LECKERBISSEN: Toast Hawaii

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

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

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I realize that all the cooking talk these days revolves around the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday; 

however, here is a recipe that you can make if you end up with any left-over ham.

**Also consider substituting the traditional maraschino cherry with cranberries, 

if you are using holiday left-overs.**

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source

When you think of German food, you may think of cheese and fruit (apples, grapes, fresh cherries, pears) or of wonderful varieties of bread and meats - but you probably don't immediately think of PINEAPPLES (Ananas auf Deutsch).

Believe it or not, a very popular German dish, especially with my parents' generation (post-World-War II) was Toast Hawaii.  It was introduced in the 1950's because the ingredients were potentially in every household.   It was CHEAP and easy to make, but sounded very exotic.  

In America, there is such a thing as Hawaiian-style pizza, right?!  It it ham and pineapple on a cheese pizza.   You either love it or hate it, I think!  I happen to love it, but that probably is a result of my mother's love for Toast Hawaii, which was served every so often as I was growing up.  

The ingredients for Toast Hawaii are - like has been said - simple:  a piece of white bread (toast), a slice of cheese (so many varieties to use!  I like Swiss or provolone.  A slice of American cheese is the perfect size, too.), a round slice of canned (or fresh) pineapple, and if you want to make it REAL FANCY, a maraschino cherry for the center of the pineapple (I don't need one of those myself.).   

***You might consider substituting that cherry for CRANBERRIES if you have any left-overs at Thanksgiving!!***

source

To make Toast Hawaii, you just stack your bread, ham, pineapple, and cheese on a baking sheet.  Bake until the cheese is soft (350 degrees for about 15 minutes).  Optional, add a maraschino cherry in the center!   

Now, this is important:  EAT IT WITH A FORK & KNIFE like a good-mannered German.  

Here is a web-site called Live Like a German that has a far more detailed description and 2 different recipes for Toast Hawaii to offer:  Toast Hawaii Recipe  

Oma's Kitchen: Summer Sides - Gurkensalat

As a child, I was privileged to spend every summer in Frankfurt, Germany, being spoiled and fattened up for the winter (ha!) by my Oma.  

There were so many dishes - mostly just simple, flavorful, fresh food - that I looked forward to all year.  One of my favorite side dishes that my Oma prepared was a basic oil-and-vinegar cucumber salad garnished with dill from my Oma's little garden patch.  

photo source:  

My Oma never had to measure ingredients so I never got her actual recipe - she just mixed the ingredients, let them sit for a few minutes - and then had me taste test to see if anything needed to be added.  I have found similar-tasting recipes on line, and here is one that is fairly close:

Oma's Gurkensalat 

(Cucumber Salad)

1-2 cucumbers (peeled - or not-peeled if using an English cucumber), sliced thin

3 Tbsp vinegar (red wine vinegar, if no salad vinegar available)

5 Tbsp oil (I use olive oil; however, there is such a thing as salad oil in Germany)

eine Prise (a dash, a pinch!) salt

eine Prise sugar 

fresh dill, finely  chopped

fresh parsley (optional)

Let ingredients rest for a while for the best flavor - if you can wait that long.  

Mix thoroughly again and serve.

It tastes like summer!

~*~

Some of my favorite ingredients:

SALAD OIL

KRäUTER ESSIG

(herb-infused vinegar)

source

Oma's Kitchen & a Spaghetti Sauce Secret

My Oma was an amazing cook.  She learned her skills as a young adult shortly before World War II when she was trained to help farmers manage their large families and workers. Her own family consisted of her constable father, her step-mother (who was actually her aunt, whom her father married after his first wife died), and their 10 other children, the oldest being at least 8 or 9 years younger than my grandmother.  They lived on the woodsy, rural farm lands of East Prussia.  She married my Opa, a soldier, in 1942, and after fleeing from the Russian army at the end of the War, they settled in the big city of Frankfurt, where my Opa grew up.  

