Topfenstrudel

Topfenstrudel is paper-thin strudel dough rolled around a sweetened quark filling studded with raisins, baked until golden. It is apfelstrudel's cheese-filled cousin, made with the same stretched dough but a filling that sets soft rather than collapsing into juice as it bakes.

What it really is

Quark — a soft, fresh curd cheese — is beaten with egg, sugar and vanilla into a smooth, spreadable filling, then folded through with raisins. It is spread along the same paper-thin, hand-stretched dough used for apfelstrudel, rolled into a log and baked until the exterior turns deep gold and crisp. Because the filling is a set custard rather than fruit, the strudel holds a cleaner slice than its apple counterpart — it cuts into neat rounds rather than spilling.

Quark's low fat and high moisture make it easy to overbake. Too long in the oven and the filling turns grainy rather than staying smooth and lightly set.

How it is served

• Sliced into rounds, dusted with icing sugar.
• Warm, with vanilla sauce or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Cut into individual portions rather than left as a whole log at the table.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag gluten, dairy and egg; the dough and the quark filling carry all three.
• Say whether raisins are included, since some guests specifically dislike or specifically ask for them.
• It is naturally vegetarian, worth flagging alongside the fruit-filled apfelstrudel it is often confused with.