Cordon Bleu - Ham & Cheese filled Schnitzel

Cordon Bleu - Ham & Cheese filled Schnitzel

As the name implies this recipe does not originate in Germany, it is the Balgian cousin of the German Schnitzel however widely popular in Germany. There are many variations of the Cordon Bleu but traditionally in Germany it is a fried Schnitzel filled with ham and cheese. It is possible to make Cordon Bleu from pork chops, turkey cutlets or chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

4 butterfly pork chops or 4 butterfly chicken breasts or 4 large turkey cutlets
2 eggs
1 tablespoons water, buttermilk or milk
½ tablespoons canola oil (and more for frying)
1-2 tablespoons butter for frying (optional)
6 tablespoons flour
6-8 tablespoons bread crumbs
salt, pepper
4 slices of ham and swiss cheese

Equipment: a well-seasoned 10-12 inch cast-iron or stainless steel skillet

Garnish: 4 slices of lemon and some chopped fresh parsley

Servings: 4

Preparation

Dry the meat with paper towels. Open butterfly pork chops (or butterfly chicken), cover with saran wrap and tenderize on both sides evenly with the flat side of the meat mallet until meat is very thin. If making Cordon Bleu from turkey cutlets, tenderize each cutlet (covered with saran wrap) until very thin on both sides. Season meats with salt and pepper on both sides.

Prepare three dishes: 6 tablespoons flour in first dish, whisked eggs with 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 tablespoons oil (or 1 tablespoon buttermilk or milk) in the second dish and 6-8 tablespoons bread crumbs in the third dish.

Wrap one slice of ham around a slice of swiss cheese and place in center of the pork, chicken or turkey. Close with other side of the butterfly section or fold over if using turkey and secure open ends with toothpicks.

Coat the meat with the flour on both sides, shake off any excess, dip in the whisked egg mixture turning meat to cover both sides, lastly place into the bread crumbs shaking off any excess. 

Prepare a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet with canola oil (add little butter to the oil for extra flavor) enough to reach the half point of the Cordon Bleu (about ½ inch heigh), heat oil on medium-high until a few dropped bread crumbs start to sizzle. Reduce heat to medium. Fry Cordon Bleu until golden brown turning once. Do not cover the skillet. Remove toothpicks, garnish with lemon slices and parsley.

Serve with rice, french fries, Kartoffelkroketten (potato croquettes pictured), mashed/boiled potatoes, steamed vegetables or a garden salad. 

see also:
Wiener Schnitzel
Schnitzel Wiener art
Jägerschnitzel
Paprikaschnitzel

Kaiserschmarrn - Torn Pancakes

Pancakes don't always have to be circular in shape. This Austro-Bavarian torn pancake specialty (translated: Emperor's mess) contains raisins which have been soaked in Rum. After baking the pancakes in a skillet they are torn with a fork into irregular shapes and then re-fried again, dusted with powdered sugar and served with a hot blueberry compote on the side. You can eat Kaiserschmarrn as a dessert or main meal for lunch which makes a quite filling meal.

Servings: 4-6

Kaiserschmarrn - Torn Pancakes

Ingredients:

300g / 10.5oz flour, pinch salt

1/2 L / 2 cups milk

2-3 tablespoons Rum

5-6 eggs (separated)

80g / 2.8oz raisins or sultanas

50g / 1.7oz melted unsalted butter

unsalted butter

powdered sugar

250 g / 9oz fresh or frozen blueberries

50 ml / 1-2oz water

50 g / 1.7oz sugar

Preparation

Cover the raisins or sultanas with Rum (alternatively use grape juice instead of Rum if serving to children) and let soak in a bowl while you are preparing the other ingredients for at least 30 minutes. Separate the eggs carefully. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiffened. In a second bowl add the sieved flour, pinch of salt, the melted butter, the milk and the egg yolks and mix all ingredients using your hand mixer. Drain the in Rum soaking raisins and fold them into the batter. Add the whisked egg whites and fold into the batter carefully.

Pour the batter (about 1 cm or 1/2" tall) into a pre-heated cast iron or non-stick skillet with little butter and bake on both sides until golden in color. Never mind if pancakes break when flipping them over. Tear baked pancake using two forks into irregular shapes, stir and re-fry the pancake pieces covered with a lid for another minute or so. Place torn pancake (Kaiserschmarrn) on a plate and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with a hot blueberry compote/sauce on the side.

You can make your own berry compote using this method: Place your blueberries (or other favorite berries) in a small pot, add water and the sugar, stir and simmer covered on low heat for 5 minutes. If preferred you can blend the cooked sauce in a blender. Serve berry compote in a smalldish on the side with your Kaiserschmarrn. 

