Poppyseed-Yeast Bread (Mohnstriezel)

This yeast bread is filled with poppy seeds and is a very traditional German baked good. One can frequently find it in bakeries where it is sold in slices.

Ingredients:

Baking sheet

Parchment paper

Yeast dough:

200 ml milk or water

50 g butter or margarine

500 g wheat flour

1 package dry yeast

75 g sugar (50 g when milk is used)

1 package vanilla sugar or some vanilla aroma

Some extra flour for kneading

Filling:

300 g poppy seeds

400 ml milk

1 package vanilla pudding powder or JELL-O cook and serve

100 ml milk

2 eggs

75 g sugar (no sugar needed when JELL-O is used because JELL-O already contains sugar)

75 g cornflakes (or Zwieback)

Crumble:

100 g wheat flour

75 g sliced almonds

75 g sugar

75 g soft butter

Glaze:

4 tablespoons apricot jam

1 tablespoon water

100 g powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoons water

Preparation:

1. Heat up water or milk in a stovetop pot or in the microwave until lukewarm. Melt butter or margarine in warm liquid.

2. Add flour to a medium sized bowl, and mix with dry yeast. Add remaining ingredients including the warm liquid and with the knead hooks of an electric hand mixer mix dough until a soft dough has formed (about 5 minutes). Cover dough and let rise in a warm place until about doubled in size.

3. Prepare the filling: Bring poppy seeds and 400 ml milk to a boil in a stovetop pot. Remove pot from heat and let sit for 10 minutes to soften poppy seeds. Mix 100 ml milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla pudding powder, add to poppy seeds and while stirring bring to a brief boil, then remove from heat and cool down. Add cornflakes or Zwieback to a plastic bag, seal the bag and crush into small pieces with a rolling pin. Stir crushed cornflakes or Zwieback under poppy seeds.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F).

5. Sprinkle some flour on yeast dough, and knead thoroughly on a floured surface. Roll dough out flat to a rectangle of about 40 x 30 cm (15 x 12 inches).

6. Spread poppy seed mixture onto dough leaving 1 cm or 1/2 inch of the edge free. Starting from the longer side roll dough up. Don't roll it too tight! Put rolled up dough with the facing up onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

7. Prepare crumble: Add flour, sugar, almonds and soft butter to a bowl. Using an electric hand mixer mix until crumbles of desired size have formed.

8. Coat surface of yeast bread with some water, then cover with crumbles, slightly pushing the crumbles into the yeast dough to make them stick.

9. Let yeast bread rise at a warm place until its size has significantly increased, then bake yeast bread at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) for about 1 hour.

10. Apricot glaze: Push apricot jam through a fine mesh, mix in water and coat the yeast bread immediately after removing it from the oven. Let bread cool. Mix powdered sugar and water until a thick liquid has formed, and sprinkle over bread.

Comments:

1. This yeast bread is a great breakfast or afternoon treat. This recipe is enough for one very large or two smaller loafs. It freezes well, and when reheated in a toaster oven it tastes as it had been prepared just minutes ago.

Gluten-free Almond Cake

Ingredients

Springform 26 cm or 10 inches in diameter

Parchment paper

Some grease

Batter:

6 eggs

500 g almond flour (1 pound)

250 g sugar (225 g)

A pinch of salt

Zest of one lemon

Decoration:

2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius (300 F). Grease bottom and edges of springform. Line springform with parchment paper.

2. Using an electric hand mixer beat eggs until very fluffy. Add sugar and keep beating until sugar is completely dissolved and batter starts to stiffen.

3. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Lastly, in three portions stir almonds into batter. Pour batter into springform and bake at 150 degrees Celsius (300 F) for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

4. Remove cake from oven, let cool for about 10 min, the remove springform edge. Turn cake upside down on a wire rack, remove parchment paper from bottom. Flip cake back, let fully cool down.

5. Before serving, sift powdered sugar on top of cake.

Comments:

1. For some extra almond taste I added one tablespoon Amaretto.

2. Because this cake doesn't contain any baking powder, it is fairly dense inside. Thus, next time I would separate the eggs, beat the egg whites stiff, prepare the cake as described with the egg yolks only, and fold the stiff egg whites at the end under the prepared cake. This should help to make this cake a little more fluffy.

