Maultaschen

I've wanted to make Maultaschen for a very long time. They are a southern German type ravioli that are often served in broth or baked in a casserole with onions, cream and cheese. I came across a lot of recipes for these. Some used spinach, leeks or chives, some were meatless, others used beef instead of pork. This recipe came together after several tries and reminds me of the spinach and bratwurst ones I tried in Munich many years ago.

My method of forming Maultaschen is different. In Germany they often spread a thin layer of filling over a portion of the dough then fold that up. Using a the handle of a wooden spoon pressed down hard, the individual Maultaschen are formed and then cut apart. There are photos illustrating this method on a German blog here. I tried that twice and failed both times. My Maultaschen opened up during the cooking, so I just left space between the filling and cut them apart after I enclosed and sealed them with a bit of water.

This recipe makes about 30 Maultaschen and they freeze really well if you don't plan on serving them all at once.

dough
2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
2 large eggs
water, as needed

Combine the flour and eggs in a large bowl or a food processor. Add enough water until you have a soft tacky noodle dough. If you are using the food processor, then run the motor until the dough forms into a ball. If you are doing this by hand, then knead it a few times once it all comes together.

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30-40 minutes.

filling
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
5 oz package fresh baby spinach, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
3/4 lb good quality bratwurst (not precooked), casings removed
1 large egg
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the butter over medium heat and when it's ready, add the garlic. Saute for a minute or so then add the onion. Cook until the onions are translucent and lightly browned. Cool.

In a large bowl combine the fresh breadcrumbs, spinach, parsley, bratwurst, egg, nutmeg, salt, pepper and the cooled onion mixture. Fry up a tablespoon of the filling mixture to check for seasoning and make any adjustments if needed.

To form the Maultaschen, cut off about 1/6 of a piece of noodle dough and roll that out into a thin rectangle on a lightly floured surface.

Place heaping tablespoons of filling about 3/4 inch apart in the middle of the dough strip. (I was able to get about 5 Maultaschen with each section I rolled out.) Lightly moisten the edges around the filling with water and then fold the top edge down carefully over the filling followed by folding the bottom edge over the filling (see photos). Cut them apart with a pizza or pastry cutter. If you plan on freezing some of these, then place the formed Maultaschen onto a silicone mat or parchment paper lined cookie sheet, not touching in a single layer. Freeze for several hours before bagging them (for the freezer).

Continue making the Maultashen until all of the dough and filling have been used up.

to serve
about 1 1/2 cups beef broth for each serving of 3-4 Maultaschen
chopped parsley

Heat the beef broth until it simmers lightly. Add the Maultaschen and cook for about 10 minutes (add about 2 minutes if they are frozen).

To serve, divide among bowls and then garnish with chopped parsley.

Anisplätzchen; German Anise Cookies

(about 3 dozen cookies)

My mother loaned me one of her German Christmas cookbooks for my holiday baking. I couldn't wait to try these anise cookies, although they turned out much flatter (for me) than the ones I remembered from my childhood.

I'm not entirely certain why my cookies didn't rise as much. It might have been the result of any or a combination of the following. I used baking powder instead of ammonium carbonate, my eggs might have been larger than the standard ones used in Germany or it might have been the humidity (I live about a mile from the ocean). If you like biscotti, then you might enjoy these anise cookies. They are unusually flavored, crisp, light cookies that are wonderful dipped into hot tea or coffee.

adapted from Handbuch für die Weihnachtsbäckerei 
from Kölner Zucker (Pfeifer & Langen) ©1978
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp ground anise
two pinches of baking powder (Hirschhornsalz/ammonium carbonate)
1 cup all purpose flour

Prepare the cookie sheets by greasing with butter and then lightly dusting them with flour. Set aside.

Beat the eggs until they are throthy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and continue to beat for about 15 minutes until the eggs are light, thick and creamy.

Beat in the anise and baking powder and when they are well combined, add the flour and beat for about one minute.

Drop tablespoons of batter onto the prepared cookie sheets about an inch or more apart; the batter will continue to spread. Leave the cookies in a warm kitchen for about 6-8 hours or overnight. The tops should dry and harden slightly.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until they are very lightly browned around the edges.

