Category: Germany

Soft Pretzel

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 Soft Pretzel
These are so good! I have an addiction to soft pretzels, and these are really simple to make and turn out so well. Have with some warm nacho cheese sauce, and you're in comfort food nirvana.
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Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine German
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 10 minutes
Servings
pretzels
Ingredients
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine German
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 10 minutes
Servings
pretzels
Ingredients
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Whisk the yeast into warm water. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Whisk in salt, brown sugar, and melted butter. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon (or dough hook attached to stand mixer) until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger – if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
  2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for 3 minutes and shape into a ball. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. (Meanwhile, I like to get the water + baking soda boiling as instructed in step 6.)
  3. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Silicone baking mats are highly recommended over parchment paper. If using parchment paper, lightly spray with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
  4. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 1/3 cup sections.
  5. Roll the dough into a 20-22 inch rope. Form a circle with the dough by bringing the two ends together at the top of the circle. Twist the ends together. Bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them down to form a pretzel shape.
  6. Bring baking soda and 9 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Drop 1-2 pretzels into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Any more than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels. If desired, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked pretzels for up to 24 hours before baking in step 7.
  7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
  8. Remove from the oven and serve warm with spicy nacho cheese sauce.
  9. Cover and store leftover pretzels at room temperature for up to 3 days. They lose a little softness over time. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds or bake in a 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked and cooled pretzels freeze well up to 2-3 months. To reheat, bake frozen pretzels at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes or until warmed through or microwave frozen pretzels until warm. The prepared pretzel dough can be refrigerated for up to one day or frozen in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight. Refrigerated dough can be shaped into pretzels while still cold, but allow some extra time, about 1 hour, for the pretzels to puff up before the baking soda bath and baking. Baking Soda Bath (Step 6): The baking soda bath is strongly recommended because it helps create that chewy texture and distinctive pretzel flavor. If skipping, brush the shaped and unbaked pretzels with a mixture of 1 beaten egg + 1 Tablespoon of dairy or nondairy milk. This is known as an egg wash. Sprinkle the brushed pretzels with salt. The egg wash will help the salt stick. If you don’t have an egg, simply brush with 2 Tablespoons of dairy or nondairy milk. Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels: Skip the coarse salt topping (and skip the egg wash, see note above, if you aren’t doing the baking soda bath step). Bake as directed in step 7. Meanwhile, melt 4 Tablespoons (60g) of unsalted or salted butter (your choice). Brush the baked and warm pretzels with melted butter then dip the tops into a mix of cinnamon and sugar. I usually use 3/4 cup (150g) of granulated sugar and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Cinnamon sugar pretzels are best served that day because due to the melted butter topping, they become soggy after a few hours.

Original recipe:  Sally's Baking Addiction

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Nutrition Facts
Soft Pretzel
Amount Per Serving
Calories 276 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 2630mg 110%
Potassium 105mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 59g 20%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 1g
Protein 8g 16%
Iron 16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bienenstich – Bee Sting Cake

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 Bienenstich - Bee Sting Cake
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Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Servings
servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. PASTRY CREAM:
  2. In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks together. (Don’t let the mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.) Sift the flour and cornstarch (corn flour) together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste.
  3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the milk just to boiling (just until milk starts to foam up.)
  4. Remove from heat and add slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (If you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer.)
  5. Then pour the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, whisk mixture constantly for another 30 – 60 seconds until it becomes thick.
  6. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the liqueur (if using) and vanilla extract. Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cool to room temperature. If not using right away refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days. Whisk or stir before using to get rid of any lumps that may have formed.
  7. Makes about 1 cup
  8. BRIOCHE DOUGH:
  9. In a small saucepan (or a small cup if you want to use the microwave), combine milk and 1 tablespoon honey and heat until it registers between 110 degrees F to 115 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Pour the mixture into bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle over yeast. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes, until yeast is creamy/foamy.
  10. Transfer bowl to mixer stand and attach paddle (or hook) attachment. While mixing at low speed, gradually add eggs, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt, and mix until blended.
  11. Gradually add all but 2 tablespoons of bread flour. Mix at medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Dough should not stick to sides of bowl; if it does, add some of all of remaining 2 tablespoons of bread flour until dough cleans sides of bowl.
  12. Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing at medium speed until it is blended into dough. (Dough will be very soft.) Transfer dough to a work surface and knead by hand a few times to ensure that butter is completely incorporated into dough. Shape dough into a ball and transfer it to a medium buttered bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until it has doubled in volume.
  13. Punch dough down to deflate it, and knead it a few times. Return dough to bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or up to 12 hours). Dough should have doubled in volume. If it hasn't, let it stand at room temperature until it has. (NOTE: I made the dough the night before.)
  14. Butter bottom and sides of a 9” spring-form pan. Shape dough into a ball and arrange it, smooth side up, in center of pan. Flatten ball gently with your palm until it covers bottom of pan. Cover pan and let dough rise until it is puffed, about 1 hour.
  15. HONEY-ALMOND TOPPING:
  16. Combine the butter, sugar, honey, and salt, and bring to a gentle boil on the stovetop.
  17. Remove from the heat, and stir in the almonds. Evenly pour over the dough and place the pan on a parchment (or foil) covered baking sheet.
  18. Position a rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F about 22-25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
  19. Place on a cooling rack, and allow to cool four 10 minutes. Remove from the Springform Pan and allow to cool completely.
  20. ASSEMBLY:
  21. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half. I place the cake on a rotating cake stand, and being by rotating the cake and creating a cut line midway through the cake. Continue rotating, allowing the knife to cut deeper until the cake is completely sliced in half.
  22. Spread the pastry cream, leaving a narrow edge. Gently replace the top layer of the cake. Serve with coffee or tea.
Recipe Notes

RECIPE NOTES NOTE: I make the pastry cream and prepare the dough a day of ahead of time.

