Instructions: As the holidays neared, my mother would dress my sister and me in our best, and take us on a round of visits to her aunts. Our favorite was Tante Mumpsie, who always had the warmest hug, the softest cheek and the best strudel.

Her strudel dough was delicate and crumbly. The filling was chewy with raisins, crunchy with nuts, rich and sweet with coconut and jam. Tante Mumpsie cut her strudel into cookie-sized pieces and we ate them, like cookies, with our fingers. And you can bet we licked those fingers clean.

Years later, I discovered the very different Viennese strudel made with buttery "strudel leaves" similar to sheets of phyllo that shatter at the touch of a fork. Filled with cherries, apple, pears or cheese, perhaps with ice cream or whipped cream alongside, this is a complete dessert. (Try Birnenstrudel from "Classical Art of Viennese Pastry," by Christine Berl. Or, enter "strudel" into the search box for lots of strudel options.)

Recently, Ive been in touch by e-mail with one of Tante Mumpsies grandsons, and began thinking about her strudel. Though Ive used other strudel recipes over the years, I asked whether he knew who might have hers. Within a few days, he sent it to me, courtesy of his cousin, Ruth.

Its easy to see how this recipe has change in the hands of three generations of bakers. Instead of water in the crust, theres orange or pineapple juice.

Crushed Corn Flakes replace the more traditional breadcrumbs sprinkled on the stretched dough before filling it. Someone - Ruth couldnt say whether it was her mother or grandmother - added pineapple and coconut to the basic nut and raisin mixture.

Many recipes call for chilling the dough before rolling it out; in this one, the dough rests in a warm bowl, and the rolling pin warms in the oven before use.

Like many strudel recipes, Tante Mumpsies is pareve, so you can serve it at a kosher table with milk or meat meals. If you make strudel dough with butter, sour cream or even ice cream, it will be easier to handle and even more delicious - dare I say it? - than my tantes, and an excellent choice for dairy brunches, teas or receptions.

When you get ready to stretch strudel dough, remember to remove any rings or bracelets that might tear the delicate pastry. (Cleaning dough out of a Tiffany setting isnt much fun either.) Its helpful if your fingernails are smooth and short.

For ease of rolling, work at a round table, which allows you to move freely around all sides of the dough. You can use a bedsheet as a pastry cloth.

Strudel keeps well in a tightly sealed tin or plastic box, and can also be frozen.

A Yiddish proverb says, "Happy is the Jew who learns Torah." And even happier is one who has a little strudel with it.

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