1/4 cup roughly chopped semisweet chocolate pieces
1/4 cup currants
soaked 1 hour in 1/2 cup Verduzzo wine
2 eggs separated
whites beaten until stiff
1/4 cup sugar
plus 3 tablespoons
Strudel Pastry
recipe follows
4 ounces butter
plus 12 ounces
cold
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 cup
1/2 cup ice water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a cookie sheet.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the walnuts, hazelnuts, lemon zest, orange zest, candied citron, chocolate pieces, currants, and soaking liquid and stir to combine.
Add the egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar and fold together.
Roll the pastry out to a 10 by 16-inch rectangle and position the longest side parallel to the work surface edge.
Spoon the filling over the pastry evenly, leaving 2 inches uncovered at 1end.
Roll the pastry up like a jellyroll from south to north so it appears to be a thick pipe.
Make a circle of the pipe by attaching the two open ends like a wreath.
Brush with the beaten eggs yolks and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 50 minutes.
Allow to cool before cutting.
Serve with Verduzzo wine.
In a food processor, place 4 ounces butter, 1-teaspoon salt, and 2 1/2 cups flour and blend until texture of breadcrumbs.
Slowly add ice water until dough comes together.
Remove and form into a ball, then flatten it into an 8 by 10-inch rectangle and place in refrigerator.
This is called the pasta mixture.
In a food processor, place the remaining butter and 1 cup flour, and mix until blended and scrape out on to board.
Working quickly, form this mixture in a 4-inch square and place in refrigerator.
This is called the burro mixture.
After 1/2 hour, when the 2 mixtures are similar in texture, place pasta mixture on a well-floured clean marble surface.
Place burro mixture in center and fold the pasta mixture over it, like wrapping a gift.
Flatten with a rolling pin and roll out to an 8 by 16-inch rectangle, flouring regularly.
If butter comes to surface, flour the spot heavily and continue working.
Fold bottom third up and top third down to form a small package and turn 90 degrees clockwise.
Pat dough with rolling pin to adhere and roll out to large 8 by 16-inch rectangle again.
Repeat folding process and refrigerate 30 minutes, covered in a moist cloth.
Remove and repeat the rolling-and-folding process 3 times.
Allow 30 minutes refrigeration between each maneuver.
The dough is now ready and will keep in the refrigerator 10 days, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.