Pear Strudel Recipe w/ Cranberries
(Birnenstrudel)

When you feel like a bit of a drift from the traditional, this pear strudel recipe offers all of the warm comfort of apple strudel with a bit of a more modern and tangy flavor. The addition of the dried cranberries adds a nice spark of color that makes this Birnenstrudel a perfect holiday dessert.

Ripe pears tend to get a bit mushier than apples, so try to use pears that are still pretty firm. Bosc pears will tend to stay firmer than Bartlett pears, but if you really prefer the flavor of one pear over another, give it a try in this pear strudel recipe. If the filling seems to be too mushy, it might be a good idea to increase the amount of ground almonds to help soak up any excess liquid that comes out during baking.

2 cups of Flour

1 Tbsp of Melted Butter

1 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbsp of Olive or Vegetable Oil

1 Egg Yolk

1/4 tsp of Salt

3/4 cup of Warm Water

Filling Ingredients:

2 lbs of firm ripe Pears

1 cup of Sugar

1/2 tsp of Ground Nutmeg

Prep and Baking Ingredients:

1/2 cup Flour

1/4 cup of Melted Butter

1 cup Ground Roasted Unsalted Almonds

1/4 - 1/2 cup of Sweetened Dried Cranberries (to taste)

1 Egg White

Optional Sauce Ingredients:

Excess Juice from mixing bowl

1/2 cup of Heavy Cream (or Milk)

1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

3 Tbsp of Flour

Mix all Dough Ingredients
Knead on lightly floured counter or board for 3-5 minutes
Divide Dough into two equal halves
Knead each half for an additional minute and form into ball
Brush dough balls with Butter and let sit for 45 minutes

Core, peel and slice Pears
Place slices in large mixing bowl
Add Sugar and Nutmeg to bowl
Mix filling thoroughly, cover, and set aside

Brush one Dough Ball with Melted Butter
Roll out on clean, lightly-floured pastry board or counter
Using the back of your hands, gently stretch Dough until 16“ by 18“
Brush stretched Dough with melted butter
Let stretched Dough sit for 10 minutes

Sprinkle 1/2 cup Ground Almonds over stretched Dough
Squeeze the excess liquid from a handful of Pears back into bowl
Spread Pears on Dough
Repeat until half of Pear Filling is used and Dough is thinly covered with Pears
Sprinkle half of Cranberries over Pear-covered Dough
Carefully roll Strudel and place on one half of greased baking sheet
Repeat for second Strudel
Set aside excess Juice remaining in bowl for optional sauce

Brush both Strudels with egg white
Place in oven preheated to 450 F
Bake for 30-40 minutes

Serve warm, in 2-inch slices, topped with Powdered Sugar
(Optional: Serve with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream)

Pour excess Juice into a sauce pan
Add Cream and Vanilla to sauce pan
Whisk in Flour
On medium-high heat, bring sauce to a boil, while stirring
Remove pan from heat
Add additional Flour or Cream as needed to achieve desired thickness
Drizzle Sauce over Strudel just before serving

From Pear Strudel Recipe
Back to Strudel Recipes Page


Back to German Recipes Homepage