Chocolate fruit Strudel, with orange and pears

Pear, Chocolate and Frangipan Strudel Recipe

50 Minutes
Serves: 8
A delicious chocolate strudel, with puff pastry encasing spiced orange poached pears, roasted hazelnuts and chocolate, and almond frangipan, served with a rich vanilla ice-cream.

Recipe Ingreds

Filling

  • 150 grams butter
  • 3 whole egg
  • 150 grams ground almonds
  • 40 grams caster sugar
  • 45 grams plain flour

Liqour

  • 1 stick cinnamon sticks
  • 1 whole lemon
  • 1 whole orange
  • 1 whole star anise
  • 250 grams caster sugar
  • 500 ml water
  • 4 whole pears

Strudel

  • 100 grams dark chocolate
  • 150 grams hazelnuts
  • 1000 grams puff pastry
  • 1 whole egg

Icecream

  • 8 scoop icecream(vanilla)

Recipe with pictures Steps

Step 1

  • defrost the pastry

Step 2

  • zest the lemon(s)
  • squeeze the lemon(s) .
  • zest the orange
  • squeeze the orange

Step 3

  • place the orange and lemon zest and juice into a pan
  • Add the star anise, cinnamon, sugar and water to the pan
  • boil and then simmer for 3 to 5 minutes

Step 4

  • peel and core the pears
  • place the pears in the liquor
  • simmer till tender
  • set a side to cool
  • while the pears are cooking

Step 5

  • set the oven to 180C 350F or gas mark 4
  • place the nuts on a baking tray
  • cook for 10 mins
  • remove the nuts from the oven
  • wrap the nuts in the clean tea towel
  • rub the nuts to remove the skin for a minute or 2 set a side to cool

Step 6

  • add the butter and sugar to the food mixer
  • beat the butter and sugar mixture till pale and fluffy

Step 7

  • add the egg(s) to a bowl
  • beat the egg(s)
  • add 1/3 of the eggs to the butter and sugar
  • mix 1/3 of the flour into the mixture
  • Repeat until all the flour and egg is incorporated
  • fold in the ground almonds

Step 8

  • roughly chop the chocolate
  • roughly chop the hazelnuts

Step 9

  • roll out the pastry on a floured surface to 300 mm by 300 mm

Step 10

  • sprinkle half the nuts and chocolate over half the pastry leaving a 3 cm border

Step 11

  • slice the pears in half
  • place on top of the nuts and chocolate
  • place the frangipan on top of the pears
  • sprinkle the remaining nuts and chocolate over the frangipan

Step 12

  • fold the pastry over
  • seal the edges
  • add the egg to the small bowl and beat to form an egg wash
  • brush the pastry with egg wash
  • add some small slashes on the top
  • place the strudel on a baking tray and cook for 30 mins

Step 13

  • remove from the oven
  • slice diagonally

Step 14

  • serve with vanilla icecream

Recipe Utensils

  • 1 baking tray
  • 2 chopping board
  • 1 food mixer
  • 1 grater
  • 2 large knife
  • 1 lemon squeezer
  • 1 medium pan
  • 1 pastry brush
  • 1 rolling pin
  • 2 small bowl
  • 1 tea towel

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What is strudel

Strudel traditionally is a sweet fruit filling wrapped in a layered pastry, its exact origins are not know but it is a popular dish in Austria and central Europe.  The layered pastry can be authentic strudel pastry which is very elastic and is made from flour water oil and salt, it is stretch very thin and the layers of the strudel are created by wrapping the contents with the pastry with more than one layer. In more recent years, for simplicity many strudels are made with puff pastry.  The most common filling for the strudel is apple and dried fruit, although most fruits can be used. 

How to make our chocolate strudel

Skin the hazelnuts, add the orange and lemon juice and zest in a pan with the water, sugar, star anise and cinnamon. add the peeled pears to the water and cook till tender set a side to cool. Make the frangipan by beating the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy, add the eggs and flour alternatively 1/3 at a time, then fold in the ground almonds. Roughly chop the chocolate and nuts, roll out the pastry,  Sprinkle half the nuts and chocolate over one half of the pastry, Slice half the pears and place on top of the chocolate, add half the frangipan, repeat the layers, then wrap the pastry over the filling and seal, egg wash and add a few slices on the top to let the steam out bake till golden brown.

Why our pear and chocolate strudel is the best

What makes a delicious strudel is a the filling, we have a layered filling of, chopped roasted hazelnuts mixed with chopped chocolate,  pears poached in an orange and lemon syrup, and almond frangipan. The star of this recipe is the combination of the spiced pears and chocolate and nut layers.

Chocolate strudel for your dinner party dessert

This delicious strudel makes the ideal summer or winter dessert for any dinner party, serve it with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to complete this perfect sweet 

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