Custard Snail Buns (Puddingschnecken)

As I recently learned these buns are not called Custard Snail Buns, even though this is close to their German name, but rather Custard Chelsea Buns. They are related to Cinnamon Buns, but are filled with raisins and custard and lack the frosting of the cinnamon buns. These types of buns start with a yeast dough that is rolled out flat, filled and then rolled together into a long tube. The rolled in dough forms a snail shell pattern inside, which is made visible when the long tube is sliced, and the slices are placed flat on a baking sheet.

Ingredients:

Parchment paper

For the yeast dough:

125 ml milk

50 g butter or margarine

500 g flour

1 package dry yeast

50 g sugar

2 eggs

For the custard:

2 packages vanilla pudding powder

750 ml milk

80 g sugar

100 g raisins

For the glaze:

4 tablespoons apricot jam

2 tablespoons water

Preparation:

1. Heat milk in a stovetop pot or in the microwave until warm, not hot. Dissolve butter or margarine in warm milk.

2. Mix flour and dry yeast in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients for the yeast dough and warm milk-fat mixture. Using an electric hand mixer (knead hooks) mix until a smooth dough has formed. Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

3. Prepare the filling: Add sugar and vanilla pudding powder to milk and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 min, then pour into a bowl. To prevent any milk skin from forming cover the custard with plastic wrap, but making sure the plastic wrap is directly on top and touching the custard. Let cool down to room temperature, then stir in raisins.

4. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F).

5. Sprinkle flour on yeast dough, remove from bowl, and briefly knead on a flour-covered surface. Roll dough out to a rectangle of 60 cm x 40 cm (24 inches x 15 inches). If necessary or easier, divide dough in half before rolling to to a rectangle half the size.

6. Spread custard on dough. Starting from the longer end form a roll with the dough. This will make the snail pattern. Cut 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick slices and put these slices on the baking sheet covered with parchment paper or additional parchment paper. Leave enough space between the slices.

7. Let slices rise at a warm place until visibly increased in size, them bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) for about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, spread apricot jam through a fine mesh, then mix with water, and heat until volume starts to reduce. Spread glaze over hot buns and let buns fully cool down.

Comments:

1. Custard Filling: For this recipe I actually used German Vanilla Pudding powder. Each package usually calls for 500 ml milk each, but to make a stiffer custard I only used 3/4 liter milk. In exchange for German Vanilla Pudding powder you can also use vanilla-flavored Cook and Serve JELLO, but make sure to reduce the amount of milk. However, because JELLO is already sweetened I would recommend to leave out the sugar added here. Alternatively, in exchange for the German Vanilla Pudding powder one can also make the filling from scratch using 74 g potato starch, some vanilla aroma and sugar and milk and prepare as described above.

2. I found that the amount of custard filling was actually a little more than what I needed. If using too much filling it starts to squeeze out the sides when cutting the slices. 500 ml milk might be sufficient, but then it gets more difficult with the amount of pudding powder. One package makes the custard too runny, two is too much and makes it too stiff.

3. I didn't have enough raisins, but I had dried apricots at home, so I used half each. I had soaked the fruit in rum for some extra flavor, but the downside of this is that the custard turned slightly brown because of the dark rum I had used. Doesn't look as inviting as with a bright custard.

Cherry-Streusel Cake (Kirschstreusel)

This cake is one of the most traditional German cakes, and one of my favorites. It is made from jarred sour cherries, which are sold by Trader Joes in the United States. However, you can fill this cake with other fruits: apple, plum and apricot filled cakes can also be found in German bakeries.

I modified this recipe to accommodate typical US measurements such as a stick of butter, but list the metric measurements in parentheses.

Ingredients:

One deep dish baking sheet

Some grease

For the bottom batter:

1 stick butter (150 g)

1 pinch of salt

113 g sugar (150 g)

1 package vanilla sugar or some vanilla aroma

4 eggs

1 1/2 leveled teaspoons baking powder

180 g flour (250 g)

For the filling:

2 jars sour cherries

1 4.6 package cook & serve JELLO pudding or 2 packages vanilla pudding powder, if neither is available 6 tablespoons potato starch

For the streusel topping:

1 stick butter (150 g)

113 g sugar (150 g)

1 pinch of salt

1 1/2 leveled teaspoons baking powder

180 g flour (250 g)

1. Prepare the filling ahead of time (can be prepared a day ahead) to give it sufficient time to cool down. Add sour cherries with juice into a stovetop pot, mix in pudding powder. While stirring bring cherry mixture to a rolling boil, boil for 1 min, then remove from stove and let cool down.

