RED BERRY DESSERT – ROTE GRÜTZE

Hier geht's zur deutschen Version dieses Posts Hot summer days and ripening berries are a sure sign of "Rote Grütze" coming up on my culinary horizon. Rote Grütze (literally translated "red gruel"- sounds awful, I know!) is a fruity, refreshingly tangy dessert, made of at least two (but better more) kinds of red berries. One … Continue reading RED BERRY DESSERT – ROTE GRÜTZE →

BRIOCHE BREAD – BRAIDED INTO SUBMISSION

Our ABC challenge for June was "Brioche Bread" - we bake our merry way through Abby Dodge's wonderful book: "The Weekend Baker". I was quite pleased with Hanaâ's choice (she is the instigator of this challenge), because I like brioches.My last memory of this buttery pleasure was my daughter's graduation from the New England Culinary … Continue reading BRIOCHE BREAD – BRAIDED INTO SUBMISSION →

MUESLI ROLLS

Muesli Rolls  Hier geht's zur deutschen Version dieses PostsA while ago I admitted neglecting some of my baking books, never giving them a second look, while shamelessly favoring others.To atone for my neglect, I pledged to give every book a fair chance with my "Equal Opportunity Baking" list, with one recipe from ALL of my … Continue reading MUESLI ROLLS →

MY PANTRY – VANILLA FLAVORS

Three vanilla flavors Hier geht's zur deutschen Version dieses Posts In 1891 August Oetker, a young pharmacist from Bielefeld, Germany, came up with the formula for a new kind of baking powder. Whereas the original baking powder, invented 35 years earlier, could not be stored, and, worse, had an odd aftertaste, the new "Backin" had … Continue reading MY PANTRY – VANILLA FLAVORS →

MY PANTRY – ALL ABOUT YEAST

I use a lot of instant yeast!Hier geht's zur deutschen Version dieses Posts Fresh yeast, the default yeast for German bakers, is not an ingredient easily found in US stores. Fortunately I always preferred dried yeast - for its convenience and greater reliability - even when I was still living in Germany.American recipes usually call … Continue reading MY PANTRY – ALL ABOUT YEAST →

SCRUMPTOUS SCONES FOR HURRIED PEOPLE

 The "Scrumptuous Scones for Hurried People" from the "Weekend Baker" was Hanaâ's Avid Bakers' Challenge for May.  Abby Dodge, the "Weekend Baker", has a heart for people in a hurry who need to whip up a batch of pastry without much ado, perhaps because their beloved in-laws pay a surprise visit, or hubby brings his … Continue reading SCRUMPTOUS SCONES FOR HURRIED PEOPLE →

SCHWÄBISCHER APFELKUCHEN – SWABIAN APPLE CAKE

Hier geht's zur deutschen Version dieses Posts        I wanted to make a seasonal, early spring cake - with fruit. Apples were the obvious choice. You can use them the same day you buy them, unlike pears, you don't have to wait days for them to ripen, or even longer to turn dark, like bananas.  They … Continue reading SCHWÄBISCHER APFELKUCHEN – SWABIAN APPLE CAKE →

TRAVEL AND BAKING IMPRESSIONS

Warnemünde is not only the harbor for Hansetown Rostock, but a graceful old Baltic Sea resort. Thanks to the former GDR's lack of money, none of the nice old houses was torn down to make place to modern nondescript highrise hotels, like in West Germany.When I first visited my cousin's family in 1957, houses were … Continue reading TRAVEL AND BAKING IMPRESSIONS →

POPPY SEED DINNER ROLLS

Hier geht's zur deutschen Version dieses PostsA great fan of crusty breads, I'm normally no friend of dinner rolls. I had them sometimes in restaurants, soft, bland and usually so pale that they seemed almost under-baked.I could never really understand why anybody would prefer to eat these fluff balls with their dinner instead of a … Continue reading POPPY SEED DINNER ROLLS →