Nattalia's Rum Stollen

( 2 loaves)

This is a recipe my mother passed along to me this year. It produces a delicious and very rich rum stollen, a traditional German Christmas bread.

I made my own candied orange and lemon peel because the only candied peel I was able to find in Sequim contained high fructose corn syrup. This was manageable because making this stollen took two days (soaking the nuts and raisins).

The finished loaves were then wrapped in parchment and left in a cool dark place for a week to allow the flavors to fully develop.

candied orange and lemon peel
1 large organic lemon
1 small to medium organic navel orange
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

about 3 tbsp fine granulated sugar

Wash and dry the lemon and orange. Cut off the tops and bottoms of the lemon. Cut off the peel in strips, yellow and white parts. Cut these pieces into small dice.

Repeat with the orange.

Place the water and salt into a small saucepan. Stir until the salt has dissolved. Add the lemon and orange peel. Bring up to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 3 minutes. Drain.

Add enough cold water to cover the peel and bring back up to a simmer. Cook 3 minutes and drain the peel again.

Empty the saucepan and combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer. Add the peel and cook for about 30 minutes or until the peel is tender and translucent.

Sprinkle a piece of parchment paper with about 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peel from the syrup, shake off the excess liquid and spread over the sugared parchment paper in a single layer. When all of the peel is spread out, sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top. Allow to dry overnight.

(There was a small amount of citrus flavored syrup leftover which I used in my tea).

rum stollen
2 cups raisins
about 1 cup dark rum, divided
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 lb butter, 2 sticks warmed until runny, but not hot
4 cups flour, divided
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
2 tsp dry active yeast
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 cup candied lemon and orange peel
1 tbsp flour

The day before you plan on baking this, place the raisins in a small bowl and sprinkle with half a cup of rum. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight, stirring at least once or twice.

Place the almonds in another small bowl. Combine about 1/3 of a cup of rum with the almond extract. Pour this mixture over the almonds and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside overnight, stirring at least once or twice.

The next morning combine the butter with 2 cups of flour. Refrigerate this mixture while you prepare the yeast dough.

Combine the milk, yeast and sugar. Let sit until the yeast has dissolved.

Place the remaining 2 cups of flour and cardamom into the bowl of a 9 or 11 cup food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.

With the motor running pour the milk and yeast mixture down the chute. Turn off the motor when the dough begins to come together.

Take the top off the food processor. Break up the dough and distribute evenly around the bowl. Remove the flour and butter mixture from the refrigerator and form small walnut sized balls. Place about 5 or 6 of those around the yeast dough. Replace the top and pulse a few times to combine.

Drop the remaining flour and butter mixture in small pieces down the chute until all of it has been combined with the yeast dough.

Process until you have a smooth ball of dough, taking care not to let the mixture get too hot. Place into a dish and cover with plastic wrap. Wait until the dough has risen about 2 1/2 times; about 2-3 hrs.

Drain the raisins and almonds, reserving the leftover rum. Combine the fruit and nuts with 1 cup of the candied lemon and orange peel (reserve the rest for another use).

Add the flour and toss. Set aside.

Divide the dough in half. Roll out one piece to about 1/4 inch thickness; about 12 x 14". Cover with half of the fruit and nut mixture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap for about 15 minutes.

Roll the ends like a jelly roll towards the center. Flatten the dough and then roll up again from the bottom to the top. Gently roll into a rectangle about 6" x 10 ". Fold in half with the top not quite meeting the other side; see photo.

Place onto a silicone mat or a piece of parchment paper. Cover with a light dry kitchen towel to rise until doubled; up to 4 hours.

Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.

Preheat oven to 350F. Set the racks so that the stollen bakes in the upper top portion of the oven; about 2 to 3 notches down.

Bake the stollen for 50-65 minutes or until done. Remove from oven.

to finish
3 tbsp butter
the leftover and reserved rum
about 1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
about 1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioners)

Quickly prepare the glaze to brush onto the warm stollen. Gently heat the leftover rum with the butter. Brush this mixture onto both sides of each loaf until you have used all of it.