Typical meals for us during my summer stays with my grandparents in Frankfurt were somewhat like this: 

BREAKFAST (Frühstück) -  a Brötchen or hearty rye bread with Nutella (my favorite to this day!) or fruity marmalade and REAL butter or creamy butter cheese and Schinken (a tender ham) or salami  ... maybe a soft boiled egg (always served in an egg cup) ... and tea or coffee.  

source:  http://www.lexibites.com/brotchen/

LUNCH (Mittagsessen) -  egg noodle soup (Eiermuschelsuppe) as a starter, then a "warm" meal like Schnitzel and salad, Frikadellen and friend potatoes and red cabbage.  My Oma's salads of lettuce or cucumbers with homemade oil-and-vinegar dressings and fresh dill were THE BEST!  There were many other delicious things my Oma prepared, and at the end of this post, I will let you in on her secret for spaghetti sauce.  

Dinner (Abendessen OR Abendbrot, literally Evening Bread) - slices of hearty bread again with a variety of cold cuts and cheeses.  My favorite cheeses were the creamy Edamer,  Butterkäse (butter cheese) or a French Camembert.  Sometimes we'd have a warm Bratwurst or Bockwurst with grainy German mustard (Senf).  There were also often little gherkins and other delightful nibblers.    

source:  http://www.murrayscheese.com/site/images/items/12095.0.jpg?resizeid=3&resizeh=600&resizew=600

Germans do traditionally believe in the old saying that one should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.  

Among my favorite lunches, I loved my Oma's spaghetti sauce.  It was made from a boxed sauce mix from the German brand Maggi.  

This is so easy - but so yummy.  One prepared the sauce according to the package directions and then add the "secret" ingredient:  about 1/2 cup heavy cream.  It made a rich, almost pink sauce to pour over the noodles.  One can also add a teaspoon of sugar, some roasted garlic, some caramelized onion, or even meat - but we liked the sauce just plain and creamy.  

Leckerbissen zu Weihnachten: Cookie Dough Basics

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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Baking is a part of many families' Christmas tradition, and Germans are no exception.  There are several standard cookies that are just expected at Christmas time!  For example, Vanillekipferl ... or this recipe for a simple glazed Christmas Cookie.

My mother uses a basic, kneaded dough recipe that can be adapted for several varieties of cookies.  This isn't like a sugar cookie dough either; it is less sweet.  

DISCLAIMER:  I am NOT a food photographer - and my mom isn't a professional cookie decorator.  But these are THE REAL DEAL.  Cookies decorated with a chocolate glaze, a powder sugar glaze, and a variety of nuts and sprinkles.  

You can get as fancy or as simple as you please.

BASIC COOKIE DOUGH

source:  my mom

500 g Mehl (4 cups flour)

2 tsp baking powder

2 Eier (eggs)

200 g Zucker (approx. 1 ½ cups sugar, more to taste)

1 Pkg vanilla sugar (approx. 2 tsp)

Just a little lemon peel, finely zested

3 Mandeln (almonds), finely ground or chopped (optional)

250 g Butter or Margarine (1 ¾ sticks), cold and cut into small pieces

Egg yolk (to baste)

PREHEAT:

375 degrees F

Pour flour and baking powder on large surface, make a well in the middle.

Add sugar, vanilla sugar, lemon peel, and almonds.  Add egg and work into half the dough.  Top with butter/margarine pieces and knead all the dough until smooth.  Let dough rest (in refridgerator, if possible) for about 30 minutes.  Then roll out, cut out cookies with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheet and brush with egg yolk.  Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes until golden.  Let cool, then glaze (see below for recipe).

**Cinnamon or a little cocoa powder can be added to dough, if you prefer.  

**Press various nuts into cookies before baking, if you like.

A smaller, simpler portion of dough from Dr. Oetker's recipe:

Knetteig / Kneaded Dough:

150 g	Weizenmehl  (1 cup flour)
1 Msp*.	Backpulver  (about 1 tsp baking powder)
50 g	Zucker  (1/4 cup sugar)
100 g	weiche Butter oder Margarine (7 tbsp softened butter or margarine)

Mix as above and then bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes

*Msp is short for "Messerspitze" which means knife tip.  

