Apfelstrudel (Apple Strudel)

A popular traditional pastry in Austria and other European countries for our tea-time today.  It is a sweet layered pastry with a filling which consists of apple slices, raisins, chopped almonds, etc. Other kinds of fruits may be used as filling i.e. pears.  Strudel dough is very elastic and must be thinly stretched until one can see through it. Tastes excellent when sprinkled with icing sugar and served warm with vanilla sauce.

Dough Ingredients:
300 g plain flour
4 tbsp cooking oil
a pinch of salt
150 ml warm water (straight from the tap)
1 tbsp cooking oil (extra)
plain flour (extra)

Filling Ingredients:
60 g chopped almonds, to be roasted in a pan without oil until golden brown
50 g raisins, to be soaked with 4 tbsp of rum (optional) or apple juice
zest & juice from one lemon
a pinch of salt
100 g castor sugar
60 g breadcrumbs
120 g butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 kg apples i.e. Elstar or Boskop

2 tsp icing sugar

Method:
Bring water to boil in a pot which is large enough to cover a plate.  Leave pot on stove.  When the hot pot is required, pour away the boiling water and wipe dry.

In a mixing bowl, add flour, 4 tbsp cooking oil, salt and warm water.  Mix all together with hand. Then, transfer dough to worktop and knead to a pliable dough by hand. Do not overknead dough for more than 8 minutes.  Form dough into a large ball and coat with extra oil.  Place dough onto a plate and cover with a hot pot.  Leave aside for about 30 minutes to an hour - the longer the better in order that the dough can be stretched out easily.

In a small saucepan, melt 50 g butter.  Then, add breadcrumbs and roast for a few minutes before adding 50 g castor sugar.  Mix well and leave to cool down completely.

Peel and cut apples into quarters, removing the cores as well.  Slice thinly (about 0.5 cm) and transfer to a bowl which contains lemon zest and juice.  Stir well each time apple slices are added in order that they do not turn change colour.  Then, add roasted breadcrumbs, soaked raisins, cinnamon powder, salt, roasted chopped almonds and remaining sugar.  Mix well and leave aside.

In a saucepan, melt balance 60 g butter over low heat.  Lay out two dishcloth over each other on worktop to a size of 60 cm x 60 cm.  Sprinkle flour over dishcloth. Place dough in the centre and by using a rolling pin, roll dough thinly as shown.

Hold dough with both hands and using the back of your hands, stretch dough to a size of 60 cm x 60 cm.  Then, cut away the thick edges.  Brush dough with half of melted butter.  As one can see from the picture below, the dough was thinly stretched.

Spread filling on the bottom section of dough as shown.  Once done, bring both sides of dough over the filling.

By using the dishcloth, start to roll over the filling i.e. like rolling a swiss roll as shown below.

Transfer to a baking tray which is lined with baking paper.  Remove excess flour by using a brush. Then, brush with remaining melted butter all over.

The picture below shows the actual size of the Strudel.

Bake in a preheated fan oven at a temperature of 180° C for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving with vanilla sauce.

Happy Baking!

Baguette Pudding

Using leftover baguette from our Muscheltopf dinner, I prepared this simple pudding for our tea-time. Normally, I add dried raisins in my Bread & Butter Pudding recipe but this time, I added dried cranberries for a sweet & sour taste.

Ingredients:
1 large baguette
some butter
100 g dried cranberries
3 large eggs
100 g castor sugar
300 ml fresh cream
300 ml fresh milk
1-2 tbsp brown sugar
a rectangular pyrex dish (30 cm x 20 cm)

Method:
Grease pyrex dish with butter and set aside.  Slice baguette thinly as shown.

Spread butter on both sides of baguette slices and arrange in the pyrex dish. Sprinkle dried cranberries on top.  Repeat procedure until baguette slices are used up.  In a bowl, lightly whisk eggs and castor sugar together.  Then, add both cream and milk. Mix well.

Pour half of custard mixture over baguette slices and leave aside for about 10 to 15 minutes.  In the meantime, preheat fan oven to a temperature of 160° C and boil enough water for a waterbath.

Pour remaining custard mixture over baguette slices and sprinkle with brown sugar. Place pyrex dish in a deep baking tray. Place baking tray in centre of oven and add boiling water into tray so that the pyrex dish is sitting in water. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cold as it is or served with vanilla sauce.

Happy Baking!

Kirsch-Schoko-Quark

This simple dessert was taught to our son in school this morning and he prepared them again this afternoon. He is very proud of his achievement and even insisted that I post up his dessert here.  Main ingredients are curd cheese, cherries, fresh cream and cherries.

Ingredients (serves 4):
500 g mager Quark (curd cheese)
100 g fresh cream
1 vanilla pod, to be cut into two and seeds scraped
3 tbsp cocoa
chocolate shavings
1 bottle (400 g) seedless cherries

4 dessert bowls

Method:

Pour cherries into a sieve over a bowl.  Throw the juice away and leave aside.

Whisk curd cheese, vanilla seeds and fresh cream together until well mixed.  Remove half of mixture to another bowl. Add cocoa to one bowl and mix well.

To each dessert bowl, add 1 heaped tablespoon of white cheese mixture and spread well.  Then, add 2 heaped tablespoon of cocoa mixture and spread well.  Arrange 4 cherries on top and then, add 1 heaped tablespoon of white cheese mixture and spread well.

Sprinkle chocolate shavings on top before topping it with a cherry.  Store in fridge before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Strawberry Tiramisu

Another Tiramisu version without using any eggs.  According to our friends, this dessert tastes better than strawberry ice cream.

