I first saw this Karen Martini recipe in the Sunday magazine. I was spellbound by the photography and styling, and in turn I gravitated towards the recipe. I tucked it away for a few weeks always wondering if I would give it a go. I’ve tried a few of Karen’s recipes in the past and they were long and they didn’t always work out so was I willing to give this a go? One afternoon I decided to try again to reconcile with her.
All was ok until I realised that the “packet of filo pastry” was a rather vague one. There are 500g packets and 375g packets at the store. I had about 14 sheets of pastry left over waiting in my fridge from my 375g packet which was roughly half of the packet but I just couldn’t make the trek to the store so I thought that would do although that’s certainly not a packet under anyone’s definition. But since I had everything else I went ahead and made it using the 14 sheets I had. Little did I know that that even only 14 sheets was way too many sheets – about double the amount that I actually needed. I shudder to think what would have happened had I used an entire packet like she had suggested.
To make matters worse, the filling amount was way too much for the size of the filo so a lot of it leaked out. And as I mentioned, the 14 sheets of filo were too thick to properly roll the strudel (and this should be done with a teatowel to prevent the pastry from breaking).
Le Disaster!
One change that I made from the outset was to use browned butter which I love using for filo pastry when you want a deeply nutty flavour and this worked well. This isn’t an overly sweet strudel so it’s perfect for the non sweet tooths. I’ve adjusted the quantities so that you can avoid my fate. After making this I checked recipes and all of them called for about 6 sheets of filo pastry to 250g ricotta.
Hmm it seems like we’re breaking up again Karen…
So tell me Dear Reader, is there a chef whose recipes rarely work for you?
Cherry and Ricotta Strudel
- 250g ricotta
- 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk
- 100g caster sugar
- 1/2 lemon juiced and zest finely grated
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 sheets filo pastry
- 100g butter, browned*
- 350g jar sour cherries, drained, syrup reserved
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar extra for sprinkling
1. In a bowl, mix ricotta, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, lemon juice, zest and vanilla extract. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 180C. On a teatowel, place a sheet of filo pastry and carefully brush with browned butter. Place another sheet of filo directly on top and keep repeating with the browned butter until all sheets are used.
3. Spoon the filling onto the filo leaving a 5cm border around the edge. Scatter breadcrumbs and cherries on top.
4. Place a sheet on baking parchment on a large baking sheet and starting from the narrower end, use a teatowel (not pictured here) in a rolling action (like a swiss roll) to roll up the pastry, tucking in the sides while you roll to enclose all of the filling and stop it from leaking. Brush the strudel with some browned butter and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake in oven for 35 minutes until golden. Leave to firm up for half an hour.
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60 Comments | Add your own
It’s frustrating when all the efforts put into a highly regarded chef’s recipe and the results look and taste nothing like the pictures in the cookbook. For me, Jamie Oliver.
Fantastic! That flavor combo is heavenly!
Cheers,
Rosa
Yes, Martha Stewart!! Her recipes seem to rarely work for me. Your strudel looks dynamite!!
I’m always up for a ricotta recipe!! So you used the reserved syrup for a sauce? mmm…
Yes I’ve had similar expreiences with Karens’ recipes… I usually change them because I think the quantities or even some of the ingredients are a bit ‘off’ (I seem to remember omitting peas from a few recipes of hers!)
I would have gravitated to this recipe too! Sorry you struggled with it, but even your disaster looks tasty to me!
I have this recipe somewhere so now I will need to check your advice if I get around to using it. I made Karen MArtini’s fennel and rice soup recently but it is a recipe where I could tweak it easily – it was fantastic – but I get cross when people say a packet on the web and everyone’s packet is different
Oh wow… that pre-baking photo with the pastry and ricotta all laid out already looks too filled up and heavy to roll!! But it looks like turned out well Lorraine… and I know what you mean with consistently challenging recipes. I don’t have any specific chefs/cooks/recipe books that I’m traumatised from, but I do have a recipe that I’ve deterred from for years: choc chip cookies. I know… it’s weird, but everytime I do it I sucked.