GLAZE:

250 g Puderzucker (1 1/4 c. powder sugar)

2 egg's whites or 1 to 4 tbsp water or MILK (we use milk)

Mix to medium consistency (not too watery!) and brush glaze on cookies.  Sprinkle with nuts or other decoration.  Let "dry".

For Chocolate glaze:

1 1/4 c. powder sugar

3-4 tbsp milk

mix together in a small pan.  Add 1-2 tbsp cocoa powder. Stir until dissolved.  Brush on cookies right away!  

OR Melt chocolate chips or baking chocolate or almond bark over a boiling water (double boiling).   Brush on cookies immediately and decorate. 

Get your vanilla sugar at AMAZON:

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!

~*~*~*~*~*~

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: Old World Dinner

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).

~*~

Sauerkraut is a traditionally German food.  It literally means sour cabbage; it is finely shredded, fermented/pickled cabbage.  I think you either LOVE Sauerkraut, or you hate it (I love it!!).  If you happen to LOVE it too and have a big group of people to feed, I recommend my friend's easy crock pot recipe which incorporates Sauerkraut, potatoes, apples, and Bratwurst or Polish sausage (and a little bit of bacon!).  

Old World Dinner

recipe from Melanie F., Iowa, USA

INGREDIENTS:

3 strips of bacon

2 small potatoes (I used more – but they were those small, golden potatoes which I didn't peel; 

I always called them “salad” potatoes), peeled and cubed

2 small apples (I used a gala – and just one), cored and cubed

2 lbs. cooked Bratwurst or Polish sausage, cut into pieces

3 tsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp flour

2 cans 27-oz. Sauerkraut (or glass jar of Sauerkraut, however you find it!)

1/2 cup water (or chicken broth or I just threw in a chicken bouillon cube)

Fry bacon and sausage in a large frying pan.  Drain the grease. 

Put the meats into the crockpot.

Add flour to the pan and blend into the drippings.

Then stir in the Sauerkraut; and I went ahead and mixed in the apple pieces and potatoes and brown sugar, and let this cook a little while, coating everything in the drippings.

Put all the ingredients in the crockpot – add the brown sugar (if you haven't already) and water or broth.  Mix well.   

Cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

GUTEN APPETIT!

LECKERBISSEN: Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel

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).

~*~

Traditionally, German Schnitzel is not made from chicken.  Here are the 2 typical types of Schnitzel:  

1. Wienerschnitzel (which is actually associated with an Austrian recipe - Wien being Vienna, the capital of Austria), which is made from veal (Kalb in German).

2.  Schweineschnitzel is what most German restaurants serve in so many varieties - it is made from pork (Schwein = pig).  It can be served in many ways: 

• plain (usually served with a lemon slice to squeeze over it)
• Jägerschnitzel is smothered in a hearty brown gravy, usually with mushrooms.  (Jäger = hunter, by the way) 
• Rahmschnitzel is served with a gravy that has cream added (also often mushrooms); Rahm = cream.
• Zigeunerschnitzel is covered in a "gypsy"/Zigeuner sauce made with red peppers (called Paprika in German), onions, and tomatoes
• and many other unique versions

Schnitzel is prepared by tenderizing the cutlets, flattening them with a meat mallet then dipping the meat in flour, eggs, and breading, and frying the meat until the coating is golden brown (my Oma always fried hers in margarine).  

For a quick (15 minute!) main dish this week, try this recipe:

Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel

Recipe credit:  Thomas Keller

photo credit:  BonAppetit

– 1 cup flour

– 3 egg, beaten

– 2 cup panko  (or bread crumbs)

– 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, about 6 ounce each butterflied and pounded 1/4-inch-thick

– salt and freshly ground black pepper

– ¹⁄4 cup canola oil 

– 6 Tbsp butter

– 2 tsp capers (optional)

– 2 Tbsp lemon juice

– 1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1. Set the flour, eggs and panko bread crumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the eggs and coat thoroughly with the panko, pressing lightly to adhere.

2. In each of 2 large skillets, heat 1/4 cup of the canola oil. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and cook over moderately high heat until browned and nutty, about 4 minutes. Stir in the capers (optional), lemon juice and parsley; spoon over the chicken and serve.

GUTEN APPETIT!  

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!