Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Lebkuchen (Spice Bars)

Ingredients:
Bars:
2 c. honey
5 ½ c. flour
¾ c. grated unblanched almonds
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. powdered cloves
¾ c. mixed candied fruits (orange, lemon and citron peel)
½ tsp. baking powder

Icing:
2 egg whites
1 ¼ c. confectioner's sugar, shifted
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:
Bars:
Heat honey until thin; do not boil. Mix in all other ingredients except icing. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth, adding a little flour if necessary. Roll with a floured rolling pin to ½" thickness. Grease and flour a baking sheet and lay rolled dough on it. Bake in pre-heated 350 degrees oven about 20 minutes. Spread with icing while hot; cool before cutting into rectangles.

Icing:

Whip egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks. Add sugar and lemon and juice and continue beating until thick and glossy. Spread on cake or cookies with a spatula.

Reisbrei (Rice Porridge)

Ingredients:
½ c. converted rice
1 quart milk
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. butter
¼ c. raisins, optional

Directions:
Cook rice in milk with salt and butter, very slowly until kernels are tender but have not lost their shape. If you have patience, do this in the top of a double broiler. It will take 1 ½ to 2 hours but will be worth it. The mixture should be very thick and can be stirred several times during cooking. When done, flavor with sugar, cinnamon and add raisins--if you are using them. This may be served hot or cold.

Glühwein (Hot Mulled Wine)

Ingredients: (serves 2-3 persons)

1 bottle of dry red wine (750 ml)
one lemon
2 sticks of cinnamon
3 cloves
3 tbsp. of sugar
some cardamom (or ginger)

Directions:
Heat the red wine in a pot (don't boil). Cut the lemon into slices and add to the wine. Then add the cinnamon, cloves, sugar and a little cardamom (to taste). Heat everything for about 5 minutes - do not boil - and let stand for about an hour. Before serving, reheat and strain. Serve in prewarmed glasses or mugs.

Pfeffernusse

Ingredients:

1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp. Pure Lemon Extract
1/2 tsp. Pure Anise Extract
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Ground Cloves
1 3/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour
confectioners' sugar
Directions

Place brown sugar and butter in large mixer bowl. Cream with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extracts. Add remaining ingredients, except confectioners sugar, to sifted flour and sift again. Gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into ovals and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes.
Remove from cookie sheets and place on wire racks. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar while cookies are still warm. When cookies are cool, store in airtight containers.

Honig Lebkuchen (Honey Gingerbread)

Ingredients:
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tbsp. brandy
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. warm honey
1 c. candied citron and orange peel, chopped fine
Juice and grated rind of one fresh lemon
2 tsp. cinnamon
7 c. flour
1 tsp. each ground ginger and cloves
2 c. ground blanched almonds or hazelnuts


Directions:

1. Stir the baking soda into the brandy.
2. The warmer the honey, the easier it is to work the dough, but if the honey is too hot you'll burn yourself, so be careful. Mix all the ingredients by hand, including the brandy-soda mixture, holding back about 2 cups of the flour. Gradually add the remaining flour until the dough is sticky but kneadable. Turn the dough out and knead in the remaining flour.
3. Allow the dough to sit in a warm place (65 to 75 degrees), covered with a dishtowel, for 3 days.
4. Roll out on a floured board, 1/4-inch thick or less, and cut into small (1-inch) squares or diamonds.
5. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and brush with a glaze made of one egg yolk mixed with two tablespoons of water. You can also decorate the tops with blanched almond halves or bits of candied fruit.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in tightly sealed metal tins.

Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Star Cookies)

Ingredients:

Cookies:

2 c. blanched whole almonds
2 c. confectioners sugar, sifted, plus more for rolling out
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Decoration (optional):

edible gold powder
vodka
soft artist's brush


Directions:

1. combine almonds and 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar in a food processor and process until nuts are very finely ground.

2. in a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. gradually add remaining 1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar, whipping until thick and creamy. Remove 1/4 cup meringue and set aside.

3. fold ground almond mixture, lemon zest, and cinnamon into larger portion of meringue. mixture will be stiff. allow to sit for 30 mins at room temp.
Preheat oven to 275. line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4. roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness on surface sprinkled with confectioners sugar. cut out small stars and place two inches apart on cookie sheets, brush with reserved meringue, taking care to cover entire surface evenly and not allow to drip down sides.

5. bake until bottoms are light golden brown, about 20 mins; meringue should remain white and be very dry. slide parchment on to racks to cool cookies completely.

6. to decorate lace small amount of gold powder in bowl add vodka a few drops at a time until a thick paint consistency is reached. paint the top edges of star with gold pain or paint entire meringue surface, allow to dry.