2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350F).

3. Prepare cake batter: Using an electric mixer beat butter until softened. Mix in salt, sugar and vanilla sugar or vanilla aroma, add one egg at a time and mix for about 1 minute per egg. In a separate bowl mix flour and baking powder, then add in three portions to batter and mix well.

4. Pour batter onto greased baking sheet (the dough is quite heavy, so one could rather say to scrape the batter out of the bowl). Evenly coat baking sheet with batter. Pour previously prepared filling on top, and distribute evenly.

5. Prepare streusel topping: Using an electric mixer beat butter until softened, then mix in salt and sugar. In a separate bowl mix flour and baking powder, then add in three portions to batter and mix. Because this dough lacks the eggs it will form crumbles. Mix until crumbles are at wanted size. Sprinkle crumbles on top of cake until evenly covered.

6. Bake cake at 180 degrees Celsius (350F) for approximately 1 hour.

Comments:

1. Although the cherries I use in this recipe are sour cherries they are jarred in a sweet sugar syrup, so they are not very tart.

2. While the German vanilla pudding powder doesn't contain much sugar and requires the addition of sugar when preparing pudding, the American JELLO already contains sugar. Using JELLO will make the filling a little sweeter than necessary, so you could bind the cherries without any additional sugar using some potato starch.

3. For filling using other fresh fruit I would wash and cut them, then heat them in a stovetop pot with a little water, so they become oft, and add some potato starch to bind the fruit juice.

4. If you find that your baking sheet is not deep enough, take aluminum foil, and fold it to build an edge. I usually tear off two strips as long as the short and the long edge of the baking sheet, divide them in half (for the two edges with the same length), then fold them, so that they are 1/3 or 1/4 in height, and squeeze them along the edge of the baking sheet into the bottom edge. This raised edge will prevent spilling of the cake when it rises during baking.

5. If you'd like to prepare this cake in a 9"x13" inch Pyrex form I'd use about 1/2 of the recipe.

Limoncello-Berry-Swirl

Ingredients:

One springform (26 cm or 11 inch in diameter)

Parchment paper

Batter:

80 g flour

2 leveled teaspoons baking powder

60 g sugar

1 package vanilla sugar or some vanilla aroma

60 g butter or margarine

2 eggs

Limoncello cream:

250 g non-fat Greek Yoghurt (Fage or Chobani brand)

150 g powdered sugar

150 ml limoncello 

200 g whipping cream

1 package gelatin

Berry Swirl:

450 g mixed berries (fresh or frozen) - blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries...

3 teaspoons corn starch

3 teaspoons pectin powder

Optional: sugar (50 g)

Preparation:

1. If using frozen berries, thaw them. Wash and clean fresh berries, and blend to a purée. I used 1/3 raspberries, 1/3 strawberries, and 1/3 blueberries. Squeeze fruit purée through a mesh to remove small seeds, particularly raspberry and blackberry seeds.

2. Line springform bottom with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F).

3. In a bowl combine flour and baking powder. Add sugar, vanilla butter and eggs and mix all ingredients with an electric hand mixer until blended well. Pour batter into springform and bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) for about 18 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove springform edge, put cake bottom upside down on a cooling rack, remove springform bottom and parchment paper, and let cake bottom cool down.

3. Preparation of the berries: In a stovetop pot bring berries with pectin and starch to a rolling boil for one minute while stirring. Remove pot from oven and let cool.

4. Preparation of the limoncello cream: Dissolve gelatin with 2 tablespoons water in a stovetop pot. let sit for about 5 min. In the meantime, whip cream with 50 g powdered sugar until stiff. In a separate bowl blend yoghurt, limoncello and powdered sugar. Carefully heat the gelatin until it dissolves completely and becomes clear. Stir 3 tablespoons of the yoghurt mix into the gelatin, then pour the gelatin into the yoghurt cream and blend well. When the yoghurt starts to gelatinize carefully fold in the whipped cream. 

5. Put the cake bottom on a cake plate or back onto the springform bottom. Line edge of cake bottom with springform edge. Pour the limoncello cream on top of the cake bottom and level. Pour berry mix into the limoncello cream. With a fork gently swirl the limoncello cream and berry mixture. Keep cake in refrigerator for at least 3 h or best overnight.

