing the filling on the pastry sheet, sprinkle the semolina directly on the part of the sheet where the filling will go. See photo.
  
• Nearly arrange half of the quark mixture on the semolina line.
  
• With the help of the kitchen towel, start rolling up your strudel. Fold theplace it on a  ends so it won’t leak. Brush the top of the strudel with the butter and sour cream mixture.
  
• Place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. On 200C, bake it for 30 minutes.

  Repeat the same with the second strudel. 
  

Notes

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

If you want to check out another Hungarian recipe of mine, why not try Vegan Pogacsa – Hungarian Mini Savoury Scones