Kat from Brooklyn, NY (2018 Week 6: Puddings)

Baker

Kat

Location

Brooklyn, NY

Baking Challenge

Strudel

Give your dessert a clever name – and tell us about your recipe.

Pineapple Pear Strudel – it's exactly what it sounds like: sweetened pineapple and pears, wrapped in a strudel dough.

What was the biggest surprise during your baking journey? Did you use any unconventional approaches? What did you learn along the way? Tell us about it!

Oh, wow. I was multitasking when I made this strudel by also making a vegan hummingbird cake and preparing puff pastry all at the same time. Given that I don't have a large kitchen table, I own no table cloths on which to stretch out my strudel dough. I tried to tape two kitchen towels together, which worked … okay… especially since I only let the dough sit for 2.5 hours instead of overnight.

How did you add a Wisconsin twist to your flavors or decoration?

This is a much more personal connection. I have very fond memories of my grandparents' home in Rice Lake, WI. It was a house with a lot of flare from the 1960s and 70s. The pineapple reminds me very much of the food from those same eras, when my grandparents would be entertaining their friends by throwing lavish parties. This is my little ode to their golden era of entertaining.

How did you do?

It’s not pretty, but it’s edible.