Bavarian Dumplings –

Bayerische Semmelknoedel

 

• 8 cups cubed old bread

• 1/4 cup finely diced onion

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup butter (melted)

• 2 Tbsp. dried Parsley

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

• Pot of boiling water

 

Directions:

1. Put cubed bread in a large mixing bowl.

2. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs and whisk in melted butter, onions, parsley, salt, and pepper.

3. Pour mixture over the bread. Mix and mash with your hands until every single cube of bread is evenly moist.

4. Remove any pieces that are still dry.

5. Form into tightly-packed billiards-sized balls. They’ll plump up to the size of tennis balls while cooking.

6. Cover with a clean towel and let sit for 1 hour

7. Fill a pot (large enough to accommodate the number of balls you plan to make) about 1/2 way to 2/3 with water and bring to boil.

8. Using a spoon, set dumplings into the boiling water. Once they’re all in, let cook for 20 minutes. If making a double or quadruple batch, let cook for 30 minutes.

9. Remove from water with slotted spoon and place on a serving dish

10. Drain off excess water before serving.

Gravy 
 

• 1-2 lbs. chuck or arm roast, cut into 1″ cubes (for a shortcut, buy prepackaged stew meat)

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1 stick butter

• 1 tbsp. smoky Hungarian paprika

• 1 cup of your favorite red wine

• 2-4 cups of Water

• 1 small can of tomato paste

• 2 heaping tsp. jarred minced garlic (or 3 cloves crushed)

• Salt & pepper to taste

• 1 tsp. rosemary

• 1 tsp. thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• pinch of sugar

• Optional: Cornstarch slurry

​

Directions:

1. Melt the butter on medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or stew pot then brown the meat in batches. Transfer meat to a dish and set aside.

2. Saute diced onion in the same pot until it begins to caramelize.

3. Stir in paprika and cook for a minute or two.

4. Add wine and meat. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid is gone.

5. Add water just to cover meat. Stir in tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, salt, and pepper. (and a pinch of sugar if needed)

6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and let simmer over very low heat for 90 minutes.

7. For a thicker gravy: Corn starch slurry = 2 heaping tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 cup cold water. Stir into boiling sauce at the very end of cooking. Turn down to simmer and cook for an additional 5 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened.

​

​

German Brötchen
 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 tsp. salt

• 4 tsp. baking malt (optional, this will add a lovely brown color)

• 1 pkg. active-dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)

• 1 cup water

• 2 TBSP sugar

 

Directions:

1. Add flour salt, and baking malt (if using) to the large bowl of a stand mixer.

2. In a small bowl add the water, sugar, & yeast (make sure it blooms)

3. Add yeast too the flour mixture in the mixing bowl once you see that your yeast is active or has bloomed.

4. Add the dough hook, mix dough and "knead" it with the dough hook several minutes, or until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

5. Turn out onto floured surface and knead a few times. Place dough in floured mixing bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise 60-90 minutes.

6. Remove dough from bowl and shape into round rolls (you'll get about 10-12). Hold each ball under running warm water briefly, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Cover with a floured kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

7. Brush rolls with warm water and powder them with flour, sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Cut a slit in the top of each roll with a razor blade or very sharp knife. Let rest 10 minutes uncovered.

8. Meanwhile, place a large roasting pan with hot water on the lowest rack of your oven positioning top rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees; water will be steaming so be careful when you open the oven door.

9. Spritz or sprinkle the rolls with water again, and place the baking sheet on the rack in the middle of the oven over the steaming water.

10. Bake 20 minutes or slightly longer adjusting for your altitude. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
    
    Chef's Notes:
    * Diastatic malt powder is the "secret ingredient" savvy bread bakers use to promote a strong rise, great texture, and lovely brown crust. Especially useful when flour does not have barley malt added, as is true for most whole wheat flour and many organic flours. Active enzymes in diastatic malt help yeast grow fully and efficiently throughout the fermentation period, yielding a good, strong rise and great oven-spring.
    
    
    
     

Since it is spring time how about a simple, sunny, and cute little dessert!

Blätterteig Sonnige Eier or Puff Pastry Sunny Eggs 
 

Ingredients (for 18 - 20 pieces)

 

• 1 roll of frozen puff pastry, thawed  

• 150g cream cheese 

• 100g marzipan 

• 2 - 3 tablespoons milk

• 1 small can apricot (drained weight: 130g) (or peaches)

• possibly apricot jam

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C (top and bottom heat). 

2. Roll out the puff pastry and cut out circles (about 7 - 10cm in diameter). 

3. Put the circles on a lined baking sheet

4. Pierce the dough, making an outline of where the egg yolk would be.

5. Mix the cream cheese, marzipan, and milk until it reasonably smooth mass,

6. Spread about 2 teaspoons of the marzipan mixture on the puff pastry and leave the (marked) edge free (white part of the egg). 

7. Drain the apricots and place them on the marzipan mixture. 

8. Bake on a medium rack for about 15 - 20 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown. 

9. If you like, you can spread warm warm apricot jam on the warm particles to make them shine.