Pumpkin Strudel {Bulgarian "Tikvenik"}
This Simple Pumpkin Strudel or "Tikvenik", is made with flaky sheets of Phyllo pastry, a warm, cinnamon-spiced pumpkin filling, crunchy walnuts, and a generous dose of butter. This rustic dessert is simple to make and invites you to adjust sweetness, spice, and texture to your liking!
Ingredients
- 1 package (~14 sheets) Frozen Phyllo Pastry Thawed as per package directions
- 4 cups (~1kg cooked pumpkin) Pumpkin Puree Homemade or canned
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar or Granulated Sugar more or less sugar, to your desired sweetness!
- 1 to 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Walnuts (raw or roasted) coarsely chopped
Strudel Topping (before baking)
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
Decoration
- 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F or 180C (convection oven 325F). Butter a 9"x13" baking pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix pumpkin puree with sugar and cinnamon (note: a little sweetness can go a long way! Let your taste guide you). Set aside.
- On a clean surface, unroll your phyllo sheets and cover them with a towel (note: a gently damp towel will keep sheets from drying out but too damp and they will all stick together. Err on barely damp over too damp or simply cover with plastic wrap prior to any towel).
- Lay out one phyllo sheet and brush it with a light layer of melted butter or oil. Stack the second Phyllo sheet on top of the first. Thinly butter the second sheet.
- Starting from the short end of the rectangular phyllo sheet, spread a row of your pumpkin mixture (approx. 3-5 tbsp). Roll the dough twice over the pumpkin mixture. On the remaining buttered sheet, sprinkle a few roughly chopped walnuts.
- Starting from one edge, gently roll the phyllo into a log shape. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect—imperfect shapes add character!
- Gently crunch each rolled log and place it into your lined baking tray. Spread butter over the top of each pastry roll and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake your pumpkin strudel for ~30 minutes. Allow to cool, then cut each log in half (as desired) and dust with icing sugar. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Sofia’s Tips:
- Phyllo can be delicate! Handle gently but don’t stress if it tears!
- Don't forget to keep your Phyllo sheets covered! You can cover with plastic wrap and then a barely moist towel, in between working, to keep it from drying out.
- Using Honey as a sweetener: Feel free to replace some or all of the sugar in the pumpkin filling with Honey for an extra special treat
- Intuition over Precision! Bulgarian baking is often done by heart, so trust your instincts. A little pumpkin, a bit of sugar and spice, and a sprinkle of nuts are all you need to make this Tikvenik your own.
- Mindful Baking: Savour each step - from spreading the pumpkin to rolling the Phyllo. The simplicity this recipe allows you to feel the ingredients and enjoy each step of the process!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!