After the Jet Lag: My Favorite Things, pt. 15

In remembering my Germany 2019 summer trip, I just wanted to share my VERY FAVORITE things.  My family, friends, and people I re-connected with while in Germany are among them, of course!  But I am talking about things that made my trip even more special - things I love for many reasons - for memory's sake and for just the plain happiness some things give me 

(many of them involve FOOD!!). 

One thing is BAKERIES - and the bread, pastries, and cake varieties they offer. 

And it isn't anything special - it just IS where you get your bread.  It's not a special trip - it is daily life.  You can go to the "bread aisle" in your local grocery store, but why do that when the bakery section is there too - or you can go to the bakery next door?! 

And find bread like this: 

And cake like this:  Streuselkuchen (on the right) - my FAVORITE!!

Which leads me to another favorite:  German breakfast.

Everything from savory to sweet - bread and boiled eggs.

Real butter and fruit preserves!

I love German food in general - for the most part - 

but a hearty breakfast, maybe after you've slept in just a little ... with family around the table =

THE BEST:

And speaking of sleeping ... German beds are also my favorite:

with their lighter summer duvets and heavy, Eiderdown feather beds in the winter...

It's the fluffiest kind of sleeping,

and in the summer, with the windows cracked just a little (or open a lot!), one can relax, breathe deeply and sleep soundly.

Window views lead me to think of gardens - and flowers.

I love the flower shops of Germany - and how inexpensively you can get fresh blooms.

I love German toys.  And while they have all the weird-looking dolls and tech-y toys American children have - and Legos (love them!) and such, my favorite is Playmobil:

I have Playmobil pieces from when I was a kid - and all 3 of my children have accumulated more.

What about traditional clothes - love them! 

 Trachten as they are called:

Dirndls for the girls

and Lederhosen for the boys.

SO CUTE!

And lastly - though not least nor comprehensive - 

I love dining al fresco in the summer time, and not just eating a meal but the 

Eiscafe' with its wonderful treats and coffee varieties:

with Spaghettieis being one of our top favorites!

Since this trip, I have learned to top off most every meal with an espresso.  (Believe it or not, the high and fast boil of its coffee beans and smaller serving size causes the espresso to have 25-50% less caffeine content than a longer cooked cup of coffee, so it may not keep you awake like a cup of Joe!)

Delizioso!

(I know that's Italian, but it sums it up well!)

And I will end this blog post with an espresso as well:

source

Leckerbissen zu Weihnachten / Christmas Treats: Vanillekipferl

Leckerbissen is a German word meaning treat, tidbit, or delicacy.  

Lecker means yummy or delicious; ein Bissen is a bite.  

These yummy bites are perfect for the holidays!

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Vanillekipferl originated in Austria but are a popular treat on most German Christmas cookie plates.  The dough typically has ground almonds (or hazelnuts) in it, and the cookies are dusted with vanilla sugar (recipe below- make your own vanilla sugar NOW for baking needs over the holidays - it needs to sit 2 weeks!!).  By the way, Kipferl refers to the crescent shape of the cookie.

To watch and hear a German baker make these cookies, you can watch this clip from the famous cooking and baking supplier, Dr. Oetker's kitchen. (Dr. Oetker is the Betty Crocker of Germany!):

chefkoch.de - Vanillekipferl

 picture source

Melania's Vanillekipferl - 

Almond Cookie Recipe 

recipe source

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups flour, all-purpose
• 1 cup ground almonds
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla sugar
• 1 cup butter, cold
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 6 tsp vanilla sugar

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 300 ° F.
• Mix flour, ground almonds, sugar and 2 tsp vanilla sugar together in a large bowl.
• Cut in cold butter. 
• Quickly mix all ingredients together to make a smooth dough.
• Roll a small amount of dough into a thin roll. Cut into 2" rolls.
• Place onto greased baking sheet and form into crescents.
• Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
• Remove from oven and roll warm cookies in the powdered sugar that has been mixed with 6 tsp vanilla sugar.
• Makes about 4 dozen.

Hints:

• These cookies store very well, actually getting better the longer they stand.          

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Vanilla Sugar Recipe

recipe source

Ingredients:

• about 2 cups of granulated white sugar
• 1 vanilla bean

Instructions:

• Put sugar into seal-able glass/ceramic jar.
• Cut vanilla bean in half (not lengthwise or the seeds will come out)
• Place bean sections in sugar.
• Close jar and place in cool, dark place.
• Let sit at least 2 weeks before using.
• You can keep refilling the jar with sugar because the beans stay potent for quite some time.

Hints:

• If you wish, you can cut the beans lengthwise ... and you'll get more aroma into the sugar. You may also get the seeds in there, but if you don't mind that, it works great.

Oma's German Recipes is a GREAT resource for the best German recipes, converted into American measurements.  You can find other recipes like these there.

Don't have 2 weeks to make Vanilla Sugar? 

Order some from AMAZON:

• This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the product link, I’ll receive some compensation.

LECKERBISSEN: Apfelkuchen

Leckerbissen is a German word meaning treat, tidbit, or delicacy.  

Lecker means yummy or delicious; ein Bissen is a bite.  

Here is a recipe that will provide you with a YUMMY BITE (or two or more):

Apfelkuchen

Apple Cake

(this is one of many, many variations of a German-style apple cake)

Many, maybe most, German Kuchen are simple cakes, usually made of a basic flour/egg/sweetener dough - often with fruit exposed on top - and sometimes glazed.  Kuchen are not usually too sweet.

Not to be confused with what is called a Torte, which is not to be compared to an English tart!

A Torte will usually be cream or jam-filled/topped, often layered, and sometimes are soaked with simple syrups (or liqueur).  

Although there are ALWAYS exceptions!

I once heard that "All Torten are Kuchen - but not all Kuchen are a Torte."

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup butter/margarine, at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (optional)
2 Granny Smith (or Golden Delicious) apples, peeled, cored, and cut in wedges
1/2 cup apple jelly
1/2 cup sliced almonds
FOR GARNISH: powdered/confectioner’s sugar

Place oven rack at lowest position; heat oven to 325-350 degree. Grease a 9 inch spring-form pan. Mix flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In another (large) bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add lemon juice and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and chopped almonds (optional) until blended. Measure out 2/3 cup batter; set aside. Spread remaining batter in bottom of prepared pan.

Starting 1/4 inch from edge of pan, arrange about 1 1/2 cups of the apples in a circle, slightly overlapping. Form another circle on top with remaining apples, starting 1/2 inch from center of pan.

Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup jelly and brush over apples. Drop teaspoonfuls of the reserved batter around outside edge and spread with back of spoon to make a 1/2 inch border. Fill center of cake with remaining batter. Arrange some sliced almonds in center; sprinkle remainder over border.

Bake 1 hour or until golden. Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan – melt remaining 1/4 cup of jelly and brush apples again. Cool completely on rack. Sprinkle border and center with confectioners sugar.
I prefer to eat my Apfelkuchen topped with real whipped cream (add a little sugar to the heavy cream to sweeten!).  

Have a great weekend!  Alles Gute zum Wochenende!