You can use vanilla bean rather than vanilla extract for the custard, just put the bean in the milk to bring it to almost a boil.  Then, scrape out seeds, and add the seeds into the egg mixture. (The vanilla bean can be washed and dried and placed in your sugar bowl to give the sugar a vanilla flavor.)

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Nutrition Facts
Bienenstich - Bee Sting Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 378 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 118mg 39%
Sodium 156mg 7%
Potassium 85mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 48g 16%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 20g
Protein 8g 16%
Vitamin A 11%
Calcium 6%
Iron 10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Mutti’s German Potato Dumplings

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 Mutti's German Potato Dumplings
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Course Side Dish
Cuisine German
Servings
dumplilngs
Ingredients
Course Side Dish
Cuisine German
Servings
dumplilngs
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Cook the potatoes in their skins the day before or early in the day. Cool slightly and peel. Rice the potatoes (or mash if you don't have a ricer). Let them become totally cold, cover, and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
  2. Make croutons by cutting bread into cubes.
  3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and fry, stirring frequently, until nicely browned on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  4. Mix into potatoes, 1 cup cornstarch, eggs and salt to make a dough that holds together when formed into dumplings. If the mixture is too moist, add a bit more cornstarch.
  5. Form 12 - 14 dumplings, approximately 2 inches in diameter, adding a few croutons to the middle of each dumpling.
  6. Drop gently into pot of boiling, salted water. Simmer gently, uncovered, about 15 - 20 minutes.
  7. Remove with slotted spoon and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

https://www.quick-german-recipes.com/german-potato-dumplings.html

  • To keep the dumplings from sticking to your hands when you are forming them, you can either wet your hands with water, or dust your hands with flour. Either way works.
  • Test cook one dumpling to make sure it stays together, before you cook the rest. If it doesn't, you'll need to add a bit extra flour or liquid, depending on how sticky or dry your 'dough'
  • I don't really get the croutons in the center, but aside from that they were pretty good!  But I think next time we'll try something different in the center.
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Nutrition Facts
Mutti's German Potato Dumplings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 217 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.3g
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 220mg 9%
Potassium 365mg 10%
Total Carbohydrates 43g 14%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 1g
Protein 4g 8%
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 27%
Calcium 3%
Iron 5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

German Potato Salad

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 German Potato Salad
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Course Side Dish
Cuisine German
Servings
Ingredients
Course Side Dish
Cuisine German
Servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Place the potatoes in a medium-size pot and cover them with enough water to extend 2 inches above the surface of the potatoes. Salt the water and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and slice into 1/4-inch rounds.
  2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once crisp, place on a paper towel-lined plate and crumble into small pieces. Pour off the rendered fat, reserving 1/4 cup in the pan. Turn the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook until translucent and just beginning to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk in the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt and stir until thick and bubbly. Add the sliced, cooked potatoes and toss to coat. Top with the crumbled bacon and garnish with the chives. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes

Recipe courtesy of Mary Nolan

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Venison Sauerbraten

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 Venison Sauerbraten Recipe
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
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Instructions
  1. Bring marinade ingredients to a boil and turn off the heat. Allow to cool. Submerge the venison in the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours, and up to 5 days. Three days is a good length of time. When you are ready to cook, take the roast out of the marinade and salt it well. Set it aside for 15-20 minutes or so.
  2. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Actually, 225 is a better temperature, but the roast can take up to 8 hours to properly cook then; this is what I do at home on weekends. At 275 degrees, the roast will probably take about 5 hours to cook. You can go up to 300 degrees – a typical venison roast will be ready in 3 1/2 hours at this temperature – but you will get gray, not pink, meat. It will still taste good, though.
  3. Now you have an optional step: You can, if you choose, brown the venison in butter or oil. I chose not to because if you then simmer the venison at a low enough temperature, it will remain pink all the way through. If you brown the outside, you will get a gray ring around the edge of the venison when you cut into it. Either way is fine.
  4. Pour the marinade into a pot and bring it to a boil. Pour it into a Dutch oven or other lidded pot and place the venison inside. Cover and put in the oven. If the venison is not submerged by the marinade, turn the roast over every hour. This is also a good way to test for doneness – you want the roast to almost be falling apart. When the roast is done, take it out of the pot and coat it with some of the 1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter. Reserve the rest of the oil or butter for later. Wrap it in foil.
  5. Now you make the sauerbraten sauce – and sauerbraten is all about the sauce. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. Take the 8 ginger snap cookies and pulverize them in a blender. You want it to look like a rough meal or coarse flour.
  6. In a medium-sized pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. When it is frothing and totally melted, whisk in 2 tablespoons flour. Cook until it is the color of coffee-and-cream, stirring often. Slowly whisk in the cooking liquid, one cup at a time. The mixture will turn to clay at first, then loosen into a silky sauce. Taste for salt – it will probably need it – and add enough to your taste.
  7. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of the pulverized ginger snaps. They will not dissolve completely at first, but keep stirring and they will disappear. Taste the sauce. Add another tablespoon of ginger snaps if you want, or add a tablespoon of sugar. The sauce should taste sour, warm (a pumpkin pie sort of spicy warm) and a little zippy and sweet.
  8. To serve, slice the roast into 1/4 inch thick slices. Venison can be dry – it has zero fat – so one trick I do is to coat each slice in melted butter before I serve it. You’ll need about 1/2 stick melted to do this trick. Serve with lots of sauce, some braised onions, and either mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or spaetzle. A hearty red wine would be an ideal match here, as would a dark, malty beer.
Recipe Notes

You can of course use beef for this recipe; brisket or a chuck roast would be good, and you could also use London broil or tri-tip.

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