Roll each warm loaf in granulated sugar; both sides. Then dust each loaf generously with powdered sugar. Allow to cool.

Wrap the cooled loaves in parchment paper. (My mother was pretty insistent not to use plastic. She told me the loaves shouldn't "sweat". I couldn't help myself. I placed one parchment wrapped loaf into a paper bag and the other into a *plastic bag). Allow the loaves to sit in a cool dark place for at least a week. This gives the flavors a chance to mellow.

A week later *I preferred the stollen that had been placed in plastic. I thought the stollen wrapped in parchment paper and then placed into a paper bag was a bit on the dry side.

My Mother's Heidesand; German Cookies

Heidesand is a type of German shortbread made with browned butter. My mother recently made two batches of these delicious cookies, experimenting with the flour. She used unbleached all purpose flour for her first batch. The resulting cookie was how I remembered it from my childhood; a rich buttery shortbread cookie. For her second batch she used only whole wheat pastry flour. This resulted in a very delicate, melt in your mouth type cookie which I loved, however it was quite crumbly, something my mum wasn't happy with. I decided to make this cookie using half all purpose and half whole wheat pastry flour. I love the way these turned out; tender cookies that don't break apart the moment you bite into them.

My mum's recipe is pretty simple; half a pound butter, half a pound flour, 3 ounces sugar and a bit of baking powder, salt and vanilla extract. She told me these cookies need to be baked in the upper third of the oven and removed as soon as they are firm without allowing their bottoms to brown. I let mine brown because I think they taste better that way. I'll leave the baking time up to you.

1/2 lb unsalted butter, (2 sticks)
1/3 cup, plus 1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup* whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

Melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook until it begins to brown. You want the butter to be a nice rich brown, but take care not to let it to burn.

Remove the pot from heat and pour the butter into a glass or ceramic mixing bowl. Set aside a few hours until the butter has solidified.

Beat the butter until it's fluffy, making sure to scrape up the browned bits that have settled to the bottom of the bowl. Beat in the sugar slowly, followed by the vanilla extract, baking powder and salt.

Shift together the two flours and stir them into the butter mixture. You will have a very crumbly dough. Shape this into two or three logs, about 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter. If the mixture is too crumbly and difficult to shape into logs, then mix in a few drops of water or milk.

Refrigerate until the logs are firm; about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. (Set the oven rack up one notch from the middle.)

Slice the cookies a "generous" 1/4 inch thick and place about 3/4 inch apart on a parchment paper or silicone lined cookie sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until the cookies look slightly puffed and have not yet begun to brown around the edges. (I bake mine longer (15 minutes) until the edges do look browned.)

Remove from oven and cool completely on the cookie sheet giving them the chance to firm up a bit.

* A quarter pound of whole wheat pastry flour actually worked out to 3/4 cup, plus 3 tablespoons. I rounded this off to one cup.

Rouladen filled with Sauerkraut

(8 rouladen)

Occasionally I come across packages of sliced top beef round steak at WF. These slices are super thin and perfect for making rouladen, a German meat roll. There are countless ways these can be filled and seasoned. This time I tried something a bit different using horseradish and sauerkraut, instead of my usual mustard and pickles.

8 large (about 1/8th inch thick) slices of beef top round, 
 about 1 3/4 lb
4 tbsp prepared horseradish
salt, pepper and paprika
4 thick or 8 thin slices bacon
a few thin slices yellow onion
2-3 cups sauerkraut, drained (and rinsed if it's really sour)
kitchen string or toothpicks
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 cups beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
8 juniper berries, lightly crushed
1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper, if needed

1 1/2 tbsp potato starch
3 tbsp heavy cream

Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of horseradish over each slice of meat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.

Divide the bacon and onion between the slices of meat and top with the sauerkraut.

Turn the sides of the meat over by 3/4 inch lengthwise (see photo) and roll the meat up. I like to do this so the filling doesn't escape while the meat is cooking. Secure each roll with either kitchen string or wooden toothpicks.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Fry the rouladen until they are nicely browned, then place them into a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid. The pot should be large enough to hold all of the rouladen in a single layer. Hold onto the skillet; don't clean.