Berlinerkranzen

Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 c.) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar, sifted
the yolk from 1 large hard-boiled egg, sieved
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
2-3 tbsp. pearl sugar

Cream butter in mixer bowl for 30 seconds, then add powdered sugar and continue beating for 30 more seconds. Add cooked yolk, egg yolk and vanilla. Switch to paddle if using beaters and beat in flour, until well-incorporated. When completely combined, scrape off dough from paddle. Form dough into a circle and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour. (If chilling longer, take out of refrigerator an hour or so before you plan to work with the dough to make it easier to work with.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Divide dough equally into 36 pieces. Roll each piece into 6-inch-long ropes, then form into a ring, crossing and pressing them together an inch from the ends. Arrange 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake 18-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on sheet for 1 minute, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

Ingredients:

Cake:

6 large eggs
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract or essence
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 c. flour, sifted
Syrup:
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. water
2 tbsp. Kirsch
Filling:
1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar / icing sugar
1/3 c. unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp. Kirsch

Topping:

2 c. canned sour cherries, drained
2 tbsp. confectioners' / icing sugar
1 c. heavy cream, whipped
8 oz. semisweet chocolate


CAKE: Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla together until thick and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Alternately fold chocolate and flour into the egg mixture, ending with flour. Pour the batter into 3 8-inch cake pans that have been well greased and floured. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 5 minutes; turn out on racks to cool completely.

SYRUP: Make syrup by mixing together sugar and water and boiling for 5 minutes. When syrup has cooled, stir in kirsch. Prick the cake layers and pour syrup over all 3 layers.


FILLING: To make the butter-cream filling, beat together sugar and butter until well blended. Add egg yolk; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Fold in Kirsch.

CAKE ASSEMBLY: To assemble cake, place 1 layer on a cake plate. Spread with butter cream filling. Using 3/4 cup of the cherries, which have been patted dry, drop cherries evenly over cream. Place second layer on cake. Repeat. Place third layer on top. Fold 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar into the whipped cream. Cover the sides and top of the cake with whipped cream.

Decorate top of cake with remaining 1/2 cup cherries. To make chocolate curls from chocolate bar, shave (at room temperature) with a vegetable peeler. Refrigerate curls until ready to use. Press chocolate curls on sides of cake and sprinkle a few on the top. Chill until serving time.

Apfelpfannkuchen (Apple Pancakes)

Ingredients
Batter:
1 1/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. milk
1 extra large egg
1 tbsp. melted unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Apple Mixture:
3 medium-sized Golden Delicious or tart cooking apples (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 tbsp. sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbsp.n freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine
1/4 cup water

Topping:
2 tablespoons Vanilla Sugar or Vanilla 10X sugar


Directions
For the pancake batter: Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a small mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth in a 1-quart measure. Pour into the dry ingredients, and whisk until creamy. Cover and let stand while you prepare the apples.

For the apple mixture: Quarter each apple, then peel, core, and slice each quarter crosswise 1/8-inch thick, letting the slices fall into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar mixture and lemon juice and toss well. Melt the butter in a heavy 12-inch skillet over moderate heat, then let it foam up and subside. Add the apple mixture and saute 2 minutes, stirring often. Pour in the water, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat to moderate and boil, uncovered, shaking the skillet often, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, just until all juices boil away. Scoop the skillet mixture into a 1-quart measure and reserve.

Preheat the oven to 150 to 200 degrees F.

To cook the pancakes: Generously oil the bottom and sides of a well-seasoned 10-inch omelet pan or spray with nonstick vegetable cooking spray and set over moderate heat for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, pour in a scant 1/3 cup of the pancake batter, and tilt the pan first to 1 side, then to another, until the batter coats the bottom of the pan in a thin, even layer. Set the pan on a hot pad on the counter, then by hand, arrange 1/2 cup of the apple slices on top of the batter in the pan, distributing them as evenly as possible. Pour in another scant 1/3 cup batter, covering the apples as uniformly as possible. Tilt the pan gently to distribute the batter more evenly, if necessary.

Set the skillet over moderate heat and cook the pancake, uncovered for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, 2 minutes longer, until the pancake has dried around the edge and holes begin to appear on top. Spray a small, thin-bladed spatula with the cooking spray, carefully loosen the pancake around the edge, then shake the pan over the heat several times until the pancake moves freely. Quickly spray a large, flat round plate with the cooking spray and ease the pancake onto it right side up. Using potholders to protect your fingers, invert the omelet pan on the plate, then invert once again so the pancake is in the pan uncooked side down. Set over moderate heat and cook the pancake, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Slide onto a large round, ovenproof plate, cover with foil, and set in the warm oven. Cook the remaining pancakes the same way, recoating the skillet with cooking spray before each new pancake. As each new pancake finishes cooking, slide on top of the foil covered pancake, top with more foil and return to the warm oven. When ready to serve, slide each pancake onto a heated plate and dust with vanilla sugar.

Broiler method: Set the broiler rack 6 to 7 inches below the heating element and preheat the broiler. Follow the basic recipe, but be sure that the omelet pan or skillet you use has a flameproof handle. As soon as a pancake has browned 3 minutes in the skillet on top of the stove, transfer to the broiler and broil 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, until nicely tipped with brown. Carefully loosen the pancake around the edge with a spatula, ease right side up onto a large round plate, cover with foil, and keep warm. Cook the 3 remaining pancakes the same way. Dust with sugar and serve.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Mother's Apple Crisp...


Ingredients:

4 cup of Sliced Apples
1/3 cup All-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup butter or melted margarine
Salt as necessary

Directions:
Slice and peal apples
Put Sliced Apples in a baking pan and Sprinkle with lemon juice.
Combine all the dry ingredients with butter or melted margarine and mix with a fork until crumbly.
Sprinkle all this over apples and bake at 350 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

:) :)