štrudla s makom (Serbian Poppy Seed Cake)

A delicious cake made during Easter and Christmas.

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Course Dessert

Cuisine Eastern Europe, Serbian

Ingredients

Dough

2 tbsp water
1 tsp Instant Yeast
2 tbsp Honey
2¼ cups King Arthur All Purpose Flour
¼ tsp sea salt
1½ tsp baking spwder
1 tsp Cardomon, ground
½ tsp Orange extract
4 ounces EVOO (or neutral oil if fasting)
1 cup (8-9 ounces) water

Filling

15 ounces regular milk*
½ cup Honey
8.5 Ounces ground poppy seeds**
2 Ounces Semolina flour finely ground.
2 tsp Pure Vanilla extract
½ cup Raisins***

Assemble and Baking

1 tbsp Neutral oil, EVOO or melted butter.
2 tbsp milk (or water)
Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Dough

Place the water, yeast and honey in a small bowl. Whisk well and let sit until it bubbles.
Add the flour, salt, baking powder and Cardamon to a bowl and whisk well.
Pour the orange extract, water and oil into a pyrex bowl and whisk well. Then pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix will with a Danish whisk or spoon.
When a dough ball begins to form you can use your hands. When the dough ball is shinny and all the ingredients are incorporated, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in a proofing oven (or on the counter if the kitchen is 70 degrees or more).
Let raise untill double in size.

Filling

In a sauce pan, place the milk and bring to a boil. Then reduce the temperature to simmer. Add the honey, vanilla and ground poppy seeds. Whisk and mix well.
Stir continuously and add the semolina flour and whisk well.
Taste and add more honey if necessary.
Once the semolina is mixed, turn the burner off and let the filling cool. It will thicken.

Assembly, baking and serving

Heat the oven to 350 ℉
On a clean flat floured surface.
Roll out the dough until it is about ⅛-¼ inch thick.****
Spread the filling with an offset spatula over the rolled out dough. Keep the edges clean from filling about 1-2 inches.
Roll the dough up and seal the edges. Place in an Angle Food removable bottom non stick pan.
Seal the two edges together as good as possible. Set the pan/cake into a proofing over, stove or let it sit on the counter. Let it raise for 30-45 minutes to about 25-50% increase.
Whisk the milk and oil well then brush the top of the cake with this mixture.
Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
Once baked, take the cake out of the oven, let it cool. Place a plate over the Angel food cake pan, and flip over the cake. It should easily fall out onto the plate. Then flip it again onto the serving plate.
Dust with powdered sugar***** just before serving. Slice, serve and enjoy.

Notes

*If making this during the fast you can use almond or cashew milk.

**Ground poppy seeds can be found at European groceries, or Middle Eastern groceries. You can purchase this off the web as well.

***You can mix black and yellow raisins and increase the amount to 1/2 cup if you wish.

****You can roll out two pieces, fill them and roll them up then place them together in a square pan, or do as I do here and bake the cake in a round nonstick angle food cake pan.

*****Place the powdered sugar in a fine mesh strainer. Just tap the side of the strainer with a spoon and dust the cake. This technique works well and results in a very nice presentation.

Keyword desserts, poppy seeds

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