Lower the heat and add a small amount of oil to the skillet if needed. Add the onions. Stir and scrape the browned bits into the onions as they cook. Add them to the pot, when the onions have softened.

Add the mushrooms, beef broth, wine, juniper berries, paprika, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a simmer then cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Lower the heat and cook for one hour.

Remove the lid, turn all of the rouladen over, cover the pot once again and continue to cook for another hour or until the meat is tender.

Remove the rouladen from the pot. Cut off the kitchen string or remove the toothpicks. Using a slotted spoon remove the mushroom and onions and add those to the rouladen. Pick out the bay leaves and juniper berries. If you miss a berry or two, don't worry about it.. they taste fine if you bite into one.

Bring the spiced broth and wine mixture to a simmer and cook until the liquid has been reduced by about a third.

Stir together the potato starch and cream until smooth and stir in a few tablespoons of the hot broth. Whisk the slurry back into the pot and simmer briskly for about a minute until the gravy thickens. Check and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.

Return the rouladen, mushrooms and onions to the gravy, and heat through.

Serve. These rouladen are great with whipped potatoes. The gravy is amazing!

Bratkartoffeln mit Speck; Pan-fried Potatoes & Bacon

(4 servings)

Every once in a while when I come across something, I'll immediately picture it a particular way and can't let go of the thought. That was the case with the Yukon Gold creamers I saw at the market yesterday. They brought me back to a time when my mum used to make German style pan fried potatoes.

I have lightened them up considerably from how I remember them from my childhood. My mum used to add a huge amount of butter to hers. Both ways are quite delicious....

1 1/2 lb waxy or creamer type (washed) potatoes
3 slices peppered or plain smoked bacon (about 1/4 lb)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
up to 3 tbsp butter (or more :D)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes (with their skins) into a pot large enough to hold them and cover with cold water. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat a touch and simmer them until they pierce easily with a fork; begin to check them after 5 minutes or so.

Drain the potatoes and allow to cool. Either slice them or cut them into small pieces; whichever you prefer. Set aside.

Dice the bacon and place into a cold skillet. Set over medium heat and fry until the bacon begins to brown. Determine how crispy you like your bacon and when it's done to your liking remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain.

Pour the bacon drippings into a small bowl and wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. Add about 2 tsp of reserved rendered bacon fat or butter or a combination of the two, to the skillet and return it to the stove. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it begins to brown lightly, taking care it doesn't burn. Remove the onion and set aside.

Add up to 2 tbsp of butter, rendered bacon drippings or a combination of the two, to the skillet. Raise the heat to almost high and when the fat is hot, add the potatoes. Spread them out as evenly as possible in the skillet and adjust the heat if necessary to prevent them from burning. When the bottoms have browned nicely, begin to toss them to brown the other sides. This can take up to 15 minutes or so.

When the potatoes are almost done, return the onions and bacon to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (if needed) and cook until everything is nice and hot.

Serve.

Königsberger Klopse; Meatballs with Caper Sauce

(4 servings)

These delicious meatballs are cooked in salted water or broth like dumplings, then served with a tangy gravy made from the broth they simmered in as well as lemon juice, egg yolk and capers. They contain anchovy paste or minced anchovies and I strongly urge you to use them even if you don't care for them. The anchovy adds a depth of flavour without making these meatballs taste "fishy", something extra salt can't duplicate.

Whenever my mum used to make Königsberger Klopse, she would tell us four or five times while she was making them how delicious they were. I think this was one of her favourite dishes. I'm not sure if my mum made these out of veal or beef or a combination of the two. I looked up the recipe in my German cookbook, Das neue große Kochbuch, and it says a mixture of ground meat, so I used beef and pork. I did look into the history of these and it appears initially they were made only from veal and later on cooks began to mix in or replace the veal entirely with less expensive types of meat. I think lamb would be interesting here and would probably shift this dish from German to Greek.

I decided to use my stand mixer to make the meatballs because I loved the way my Swedish Meatballs turned out using this method, but if you prefer, you can still combine everything with a large spoon or your hands.