I have never tried any Karen Martini recipes before. Not even looked at them to be honest. It’s a complete shame you’ve had those experiences – given how much she is published! I do steer away from two (very) well known Australian sources myself – probably the two most published in this country. But I will clarify, that is only for ‘patisserie’ not ‘cuisine’. There’s more room for error in the savoury arena. I’ve had endless similar failed experiences with these sources. I can only assume it’s not due to my limited baking skill (well, hopefully anwyay?!). In my opinion, I think the reason is they try to keep recipes as simple as possible (make them appear quick and easy?!), and in doing so, they lose some critical detail as a result. I find I have most success with more complex writers and recipes, e.g. Chefs who really explain the whys and wherefores of a recipe, e.g. Sherry Yard, Michel Roux, Dorie Greenspan, Julia Child. Nothing is missed out. It is perhaps more complex and time consuming to wade through the detail, but you get to understand what’s going on and make good judgements yourself. Problem solved! Are there any other recipe sources you’ve had problems with?
It’s a good thing you’re such a talented roll-with-the-punches type cook, dealing with silly Karen and her ambiguous ingredients! “A packet”, indeed!
Can’t think of any such chefs for me, but I have learnt over the years to read recipes through FULLY before starting, especially if they are translated from another language (after discovering in a recipe that “add the chocolate to the cream” really meant “keep the cream separate for later use, but add the chocolate to the creamed butter and sugar mixture”)
I am just terrible at following recipes in general!
Karen is not my type of chef, so I won’t bother with her. Sometimes I have problems with recipes from Nigella (bland tasting). But like Julia, I don’t think in Australia we have really good bakery books with good details out, yet. What a pity!
Commiserations on the break up;P I’ve only ever tried one Karen Martini recipe (a savoury risotto) and it worked fine but then again I don’t really use measurements when doing savoury food, I just eyeball/guesstimate, so who knows? I’m also very curious to know who Julia is talking about!!! I do have someone in mind whos baking stuff looks good but doesn’t taste all that great….
ahh i know what you mean.
it really annoys me when my bake turns out NOTHING like the picture!
yet to try karen’s.
I never really follow recipes unless it’s for baking, so I wouldn’t really know….
Though one time I tried to do Julia Child’s recipe and I failed miserably…I’m sure I was the idiot who messed up in that, though
Oooh, I’m going to give your version a go. I find Jamie Oliver’s recipes a terrible disappointment. I have two of his books and while I do love the cous cous salad and the chocolate pots and polenta biscuits (I don’t make the chocolate pots anymore as everyone always finds them too rich and I end up eating the lot), nothing else has been good – bland, odd or simply unappealing. On the other hand I have five Nigella books, use them all the time and have only been disappointed once or twice.
Oh the disaster looks very familiar to me LOL I too tend to put too much filling whatever I make!
Looking very yummy!
It still looks absolutely gorgeous, shame it was such a drama though! I always find Bill Granger’s recipes kind of lacking… but Donna Hay and Dorie Greenspan have never let me down!
I am drawn to watching any cooking shows I get a chance to watch on tv. I always try to catch Karen’s segement on a Friday night and I have replicated many of her recipes, although none faithfully. She does seem to use some odd combinations of ingredients sometimes. And some of her recipes have a laundry list of ingredients. I recently made her Olive Mill Soup. I used her method, but only used half the ingredients in the recipe. I had been considering making this strudel, so thanks for the tips.
Unfortunately I’ve had a few bland main meals courtesy of Donna Hay recipes, but her sweet recipes are always fine… bizarre!
I know it didn’t exactly go to plan, but your strudel really does look absolutely scrumptious! xxx
It’s always so disappointing when a recipe doesn’t work out after all the time and effort put into it. But these still look amazing!
I’ve had one or two Martha Stewart and Nigella Lawson recipes not work out for me but way more successes from them than failures very fortunately
Ugh how frustrating! I think the break-up was unavoidable. I can’t say that I have an issue with anyone in particular – I rarely stay true to any recipe and am always adding and subtracting as I go so it is hard to tell if it was me or the recipe that went wrong.
Gorgeous! I love this flavor combo.
Bobby Flay, I don’t know why but his recipes seem to rarely work for me!
Another person for whom Jamie Oliver recipes don’t always work.
Not a chef but the recipes in the Coles seasonal booklets are have been misses for me.
Donna Hay’s oven baked risotto recipes = culinary disasters. Real risottos are so easy to make, why bother with her lame imitations!
I hate when recipes don’t turn out, especially from trusted cookbooks!I think you still managed to do an amazing job with it though!
Hello. Thank you for your commnets in my post Doboos Torte. A great challenge. Your site is very wonderful. A great kiss for you.
I’m always a bit wary whenever I have to roll something moist in something fragile knowing that disaster may only be seconds away! I tend to avoid such recipes. I like reading cookbooks to figure out interesting techniques and flavour combinations so I never expect things to turn out exactly like the photo as I like improvising (fiddling around) too much!