Ingredients (for a 23 cm x 32 cm casserole dish):
750 g fresh or frozen strawberries
400 g sponge biscuits (one can also use Amarettini)
cold milk to soak sponge biscuits

1 1/2 pkts red or clear Tortenguss (glaze) or 1 tbsp cornflour
4 - 5 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp water

400 g fresh cream
2 pkts Sahnesteif (2 x 8 g whipping cream stabilizer)
1 pkt Vanillinzucker (8 g vanilla sugar)
500 g mascarpone
100 g yoghurt
40 g icing sugar

Method:
Clean, remove stalks and purée strawberries to a pulp.  In a saucepan, add Tortenguss, sugar and water.  Stir thoroughly until no lumps appear.  Then, add puréed strawberries and cook over medium heat.  Keep stirring and let mixture simmer lightly for about a minute.  Remove from heat.  Remove 3 tbsp of mixture and leave aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk fresh cream, Sahnesteif and Vanillinzucker together until stiff.  In another bowl, mix mascarpone, yoghurt and icing together.  Add whipped cream and mix well.

Soak the sponge biscuits in cold milk for about a minute.  Arrange sponge biscuits in a casserole dish.

Add half of puréed strawberries and spread evenly.  Then, add half of mascarpone cream and spread evenly.  Arrange another layer of soaked sponge biscuits, puréed strawberries and mascarpone cream.

Lastly, add teaspoonfuls of puréed strawberries all over and by using the spoon handle, make decorative designs.

Cover casserole dish and store in the fridge for at least 4 hours or better overnight before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Bread & Butter Pudding

Here is a simple and inexpensive way to use old white bread or toast.  It can be served hot or cold as it is or with vanilla sauce/custard or canned fruit and cream.

Ingredients:
7 - 9 slices of white bread or toast (depending on the size of your baking dish)
60 g butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup (250 ml capacity) sugar
3 cups fresh milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup raisins or sultanas
ground cinnamon (optional)

Method:
Butter each slice of bread and trim the crusts.  Then, cut into 4 triangles.  Arrange the triangles in 2 rows, butter side up, slightly overlapping each other in a buttered ovenproof dish (24 cm x 19 cm or 8 cup capacity).  Then, place another row of triangles on top in the opposite direction.  Sprinkle some raisins in between the bread slices as you go along.

In a bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla essence and milk together.  Pour half of custard mixture over the bread triangles and leave aside for about 10 minutes.  This is to ensure that the bread triangles are soaked through and will not "float" during baking.

Whisk remaining custard mixture again and pour over bread triangles.  If you wish, you may sprinkle ground cinnamon on top before baking.  Stand dish in a deep baking tray, with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of dish.  Bake uncovered in a moderately slow oven (160° C) for about 50 minutes or until custard is set.

Happy Baking!

Tiramisu

This Italian dessert is one of our favourites!  Most Tiramisu recipes use eggs but not in the following recipe.  It is equally delicious and suitable to be served to children.

Ingredients (for a 23 cm x 32 cm casserole dish):
750 g mascarpone
3 x 200 g packet/container fresh cream
6 tbsp sugar
1 - 2 packets sponge biscuits
1 mug Espresso
4 tbsp cocoa powder

Method:
In a bowl, mix together mascarpone, sugar and 200 g fresh cream until there are no lumps.  Whip the rest of the fresh cream until stiff.  Fold in the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture well.

Arrange enough sponge biscuit on the base of a casserole dish.  Sprinkle espresso over them, making sure that they are not too soaked through.  Sieve 2 tbsp cocoa powder over.  Then, add half of cream mixture and spread well.

Repeat procedure.  Store Tiramisu in the fridge for about 2 to 3 hours (it is better overnight).

Before serving, sieve cocoa powder over top of Tiramisu OR use a deep round cutter to cut through and sieve cocoa powder over top before serving (see photo above).

Tip:  One can also add Amarettini.  Crushed them into crumbs and sprinkle after the cocoa powder and before the cream mixture for each layer.  Before serving, sprinkle the Amarettini crumbs on top the sieved cocoa powder.

Bon Appetit!

Kartoffelrösti mit Apfelmus (Potato Pancake served with Apple Puree)

This delicacy is normally sold at christmas markets all over Germany during Advent.  I am preparing it today on our son's request because he is crazy of it!

Ingredients (serves 2 persons):
750 g waxy potatoes (festkochende)
salt to taste
fresh cream or fresh milk
oil or ghee

Method:

Scrub potatoes clean and leave unpeeled.  In a pot, add potatoes and enough water to slightly cover potatoes.  Add a little salt and bring to boil.  Then, put the lid on and reduce heat.  Cook potatoes for about 20 minutes or until tender.  Once done, drain the water away and leave potatoes overnight. It is important to prepare the potatoes a day before.

Peel and coarsely grate potatoes into a bowl.  Add salt to taste.

Heat some oil or ghee in a small pan (about 16 cm in diameter) over medium heat.  Add half of grated potatoes to pan.  By using a flat wooden ladle, gently press the potato pancake.  Sprinkle some cream or milk on top - by doing this, the inside of your pancake will be moist instead of dry. Once the underside is brown and crispy, turn pancake over by using a plate over the pan and slide it back into the pan.  Cook until the underside is brown and crispy.

Remove to a plate and prepare the second pancake as above.  Serve pancakes with apple puree.

Apfelmus (Apple Puree)

Ingredients:
4 big apples i.e. Cox Orange
juice from half a lemon
4 tbsp sugar

Method:
Wash apples thoroughly.  Cut into quarters and remove the "bottom roots".  Leave the skins and seeds intact - these contain Pectin which is needed to give the puree its form.

In a pot, add apples, lemon juice and sugar.  Cover pot and cook apples over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until they are soft.  Then, pass through a sieve into a bowl.  Leave aside to cool down completely.

Bon Appetit!