This recipe is adapted from an out-of-print German cookbook; Das neue große Kochbuch by Roland Gööck ©1963.

Königsberger Klopse
3-4 slices of sourdough bread or a crusty roll (enough to make about 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs)
small handful fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
2 tbsp milk
1 strip bacon, finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 lb ground veal, beef, pork or a combination of any of these meats
1 large egg
1 large egg white (reserve the yolk for the sauce)
1 tbsp anchovy paste
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cups *beef broth (or salted water)

Sauce
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
reserved broth plus enough water to bring it to 2 cups
up to 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp capers
salt and freshly ground pepper, if needed


To serve
cooked rice or boiled potatoes

Tear up the bread or roll (enough to make about 1 1/2 cups) and place into the bowl of a food processor. Add the parsley and lemon zest. Pulse until you have bread crumbs.

Empty the mixture into the bowl of  stand mixer or a large bowl (if you are mixing the meatballs by hand). Sprinkle the milk over the breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Heat the bacon in a skillet. When it begins to render its fat, add the onions. Adjust the heat to prevent the onions from burning and saute them until they become translucent and begin to brown lightly. Remove them from heat.

To the herbed breadcrumbs and milk, add the ground meat, egg, anchovy paste, salt, pepper and onion mixture. Combine everything on medium speed using the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes, or mix everything with a spoon or your hands until the meatball mixture is smooth and evenly combined.

Heat up the broth in a saucepan. Pinch off a small piece of the meatball mixture and cook it in the broth until it's done, to check and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. I added a bit more salt and ground pepper to mine. Turn off the heat, and cover the pot with a lid while you form the meatballs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The meat mixture will be tacky, if you wet your hands the meatballs will be easier to form.

Turn on the heat and bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Add the meatballs (you might have to do this in batches) and simmer them for about 10 minutes or until done. Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside.

When the meatballs are cooked, strain the broth into a 2 cup measure. Add enough water to bring the amount to 2 cups. Set aside.

Melt the butter and add the flour in your saucepan, then mix until you have a smooth paste. Slowly add the strained broth, stirring or using a whisk until you have a smooth mixture. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about a minute.

Stir in a teaspoon of lemon juice at a time, to taste. I like my sauce lemony, so I end up adding the entire 2 tablespoons.

Whisk a small amount of the hot sauce into the egg yolk, then whisk in a few more spoonfuls of sauce, one at a time. Return the egg yolk mixture to the pot and stir for a few seconds. You want to heat it up, but not bring it to a boil otherwise the yolk might curdle the sauce. Lower the heat and stir in the capers and return the reserved meatballs.

When the meatballs have warmed up a bit, they will be ready to serve.

My mum usually served these with rice, but they can be served with boiled potatoes as well.

*Traditionally Königsberger Klopse are served with a "white" sauce which you won't get if you use beef broth. I'd rather use the broth instead of the salted water because I prefer the richer flavour.

Komteß-Kuchen; Orange Cake with Chocolate

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(one 4x8 cake)

Contrary to my usual approach to baking a cake, I increased both the amounts of sugar and butter!  My warped sense of logic decided it would be ok to increase those amounts if the actual cake size was smaller than usual, lol. However, l didn't use as much sugar as some bakers who use a ratio of 1 cup of sugar for every cup of flour in a recipe. The resulting pound cake was moist and buttery which I sectioned and brushed with a mixture of orange juice and Grand Marnier before enveloping it with a semi-sweet chocolate ganache.

This delicious German cake presents really well.  Its ganache filled layers are vertical instead of horizontal.

Pound cake
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
zest from 1 navel orange, minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream


To finish
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup Grand Marnier, or another orange liqueur
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips


Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for a minute or two on medium speed. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy; about 8 minutes.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and zest in another bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 4 x 8 inch loaf pan and set aside.

Slowly beat the eggs, one at a time into the butter and sugar mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions; about 15 seconds per egg. Beat in the sour cream; another 15 seconds.

Scrape down the sides and add the flour mixture. Beat very slowly until you have a nice thick batter; about 45-60 seconds.

Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove it and allow it to cool completely on a cake rack. My cake slid out nicely, but if it's sticking, run a knife around the edges and try again.

Combine the orange juice and Grand Marnier in a small bowl or glass. Set aside.

Cut the cake in half along it's length from the top, then cut each half in half again, see photo.

Brush one side of each slice of cake with the orange mixture. Try to divide the juice mixture evenly among the pieces and use all of it up. Leave the slices for about an hour to allow the liquid to soak into the cake.

Heat the cream  until bubbles begin to form along it's edges. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Continue to stir until smooth. If the chips don't melt completely you might have to heat the mixture a touch. The microwave oven works great for this, just power the oven for 5 seconds or so at a time, stirring the chocolate until it's completely melted.

Starting with one of the outer slices (a side), spread a layer of chocolate (evenly) over the (cut) surface and top with it with a slice of cake. Brush that slice with chocolate, and top it with the third slice. Brush that slice with chocolate and top it with the last (outer) slice, thus reassembling the cake in the process. I didn't illustrate it very well in my photo, but I brought the chocolate to the very edge for each layer.

Brush the remainder of the ganache over the top and sides of the cake. You can see I brushed the chocolate on as it was cooling and getting thicker, leaving ridges across the cake instead of a smooth surface. I could have warmed the ganache by heating it a touch, but I don't like working with runny ganache/glazes where a good portion often ends up on the counter.

Allow the chocolate to set completely before attempting to slice into it. I found it easier to cut into the cake the next day.

Flädlesuppe; Soup with Crepes

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(4 servings)

This simple German soup is a great way to use up leftover crepes from breakfast. I love recipes like this because more and more I'm reluctant to toss out food.

Zimtsterne

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(30-34 small cookies)

December is almost always a hectic month for me and I often end up buying a lot of my baked goods. Zimtsterne are among the items I look for when I head to the German deli. I didn't see any this year, and decided to take the plunge and make them myself. I will admit not only did they turn into a bit of a challenge, they didn't even look like the ones I was used to, but I loved the taste and texture of these cookies. They were so much better than any of the store bought versions I have purchased over the years!

These wonderful star-shaped, chewy cookies are gluten free, and "iced" with meringue. They contain ground almonds and cinnamon; Zimt = cinnamon, Sterne = stars.

This recipe is adapted from an old out-of-print German cookbook my mum gave me; Das neue große Kochbuch by Roland Gööck ©1963

Rouladen Filled with Bratwurst

(4 servings)

I was in the mood for rouladen but wanted to try something a bit different from the ones I usually make.

Whole Foods packaged their bratwurst as bulk this week. It's usually well seasoned and not too fatty, so I thought it would make an interesting filling for my rouladen.

I used a hot mustard instead of Dijon to provide a nice contrast to the sweet and sour sauce resulting from the red wine and chopped apple.

These rouladen turned out even better than I had hoped for and I'll definitely be making these again.

Daring Cooks Challenge July, 2011 - Käse Spätzle

(2 servings, as main course)

Steph from Stephfood was our Daring Cooks' July hostess.  Steph challenged us to make homemade noodles without the help of a motorized pasta machine.  She provided us with recipes for Spätzle and Fresh Egg Pasta as well as a few delicious sauces to pair our noodles with! 

I decided to make Spätzle, adapting the recipe we were given. 

Semmel Knödel; German Bread Dumplings

(about 10 small dumplings)

My mum sent me a wonderful German cookbook. One of the first things I checked out were the dumplings. I made some last year to go with my Rouladen, and failed miserably. They had fallen apart during the cooking and I wasn't sure why.

It appears I used too much milk, not enough eggs and no flour. I have made the necessary adjustments, and the dumplings turned out great this time around.


4 cups bread or rolls, torn apart or cubed
1/4-1/3 cup milk
1-2 slices of bacon, diced
1/2  large yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
a pinch of nutmeg
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour, give or take

Place the bread in a bowl and pour the milk evenly over it. Use less milk if the bread is fresh. Set aside.