My pet hate is recipes that specify ‘juice of 3 lemons’. The juice you can extract from a lemon (or lime or orange) varies so much, it would be much more accurate for recipe writers to specify an actual amount in mls.
I always have my adaptation of a recipe and uses my judgement on measurements.Example: recipes like gnocci. It really depends on how skillful the person is and how warm or cold the hands are.
Pity about the breakup, but it’s better to let her go now than to try to make things work.
The pastry looks delicious.
I love cherries, they are one of my favourite fruits!
Jamie Oliver and I don’t get on. I’m a baker at heart and like precise measurements. His style of “whack in some of this, and a handful of that” annoys me, and I find his recipes don’t always work so well. Also his ingredients list is always really long! I don’t want to buy a £2 box of spice for just one pinch of it!
It’s so frustrating when you put so much effort into a recipe and then it doesn’t come out as expected. (That has happened to me more times than I care to remember!) This strudel sounds like a delicious combination of flavors (cherries are a personal fav of mine) and it looks really beautiful!
cherry leakage, oh no! what a shame that this recipe didn’t yield something marvelous, and how disappointing that you and karen just couldn’t work things out.
already droooling!! want it nowww!! yummmmmmmmmmmmm!!! sound heavenly delicious!!
It still looks quite beautiful! I have had issues with some Martha Stewart recipes- but her cookies are usually good.
This looks delicious – thanks for publishing the adjusted recipe.
Yummo! I recently tried a cherry strudel recipe and it wasn’t up to the standard I’ve had out… still looking for a great recipe.
Jaime has never let me down, I have made tonnes of his recipes and we’ve always raved about the results (I do tweak though). His salads are especially yummy (to us). I find Donna Hay recipes supremely disappointing. The photography is lovely, the way the mags and cook books are set out really appeals to me but I find all the recipes I have ever cooked form her are bland, lacking in any oomph. Not simply understated, simply BORING..but that’s just me. Lot of peeps seem to dislike Jaime…that’s fair, we’re all different. Personally, I make up most of my recipes these days, they seem to be winners. ALTHOUGH, Women’s Weekly books and ‘zines have rarely let me down. Just made “cinnamon crinkles” from a 30 yr old recipe book, I added more cinnamon and ginger but apart from that, they were winners with family and pals. Each to their own.
I applaude your patience.
Karen Martini does not do it for me either…or like some of the other people who commented, Jamie Oliver or Donna Hay. Food styling is always great but a quick read of the recipe makes it clear that they have tried to keep it so simple that they have removed all flavour. I love Alice Waters, Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray of the River Cafe, Neil Perry, Stephanie Alexander…hmm…did I mention that I had a bit of a cook book addiction?!
Yes, but I feel funny naming her. She bakes and her tooth is wayyyyyy to sweet for me. I did a sweet cherry macaroon tart in honor of my readers and some of my favorite food bloggers. You need to read to see who.
Never Mind Lorraine – plenty more fish in the sea.
I haven’t felt the urge to cook Karen’s recipes. I too am often disappointed with Donna Hay. Her books look fab, but the food tastes ho hum.
Anh, I think there are some good Australian baking books but it depends what you are after. Belinda Jeffrey’s Mix and Bake is lovely and never lets me down and that new Bourke street Bakery cookbook looks divine.
Lorraine did it again!
Thanks for the recipe adjustment. I will make this one tonight for iftar meal.
The strudel looks delicious! I agree DOnna HAy’s mains often try to be too simple and are bland and boring, I love her sweet stuff though. I think WOmen’s Weekly’s recently published stuff is going the same way, but if you have some of the classic older books, their recipes are never fail, and I think a great way to learn to cook! I personally like Jamie’s style, but rarely use his recipes as his ingredients are usually hard to get, so I look at the recipe and go, yeah I’ll make something similar with what I have!
Yes Gordon Ramsay’s Just Desserts book,had no luck with that book
Ah what a shame. I haven’t seen the original recipe or picture, but cherry and ricotta strudel sounds lovely, in theory.
What a wonderful dessert!! Your studel with sour cherries & ricotta looks divine!! A real treat!!
I would like to digg in right about now!! Yummie!
My first berry pastry baking experience was a disaster too, everything leaked! but yours still looks good, yummy layers.
Sorry the original recipe was so wonky, but it came out beautiful after your alterations! Mmmmmm!
Strudel looks yum yum yum!
Totally agree re Karen Martini. I have tried three of her recipes from the Sunday magazine; a rabbit ragout/pasta sauce, a chocolate macaroon and something else, and NONE of them have worked. I figure three strikes and you’re out, Karen, so I don’t ever make anything of hers any more.