6. Remove springform edge and serve.

Comments:

1. While this cake held together a little better than the Bellini Cake I made earlier this year, and wasn't a huge disaster it still became a little runny when cut. So I think for these cakes I need to give up on my attempts to make a vegetarian version of this type of cake.

2. This time I tried to bind the berries with pectin, which is used for canning. While the berry mix became indeed a little less liquid, gelatin is a superior binding agent. So I recommend to use a package gelatin for the berries: Dissolve the gelatin in 3 tablespoons water in a stovetop pot, let sit for 5-10 minutes, then gently heat and stir until the gelatin becomes clear. Add three tablespoon of the berry mixture to the gelatin and mix, then stir gelatin into the remaining berries.

3. By adding the limoncello the yoghurt becomes entirely liquid. I was surprised that the cake solidified at all. However, it might be better to add a little more gelatin to make the cake a little stiffer, maybe an addiional 1/4 or 1/2 package of gelatin, certainly not more or the cake will turn into a giant gummy bear.

Gluten-free Rice Pudding Cake (Milchreiskuchen)

This cake is traditionally made in Belgium and The Netherlands, but because my hometown Cologne is not far from each border (less than 1h drive time) this cake is also known in the Rhineland. While many recipes either use a yeast dough or a pie crust on the bottom, this recipe doesn't and hence is gluten-free. It reminds me very much of the first cheesecake recipe I posted back in February: In both recipes the eggs are separated, stiffly beaten egg whites are folded into the batter at the end.

Ingredients:

Springform (11 or 12 inches; 26 or 28 cm in diameter)

Some grease

250 g Arborio Rice (risotto rice)

1 liter or 4 cups milk

200 g sugar

4 eggs, separated

3 tablespoons corn starch

3 tablespoons potato starch

250 g fat free strained Greek Yoghurt (Fage or Chobani brand)

60 g butter

Preparation:

1. Prepare the rice pudding: Add rice, milk and one half of the sugar to a stovetop pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer while occasionally stirring until the rice is cooked and very little to liquid remains (about 30 min).

2. Grease springform. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 F).

3. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff (a cut with a knife should stay visible). Mix butter, egg yolks and the second half of the sugar until creamy. Add potato and corn starches, Greek yoghurt, and cooked rice pudding and mix. Lastly, carefully fold in the stiff egg whites.

4. Pour batter into springform and bake at 200 degrees Celsius (400 F) for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Comments:

1. Instead of using corn starch and potato starch I used some gluten-free flour mix from Trader Joes. It essentially contains rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour.

2. I used 3 cups regular milk and 1 cup unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk to prepare the rice pudding. The vanilla and almond flavors give the rice pudding a very nice taste.

Blackberry Cake with an Orange Juice Custard and an Almond BrittleTopping

It's the season for berries! While blackberries tend to be rather tart in Germany they are incredibly sweet in California. I never cared for the much in the past because they were too tart, but I love them now!

Ingredients:

Springform (26 cm or 11 inches in diameter)

Some grease

For the custard:

200 ml milk or cream

1 package vanilla pudding powder or cook-and-serve JELL-O for 500 ml milk

50 g sugar

300 ml orange juice, best use freshly squeezed or pasteurized

250 g fresh blackberries

For the batter:

100 g butter or margarine

75 g sugar

1 package of vanilla sugar or some vanilla aroma

3 eggs

150 g flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

50 g almond flour

For the almond brittle topping (Krokant):

50 g slivered almonds, chopped into smaller pieces

50 g sugar

Preparation:

1. Wash blackberries and put on a paper towel to dry off.

2. Prepare custard: Add milk or cream to a stovetop pot, add sugar and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Remove pot from stove and stir pudding mix into orange juice. Return to stove and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Remove custard from stove and let cool down a bit.

3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F). Grease bottom of springform.

4. Using an electric mixer beat butter or margarine until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla sugar and beat until sugar is dissolved and a smooth batter has formed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, about 1/2 minute per egg. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and almond flour. In two portions, add flour mixture to batter and mix well.

5. Add batter to springform and spread evenly. Pour custard on top of batter, put blackberries on top.

6. Prepare topping: Add almond pieces to a pan (no fat) and heat on medium heat on stovetop until they start to turn golden. Add sugar to almonds; the sugar starts to melt, so keep stirring until all almonds are coated with sugar and sugar is starting to caramelize.

7. Bake cake in oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) for about 40 minutes. Remove cake from oven, and let cool in springform for about 10 minutes before removing the springform edge.