Place the bacon in a skillet and fry until it's crispy. If there's too much fat, then remove some of it.

Add the onions and fry until they become translucent and change to an amber brown. Remove from the heat and cool.

Add the parsley, salt and pepper (to taste), nutmeg and eggs to the bread mixture. Add the cooled onions and bacon.
Combine the ingredients well. I find hands work best here.

Starting with about 2 tablespoons of flour.. work that in.. adding a bit more if necessary until the mixture feels like a sticky dough.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil.

Form about 10 small dumplings with wet hands and drop into the boiling water. Reduce the heat so the water simmers gently and cook for about 15 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through. They will usually begin to rise to the surface a few minutes before they are actually done.

Leftover dumplings are great sliced up and fried in a small amount of butter.

Kartoffelsalat; German Potato Salad

(4-6 servings)

I made this yesterday and served it warm with the schnitzel. There was a bit left which I had cold today and it was equally tasty.

This potato salad is a nice change from the version which uses mayonnaise.

2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
2 tsp butter
1 medium sweet onion, chopped ( about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup strong chicken broth
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tsp hot mustard
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are done; about 15-20 minutes. Let them cool a bit, then slice them into a bowl.

Melt the butter in a skillet and add the onion. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add the broth and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.

 German hot mustard

Stir in the vinegar and hot mustard. Pour over the potatoes. Add the chives, salt and pepper (to taste), then toss gently. I just lightly shake the bowl up and down and this keeps the potato slices from breaking up. The liquid will mostly absorb into the potatoes during the first few minutes.

Can be served warm or cold.

Frankfurter Kranz Torte

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(8-10 servings)

I asked my mother to make this for me when I was a child; for a birthday I think it was. I ate so much of it, I made myself sick and couldn't look at another one for many years. Recently I have been thinking about this cake again.

A Frankfurter Kranz is a circular lemon-scented cake (Kranz means wreath/garland/crown) with rum flavoured buttercream frosting, and Krokant (almond or hazelnut praline).

My mum emailed me the recipe for her version of buttercream made with pudding instead of the (heaven forbid!) 10 egg yolks or so the traditional buttercream recipes call for. She mentioned the trick to a smooth buttercream is covering the cooling pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and making sure all the ingredients are at the same temperature when it's time to combine them. After licking the spoon when I finished making the buttercream, I thought this was still a heart attack in the making. :p

This cake is usually made in a smooth tubular pan which I don't have, so I used a small 6 cup bundt pan instead. I also made a type of sour cream pound cake which I doubt is traditional, but it's a nice moist cake I like.

Buttercream
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/4 cups milk
3 tbsp rum

3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1 1/2 sticks


Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a saucepan. Whisk in the cornstarch and then add about 1/2 cup of the milk. Set over medium-low heat, and slowly whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk. Cook, whisking all the while until the mixture simmers and thickens.

Remove from heat and whisk in the rum. Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming as the pudding cools; smooth it across the surface with your hands to remove any air pockets.

Leave on the counter to cool. Leave the butter on the counter as well, so that both pudding and butter are at room temperature when it's time to finish making the buttercream.

Beat the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the pudding about 1/4 cup at a time until it's all finished.

* If for some reason your buttercream curdles, it's possible to save it. Place the buttercream into the microwave and heat for 15-25 sec. Stir until the buttercream is smooth. Allow it to cool completely before attempting to cover the cake or to pipe it.

Cake
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2  tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp lemon zest, finely minced

2 egg whites, room temperature (gives you more volume)
1/4 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups sour cream, regular

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter and flour a 6 cup tubular cake pan. Set aside

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and lemon zest. Mix well.

Beat the egg whites and and add the lemon juice when they begin to get frothy; continue beating until they look very fluffy and they hold their peaks (being very careful not to over beat) and set those aside.

In an electric mixer at medium-high speed beat the butter until softened and then slowly add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is nice and fluffy. Beat in the egg and then the sour cream.

Add about half of the flour mixture and stir until it's combined, then stir in the remaining flour mixture.

Fold in the reserved beaten egg whites. The cake dough will be on the thick side; not at all runny.

