Rahmkuchen (Cream Cheese Cake)

A cream cheese cake which is normally sold in bakeries all over Germany.  The filling is made up of Quark, fresh cream, Schmand, eggs, sugar and Sahne (cream) pudding powder.  Recipe courtesy of my sister-in-law.

Crust Ingredients:

200g flour

100g sugar

100g butter

1 egg

Filling Ingredients:
250 g Quark (if outside Germany, ask for 20% fat in any german supermarkets)
2 cups (200 g each) Schmand (available in any german supermarkets or can be substituted with Crème Fraîche)
2 eggs
180 g sugar
200 g fresh cream
1 pkt (37 g) Sahne (cream) pudding powder

Method:
Knead all the crust ingredients together and form into dough on flat surface.  Line a lightly buttered 26 cm diameter cake tin (with loose bottom) with dough with the edges halfway up the sides.  Place cake tin on cold oven rack.

In a bowl, add all filling ingredients and whisk until smooth with no lumps.

Pour into cake tin and get rid of bubbles by using a scraper.

Bake in a preheated fan oven at 160° C for about 55 minutes.  If the filling starts to rise, open the oven door and place a wooden spoon in-between the door and the oven. This is to ensure that the filling does not crack.  Once done, remove from oven and leave to cool down completely before removing cake from cake tin.

Bon Appetit!

Obatzda

A typical bavarian cheese cream which is served in the Biergarten (literally translated as beer garden) all over in Bavaria, Germany.  Also known as Obatzter or Obazda, it is a mixture of different types of cheese and butter, seasoned with sweet paprika, salt and ground black pepper.  Best eaten with Brezel (pretzel) or Laugengebäck.

Ingredients (serves 4):
200 g Brie cheese, remove rind and cut into pieces
100 g Camembert cheese, remove rind and cut into pieces
100 g Philadelphia cream cheese
1 large onion, to be peeled and grated
salt and ground pepper to taste
1 tsp sweet paprika powder
chopped chives for garnishing

Method:
In a bowl, add the 3 types of cheese and mash them by using a fork.

Then, add grated onion and sweet paprika powder.  Season with salt and ground pepper to taste.

Leave aside for a minimum period of 30 minutes in order that the flavour is infused. Sprinkle a little sweet paprika powder and chopped chives before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Easy-to-make Satay

This recipe does not involve any use of skewers or barbecuing.  One can use beef, mutton or chicken meat but this time, I used chicken liver and gizzards to satisfy my cravings.  This dish can be eaten with rice or with its normal accompaniments i.e. cut cucumber, onion and ketupats (boiled rice cakes) and peanut gravy.  I have a bag of peanut gravy in the freezer which only needs some warming up and I boiled a few instant ketupats to complete the meal.  I also added a few slices of fresh mango to the plate.

Ingredients (serves 4):
250 g chicken gizzards
250 g chicken liver
cooking oil
salt & sugar to taste

Blended Ingredients:
8-10 stalks dried chillies, to be cut into pieces and soaked in warm water
1 tbsp coriander seeds (ketumbar biji, to be soaked in warm water
1 tsp cumin seeds (jintan putih), to be soaked in warm water
1 tsp aniseed (jintan manis), to be soaked in warm water
1 pce lemon grass, to be sliced
4 slices of galangal (lengkuas), to be peeled and sliced
fresh turmeric (the size of an almond), to be peeled and sliced

2 tbsp castor sugar
salt to taste

Method:
Wash and pat dry chicken gizzards and liver.  Cut into bite pieces.  Add sugar and salt to blended ingredients and marinate them for about an hour.

Heat about 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a pan over medium/high heat.  Add chicken gizzard pieces and stir-fry until changes colour.  Put on the lid and reduce heat to medium and cook for about half an hour or until tender.

Then, add chicken liver and stir-fry until all are cooked and dry.  Check seasoning:  add salt and sugar to taste.

Before serving, place dish under the oven grill so that the gizzard/liver are browned a little (optional). Serve with cut cucumbers, onion wedges and ketupats.

Boiled ketupats (rice cakes)

Bon Appetit!

Mandarin-Orange Cheesecake

A typical german cheesecake using Magerquark which is available in any german supermarket.  The ingredients is similar to my Cheesecake recipe but this time, I added canned mandarin oranges which is our younger son's favourite.

Ingredients:
Crust Ingredients:

200g flour

100g sugar

100g butter

1 egg

Filling Ingredients:

500g Magerquark (available from german supermarkets outside Europe - ask for Quark 20% fat)

150g sugar

1 egg (whole)

2 egg yolks

½ cup cooking oil

1 packet pudding powder (vanilla flavour)

½ litre milk

2 small cans mandarin oranges, to be drained

Method:

Knead all the crust ingredients together and form into dough on flat surface.  Wrap in cling wrap and store in fridge for about 30 minutes.  Line a lightly buttered 26 cm diameter cake tin (with loose bottom) with dough with the edges halfway up the sides. Arrange mandarin oranges on dough.

Preheat fan oven to a temperature of 160° C.  Mix all filling ingredients together except the milk.  Lastly, add the milk so that the fluid consistency is reached.  Do not cook the filling.

Pour half of filling into cake tin which is placed on cold oven rack.  Return to oven and pour the remaining filling and mandarin oranges.  This is to avoid spillage while transporting the cake tin to the oven.  Bake for about 60 minutes.

Once done, remove cake tin from oven and leave to cool down completely before removing cheesecake.  This is how a cross-section of the cheesecake looks like:

Bon Appetit!

Calamari Pasta

A simple pasta dish for a lazy Sunday evening.  The preparation took me not more than half an hour and this dish is perfect for those who prefer quick meals.  Hubby added some dried chillie flakes to his plate for that extra umph!

Ingredients (serves 4):
500 g calamari rings (fresh or frozen - to be thawed)
5 pcs dried tomatoes, to be finely cubed
4 pips garlic, to be peeled
200 ml fresh cream
salt & pepper to taste
3 tbsp cooking oil

300 g dried pasta - I used flat noodles

Method:
Wash and pat dry calamari rings.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook pasta according to packet instructions.  Once cooked, drain and set aside.

In a medium pot, heat oil and stir-fry calamari rings until they change colour.  Add in freshly pressed (minced) garlic and stir-fry for a minute or two.  Then, add in cubed dried tomatoes and stir-fry for about two minutes.  Lastly add in the cream and check seasoning.

Add cooked noodles to pot and mix well.

Serve immediately.  If you wish, sprinkle some dried chillie flakes on top.

Bon Appetit!