Aldi Lemon Mascarpone Strudel Review
Author’s note: Not a sponsored review, of course. I have no affiliation with Aldi. These are my own unwashed opinions.
I am a strudel-reviewing machine.
I’ve lost count of how many Aldi strudels I’ve reviewed at this point. There was the Fruits of the Forest strudel (which I shamefully burnt). And the savory Artichoke & Cheese strudel. Then an Apple Mascarpone strudel (with sneaky raisins). And the magnum opus, the Cherry Mascarpone strudel.
But now Aldi has upped the ante with this new Lemon Mascarpone strudel. I might have missed it, except for the enthusiastic endorsement of one of my fans! Thanks, fren-shaped Susan!
I have to say, this Lemon Mascarpone version is very different from the others. It has the same gorgeous, flakey pastry. But the filling reminds me of a delicious pie. It’s like a cross between a lemon meringue pie and Costco’s Lemon Custard Pie.
The filling is creamy and thick, with a distinct custard-like consistency. Indeed, it has egg yolks, like a good custard ought. There are no lumps or fruit pieces. But there’s a very slight mascarpone texture (smoother than ricotta), with a delicate cheesy tang. But much more milky, like rich pudding.
There’s actually two kinds of filling swirled together: the cheesy custard, and a tangy lemon cream. And there is a LOT of this filling! No one skimped here. I love that it is not too sugary. It’s got a mellow sweetness. Just enough to complement the assertive lemon tartness. It’s a satisfying and well-rounded combination.
(For a delicate treat with a STRONG lemon flavor, check out my review of these imported Italian Lemon Wafers.)
If you’re new here, the pastry has delicate, flaky layers. They’re tissue-paper thin on the outside, with a crisp crackle. But soft and almost doughy on the inside. The pastry itself is savory with no sweetness. But garnished with big, shiny, crunchy sugar grains.
(For another flakey, creamy lemon treat, you might enjoy these Danish cookies from Karens Bakery.)
Serving the strudel
You get one long, narrow strudel. I personally like this. I think it looks more elegant and unique. It’s the kind of homemade-looking presentation I wouldn’t be ashamed to serve my guests at a small dinner party.
I enjoyed mine warm from the oven. It’s tasty at room temperature, too. The filling gets much more viscous when chilled (unpleasantly congealed), and the pastry loses the brilliant crispness. I would bake it no more than 1 hour before serving.
In my opinion, it needs to be eaten with a fork. The filling is too messy for finger food. Especially when warm.
Baking the strudel
I followed the instructions to bake this on a foil-lined pan. But I’ve successfully used parchment paper in the past. Because I have trust issues (and because some of my other Aldi strudels have stuck stubbornly to the pan), I buttered the foil before putting the whole, frozen strudel on top.
I baked mine at 425 for 25 minutes, which is the lower range of the suggested 25-35 minutes. Mine was browned on the bottom, and golden on top. I think cooking it a tad longer might have helped some of the doughy texture of the inner layers.
Ingredients in Aldi Lemon Mascarpone Strudel
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients from the label:
- Water
- Wheat Flour
- Vegetable Shortening (Palm Oil, Water, Canola Oil, Mono- and Diglycerides, Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids, Salt, Citric Acid, Sodium citrates)
- Invert Sugar Srup
- Sugar
- Mascarpone Cream cheese
- Soft Cheese
- Food Starch-Modified
- Egg Yolk
- Whey
- Wheat Starch
- Contains 0.5% or less of: Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Corn Starch, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Salt, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Xanthan Gum, Dextrose.
While these are far from “the worst” ingredients, there are some “unfortunates,” such as shortening and modified food starch. I would really like to know what “soft cheese” IS, exactly? A bit vague.
This strudel is imported from Germany.
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 1/6 the strudel (100 grams) and contains a robust 320 calories. You get 16 grams of fat (7 grams saturated fat) and 4 grams protein. There are 41 grams total carbohydrates, of which 21 grams are sugars (19 grams “added sugar”) and 0 grams are fiber. You get 13% your daily value cholesterol, and 5% your daily value sodium per serving.
Price and Servings
The 21.2 ounce strudel cost $4.75 at my local Aldi. If you managed to get 6 servings per package, each slice would cost 79 cents.
Honestly? I think FOUR servings is much more practical. You might squeeze 6 slices if you served it with ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Or something. Otherwise, it is a bit scroogish. The portion in my photos is roughly 1/4 the strudel.
Shelf Life
At my local Aldi, strudels are seasonal items, usually appearing a couple times a year. But, fortunately, they are frozen. So you can totally hoard them. Totally. The “best by” date on mine allowed less than 2 years to consume.
Dramatic Conclusion
Like every Aldi strudel thus far, this is a show-stopping pastry. If you’re a fan of custard or creamy pies, you will probably like the texture. I personally think it is more of a dessert strudel than a breakfast item, although I appreciate the demure sweetness.
The Awesome-o-Meter rates Aldi’s Lemon Mascarpone Strudel a solid “Yaaas.”
The End.
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