Spoon the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the cake is done.

Allow to cool completely.

Krokant
1 tbsp butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup slivered almonds or chopped hazelnuts

Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until it's dissolved and bubbles. Stir in the nuts and continue to stir a few more minutes.

Remove from heat and spread out on the cookie sheet.

When it's cooled, break it up into pieces and pulse those a few times in a food processor. Be careful not to reduce this to a powder. You just want rough bits. Alternately you could put the pieces into a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

glaze
1/4 cup cherry or raspberry jam, (something red)
1/4 cup rum

cherries for decoration

Heat the jam until it's runny and stir in the rum. Set aside.

To assemble the cake.

Split the cake into thirds (2 evenly spaced horizontal cuts). Brush the bottom layer with half the glaze and spread a layer of buttercream over that. Place the next layer of cake over that and brush with the remaining glaze. Spread buttercream over that and top with the final piece of cake.

Reserve about 1/2-2/3 cup of buttercream, and coat the cake evenly with the remaining buttercream. Sprinkle the Krokant evenly over the cake until it's completely covered.

Place the reserved buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, and decorate the top of the cake with little circles. Place a cherry in each circle.

Rouladen, German Beef Rolls

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(5-6 servings)

I have always loved these. There's different versions of this dish found throughout Germany, and they appear to be adaptations of a French dish.

This recipe is quite similar to my mother's. I think she might have also thrown a few juniper berries into the gravy (not very easy to find in Texas); I'll have to ask her about that.

I made braised red cabbage to go with these. Buttered egg noodles, dumplings or spaetzel go well with this too.

about 1.5 lbs of top or bottom round cut into thin slices.
2 - 3 tbsp German style (not the Bavarian sweet) mustard, Dijon works too
5-6 slices of bacon, cut in half
1/4 red or yellow onion sliced
about 4 small dill pickles, sliced
salt, freshly ground black pepper and paprika

2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup red wine
1.5 cups beef stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf , halved

1 tbsp flour
3 tbsp sour cream

Pound the meat with a meat hammer to flatten as much as possible without tearing.

Spread about a teaspoon of mustard over each piece of meat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Add the bacon, onion and pickle slices.

Roll up the beef slices and secure with kitchen string or wooden toothpicks.

Heat up the oil in a heavy saucepan or dutch oven. Add the beef rolls and fry until they are brown on all sides.

Arrange the rolls into a single layer and add the wine, beef stock, tomato paste and bay leaf. Cover and cook over low heat for about 1 1/2 -2 hours, (turning the meat over a few times) or until the beef is tender.

Transfer the rouladen to a plate.

Combine the flour and sour cream. Whisk in a few spoons of the hot liquid and, then whisk all of that back into the pot. Simmer for about 3 minutes until the gravy thickens.Check the seasoning and return the rouladen to the pot. Cook for a few more minutes until they heat through.

Traditionally, this is served with dumplings and braised red cabbage. They are also very good with egg noodles or spaetzel.

Rotkohl, German Braised Red Cabbage

(about 8 servings)

I'm not sure why I don't make this sweet and sour red cabbage dish more often. Aside from it being quite tasty, the colour is magnificent on a plate. I only make it when I make rouladen.

The bacon can be replaced with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I used it simply because I had some left over from the rouladen filling.

4 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 small head red cabbage (about 2 lbs), thinly sliced
1 cup red wine
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup red currant jelly
1 apple, cored and shredded
salt and pepper to taste

optional thickener
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water

Heat the bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat and cook until the bacon is crispy. Lower the heat a bit and add the onion. Saute until the onion becomes translucent. Add the cabbage and apple, and cook for a few more minutes until the cabbage begins to wilt.

Combine the red wine, vinegar and jelly, and pour over the cabbage mixture. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 1 1/4 - 2  hours until the cabbage has softened to where you like the texture. Season with salt and pepper.

If you like the texture crisp and the liquid hasn't completely absorbed into the cabbage, then combine the cornstarch and water and add that to the cabbage. Cook, stirring for a few minutes until the cornstarch thickens the liquid and coats the cabbage.

Remove from heat and serve.