I also find her quite annoying on Better Homes and Gardens. She has an annoying, nasal voice, her presentation comes across as really rehearsed and unnatural and she has no charisma whatsoever. Give me Fast Ed any day!
This looks amazing and I am so going to make it! I love this kind of treat! Anyway, to your question, sometimes when I’m trying someone else’s recipe I have to make it once to see where I need to adjust then do it a second time my way.
It looked good in the end, but these “top chefs” normally make everything so extravagant its really not too bad.
I read someone said Jamie Oliver’s items gives them a hard time. I love his recipes, in fact, i do most of his alone as they are a wonder
Hi Ellie-I agree! Don’t they test these recipes?
Ahh what a shame!
Hi Rosa-Thanks!
Hi Bethie-Yep I’m abit like that with Martha too
Thankyou!
Hi Liss-Yup! I don’t like throwing the syrups out anyway. Usually I mix them with soda water for a drink too if they’re nice. Good to know I’m not the only one!
Hi Barbara-Thankyou very much! At least it tasted good in the end
Hi Johanna-Yes especially when it would have been a fraction of the packet
Hi Trisha-Yes I know! I was struggling with rolling it, imagine if I’d used a whole packet
Oh no really!
Hi Julia-I know, and they look so nice too
Hmmm I think I know who one might be and they’re ones I give a wide berth to for other reasons! 
I think that way you get to learn technique too which is a valuable thing 
Mainly Karen’s and sometimes Martha but that’s about it (thankfully!).
Hi Conor-Aww you are too sweet! Yes a packet! How crazy! Oh yes that’s a big different isn’t it!
Hi Meghan-Aww I’m sure you are ok!
Hi Anh -Ahh what a shame about Nigella. Yes we need some excellent patisserie books here!
Hi shaz-Thankyou! I think there seems to be a more leeway when it comes to savoury as opposed to baking
I think I can guess one publisher!
Hi felicia-I know, so sad and annoying!
Hi Sophia-I’ve seen your recipes and they look great! But yes with baking cakes, recipes are really needed. Aww no!
Hi Amy-Cool! Oh no that’s terrible! I admit I haven’t tried a lot of his. I don’t know why…hubby likes the sound of them though but I just don’t gravitate towards them. hehe me too! Except with Feast-I had quite a few failures with Feast
Hi Yas-Haha that’s always my problem! Thankyou!
Hi Lisa-Aww thankyou! I know, I hate drama in the kitchen
You know I’ve never tried a Dorie recipe-I really should!
Hi Theresa-Yes too many ingredients can be a turn off except for when you have loads of time I suppose (and that’s only weekends nowadays). You’re welcome!
Hi bec-How strange that is!
Hi Angela-Aww thanks darlin! xxx
Hi thecoffeesnob-Yes so much time, effort and expense
Yes as long as it’s more success than fail then that’s the ratio you want! 
Hi Meg-I think so
hehe I try and be faithful unless my instincts tell me not to! 
Hi isa-Thankyou! I have seen him on The View but never tried his recipes
Hi romaverona-Ahh yes there are a few of you aren’t there! hehe yes I had a flick through those. They look nice in a simple way but there’s something missing in them!
Hi Athena-Oh no what a shame
I find baked risottos a bit dry but I do those when I can’t be bothered stirring 
Hi Avanika-I know, it’s terrible when that happens! Thankyou so much!
Hi Tartasacher-you’re welcome! Aww thankyou so much!
Hi Moya-The funny thing is that the Daring Bakers strudel was really paper thin but it still worked
Hi Emily-Hehe yes! Although I must admit I’m guilty of that when I create some of my recipes but I will make a concerted effort to be better with that
Hi penny-Yes I agree and I think savouries are also easier to do that with than cakes etc which is like science
Hi Julianna -Haha yes!
Thankyou!
Hi Jenny-Me too! I’m a cherry addict
Ahh so many Jamie comments here! I think I’ll continue to keep my distance from his recipes. Actually I did make a bread once and it was pretty bad but I think I gave up on the kneading 
Hi Faith-Isn’t it just!
Thankyou so much! 
Hi grace-Yes! It wasn’t too bad but it certainly wasn’t the masterpiece pictures
Hi nora-Hehe thankyou!
Hi Jillian-Thanks so much! Ahh at least the cookies work out I suppose!
Hi Cakelaw-You’re welcome!
Hi Anita -The Daring Bakers one was really good!
