Berliner (jelly-filled donuts)

This is a typical treat for Karneval (Mardi Gras) and Silvester (New Years Eve). But beware, if you buy a dozen Berliner one of them might be filled with mustard instead of jelly!

Ingredients:

For the yeast dough:

125 ml milk

100 g (3/4 stick) butter or margarine 

500 g all-purpose wheat flour 

1 package dry yeast

30 g sugar

1 package vanilla sugar or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon rum or 1/4 teaspoon rum extract 

1 leveled teaspoon salt 

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

3 quarts of vegetable oil for frying 

A pot for frying 

For the filling:

300 g jam

For the glaze:

100 g powdered sugar

2 tablespoons eggnogg 

Preparation:

1. Heat milk in a small pot, dissolve butter or margarine in milk.

2. Mix flour and dry yeast in a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients for the dough including the milk-butter mixture. Using the knead hooks of an electric hand mixer whisk until a smooth dough has formed. Cover the bowl with the dough and let the yeast rise until the dough has visibly increased in size.

3. Dust dough with some flour, then briefly knead dough with hands. Roll dough out until about 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick. Using a round cookie cutter or a glass with a diameter of 7 cm (2.5 inches) for normal sized or 5 cm (2 inches) for bite-sized Berliner cut out round dough pieces.

4. Let dough pieces rise again: dust a towel with some flour, put the dough piece on floure surface, dust with flour, cover with a second towel. When dough has visibly increased in size, Berliner are ready to be fried.

5. Heat frying oil in a pot. To test whether the oil is hot enough put the end of a wooden cooking spoon into the oil. If the oil is hot bubbles will form around the end of the spoon. You can also use a thermometer to check that the temperature is 175 Celsius (350 F).

6. Fry dough from both sides until golden. It takes less than 2 minutes for each side. Remove Berliner from oil, put on paper towels to drain excess oil. Let cool down

7. Squeeze jam through a fine mesh to remove any chunks or pits. Using a piping bag with a long and narrow extension punch a hole into the side of the Berliner (if done correctly they have a lighter colored rim around the middle through which it is filled) squeeze a little jam into the middle of each Berliner.

8. Mix powdered sugar and eggnogg. Glaze each Berliner on top. Let glaze dry before serving.

Comments:

1. I like to prepare my yeast doughs the night before and let them slowly rise overnight. When you get up in the morning the dough is ready for the next step.

2. There are many variations on the glaze: You can dip the Berliner into regular sugar when they are still hot, you can prepare an alcohol-free glaze using water or lemon juice, and you can add food coloring to the glaze. Instead of using eggnogg with alcohol you can prepare the glaze with whiskey or bourbon. Decorate the Berliner with colored sprinkles or chocolate shavings. Be creative and have fun!

3. I used raspberry jam for the filling, but you can use any kind of jam. Strawberry and mixed fruits work well, but even plum jam or apple sauce can be used. Every variation will turn the rather boring basic dough into a new experience for your tastebuds!

Raisin Snail Buns

This is a very traditional baked goodie found in every German bakery. I remember having them for our afternoon coffee when my dad came home from work.

Ingredients:

Baking sheet 

Parchment paper 

For the yeast dough:

125 ml milk

100 g (3/4 stick) butter or margarine

500 g all-purpose flour

1 package dry yeast

50 g sugar

1 package vanilla sugar or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 eggs

For the filling:

125 g raisins

Rum

100 g marzipan (optional)

For the topping:

4 tablespoons apricot jam 

2 tablespoons water

100 g (1 cup) powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice 

Preparation:

1. A day ahead, cover raisins with rum. Soak them until the dough is ready.

2. Cut or grate marzipan. Heat milk in a small pot, dissolve butter or margarine in milk.

3. Mix flour and dry yeast in a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients for the dough including the milk-butter mixture. Using the knead hooks of an electric hand mixer whisk until a smooth dough has formed. Cover the bowl with the dough and let the yeast rise until the dough has visibly increased in size.

4. Drain raisins. Roll out the yeast dough to a rectangle about 60x40 cm (24x16 inches). Spread raisins and grated marzipan over dough. Starting from the long edge roll the dough up. Cut slices of about 2 cm (1/2-3/4) inches wide. Put the slices on parchment paper. Cover the slices with a towel and let buns rise again until increased in size.

5. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F). Bake yeast buns for about 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F). 

6. In the meantime prepare the topping: Squeeze apricot jam through a fine mesh. Add water to jam and heat until a syrup has formed.

7. Remove buns from oven. Glaze the hot buns with the apricot syrup. Let buns cool down.

8. Mix powdered sugar with lemon juice. Whisk with a fork until smooth and no clumps of powdered sugar remain. Using a fork drizzle some of the powdered sugar mix onto the glazed buns. 

Comments: 

1. I used more raisins, too much, bakeries have become quite stingy, but if you like raisins you can use more for the filling.

2. I prefer to prepare my yeast dough the night before, then let it slowly rise overnight. The next day you can immediately roll it out, fill it, make the buns, and let those rise again. Giving the yeast a long time to rise makes the dough light and fluffy.

Peach Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

A deep baking dish (40x30 cm or 9x13 inches)

Some grease

For the cake batter:

100 g semisweet chocolate

250 g (2 sticks) butter or margarine 

100 g sugar

6 egg yolks

300 g all-purpose wheat flour

3 leveled teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder 

6 egg yolks

For the topping:

2 cans peaches

Some powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. Chop the chocolate into pieces. Drain the peaches. Grease the baking dish. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350F).

2. Using an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add sugar and whisk until sugar has dissolved (no crunchy noise).

3. Separate eggs. Add one egg yolk at a time to the batter and whisk for 1/2 minute per egg. Mix flour and baking powder, sift, and add in three portions to batter. Add chocolate and cocoa powder to batter.

4. Whisk eggs until fully stiff. Fold stiff egg whites under batter. Pout batter into greased baking dish, level batter. Put peaches on top of batter.

5. Bake cake at 180 degrees Celsius (350F) for about 40 minutes.

6. Remove cake from oven, let cool down. Dust with powdered sugar prior to serving.

Comments:

1. In the original recipe the chocolate is melted, then stirred into the batter. No cocoa is added in the original recipe, but I wanted to enhance the chocolate flavor without adding more sweetness.

2. I used sliced peaches because I had them in my pantry. If you use peach halves it makes the cake look really pretty.

3. You can also use fresh peaches when they are in season: Put peaches for a couple of minutes into hot, but not boiling water, then cool down with cold water. Now the peaches can be easily skinned, cut in half and pitted. Now they are ready to be used.