Hi Annie-Isn’t it funny how some like one chef and other don’t and vice versa? I always read a lot of criticism about Nigella’s recipes but they usually work for me. Ahh well I no longer with AWW anymore after “the incident”
Hi poppyseed capers-Thankyou!
Hi spice and more-Thanks for Alice Waters and Ruth Rodgers! I’m going to check them out. I’ve heard of htem but never cooked from them! haha me too! Not a bad thing though…
Hi Angela-Ahh yes I did read that! Interesting, I’ve never baked anything by her!
Hi Jetlagmama-Indeed !
Actually it’[s funny, I amde a tomato pie of Belinda’s and it got such a ho hum reception I’ve been scarred ever since! 
Maybe I should give it another go!
Hi Taiko Tari-Hehe thanks!
Hi Jess-interesting-perhaps her strength is the sweet stuff (haha not such a bad thing for me
). Yep substitution especially for British cookbooks is often necessary! 
Hi Michelle-I had the same with the 3 star chef book
Hi Y-It was very pretty which is why I wanted to make it
Hi Sophie-Thanks so much!
Aww you are too sweet!
Hi Pigpigscorner-Ahh the leakage, that damn leakage!
Thankyou!
Hi Julie-Thanks so much!
Hi Parita-Thankyou!
Hi sissyhankshaw-yep three times is enough and I always apply the very same rule! I’ve never watched her on tv-and considering how I’ve fared with this, I probably wouldn’t seek it out
Hi Jamie-Oh great! Some personalisation is always good isn’t it
Hi ArtemisIII-Thanks! Ahh it seems Jamie has everyone divided!
Your Strudel looks great! I have disasters but not with any particular book..
So i would blame that on me.
Have always wanted to make an egg free ricotta and cherry strudel. Any recipes come to mind? I’ve also found puff pastry sheets much less of a hassle to work with and equally as scrumptious.
PS: have you reviewed Govinda’s Vegetarian Restaurant in Darlinghurst? Fabulous buffet style menu, great value and atmosphere.
I had trouble with this, although it tasted AMAZING! The mixture was way too liquid for me to spoon onto the pastry, it would have just poured all over the kitchen bench. I desperately looked for a solution, ended up adding another 250g of ricotta (not such a good idea) and half a tub of Philadelphia cream cheese (slightly better idea). By then I had so much mixture that I was in a bit of a pickle!! haha Anyway, I moved fast and put what I could onto the pastry and quickly rolled it up. Thankfully it didn’t burst and spill all over the oven, and it did look fabulous, but I wonder what I did wrong.
Yes, my old Nona used to make her own strudel dough (with yeast)–a piece as small as a fist was pulled and stretched using the back of the hands to avoid poking holes, onto a damp double bed-size sheet by my Nona & 3 Zias till it actually met the edge of the extended dining-room table!!! Vast and nearly transparent. They made poppy-seed strudel, cabbage strudel, apple or cherry strudel, just sprinkling breadcrumbs and the minimum of filling, a bit of butter, sometimes cottage cheese. The bedsheet was lifted from one edge to start the roll going and when the fat, lumpy, transluscent meter-long “sausage” was all rolled up, it was bent into a horseshoe shape to fit the oven tray–sometimes 2 trays, brushed with melted butter then baked to a delicate golden brown, filling the house with the wonderful aroma of cinnamon then dusted with powdered sugar after baking. With the savoury ones, of course,the rich inviting smell of carmelised onion made our mouths water. Strudel is not an Italian pastry, but my aunts all worked in garment factories in the ’50s with women from Germany, the Ukraine, Eastern Europe and of course they swapped recipes all the time. Strudel, kipfels, and other fancy pastries. (Even waxed and dyed Russian easter eggs!) I never saw a strudel again after I left Allentown (USA) till I found those marvelous Viennese and Jewish pastry shops that once lined Ackland St in Melbourne’s St Kilds. Most are long gone now, alas… Keep making those strudels, girls!! Go for elegance and sharing!
Hi Soma-You’re way too talented to have disasters!
Hi Jan-Would puff give a very different pastry on the outside? It would be nice but I think strudel purists might not like it
Hi Deb-Oh wow, that sounds panic making! What kind of ricotta did you use? I’ve found some ricottas really runny (Perfect Italiano is really runny) and I had a similar issue using that one. Glad to hear that you saved it though!
Hi taxing woman-I absolutely loved reading your comment. So evocative and it’s obviously a food that means a lot to you and your family. Thankyou so much for sharing your wonderful memories with us!
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