If you make Kaiserschmarrn for many people you can bake/re-fry it in batches then place each batch in an oven safe dish, dust each layer with powdered sugar and keep warm covered with tin foil on low heat in the oven until ready to serve. 

Other variations of Kaiserschmarrn can include shaved/chopped almonds or nuts, small pieces of apples, cherries. Blueberry sauce can be substituted with apple sauce, lingonberry sauce, cranberry sauce etc.

Foto Credit: Fotolia

http://www.bavariankitchen.com/desserts/kaiserschmarrn.aspx

(Eischwerteig) Egg-Weight-Dough Recipe

(Eischwerteig) Egg-Weight-Dough Recipe

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2-4 egg-weight unsalted butter (room temperature)

4 egg-weight fine sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or zest of an untreated lemon

4 egg-weight sieved flour (up to 1/3 corn or potato starch)

1 flat teaspoon baking powder

Preparation

Weigh your eggs on a digital kitchen scale. Note the weight of the eggs. This is the weight you will need for all the other 'egg-weight' based ingredients. The size of the cake can be increased or decreased depanding on your needs, i.e. size of baking pan etc. Whisk the softened butter with a hand mixer until creamy, add the sugar gradually and one egg at a time while continuing to whisk. Add the Vanillaextract or the lemon zest to the batter and mix until combined. Sieve the flour, add baking powder and the starch to the flour mixing all dry ingredients together. Add the flour gradually to the batter while continuing to mix with the hand mixer until all combined. Do not overmix.

Marmorkuchen - German Marble Cake

Marmorkuchen - German Marble Cake

(Eischwerteig) Egg-Weight-Dough Recipe

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2-4 egg-weight unsalted butter (room temperature)

4 egg-weight fine sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or zest of an untreated lemon

4 egg-weight sieved flour (up to 1/3 corn or potato starch)

1 flat teaspoon baking powder

Preparation

Weigh your eggs on a digital kitchen scale. Note the weight of the eggs. This is the weight you will need for all the other 'egg-weight' based ingredients. The size of the cake can be increased or decreased depanding on your needs, i.e. size of baking pan etc. Whisk the softened butter with a hand mixer until creamy, add the sugar gradually and one egg at a time while continuing to whisk. Add the Vanillaextract or the lemon zest to the batter and mix until combined. Sieve the flour, add baking powder and the starch to the flour mixing all dry ingredients together. Add the flour gradually to the batter while continuing to mix with the hand mixer until all combined. Do not overmix.

NOW YOU ARE READY TO MAKE THE 

Marmorkuchen - German Marble Cake

Ingredients:

Basic Egg-Weight-Dough from 6 eggs.

100g / 3.5oz dark chocolate or 30g / 1oz unsweetened cocoa powder

2-3 tablespoons Rum (or milk)

50g / 1.7oz slivered almonds (optional)

butter and flour for the baking pan

100g / 3.5oz dark chocolate (optional)

This Chocolate and Vanilla Marble cake is made with egg-weight-dough. You can increase/decrease the cake size depending on your needs or the size of your baking pan (use a Bundt or loaf pan). Simply add/remove one or two eggs and easily adjust your ingredients according to the new egg weightthus the name "egg-weight-dough".

Preparation

Prepare the Egg-Weight-Dough according to the basic recipe, make it from 6 eggs. Preheat oven to 165°C(325°F). Butter and flour the bundt or loaf pan. Divide your dough in half, pour the Vanilla dough into your baking pan. Sieve and add the cocoa powder (or add the shredded chocolate), the rum (or milk) and slivered or shredded almonds into the other half of the dough, mix well. Pour the chocolate dough mixture on top of the Vanilla dough and with a fork make 'swirls' to mix up the dough gently and create a marble effect. Bake for 40 minutes then increase oventemperature to 170°C(340°F) and bake another 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry when inserted. Oventemperature may vary.

Let cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully turn it upside down on a plate and let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or pour good melted dark chocolate on top. 

Foto Credit: Fotolia

http://www.bavariankitchen.com/desserts/basic_eggweightdough.aspx

http://www.bavariankitchen.com/desserts/marmorkuchen.aspx

German Medium Textured Yeast Dough Recipe

Medium Textured Yeast Dough Recipe

This medium textured yeast dough basic recipe is used to make traditional Bavarian Buchteln, Dampfnudeln (steamed dumplings), Rohrnudeln, Apfelnudeln (apple noodles), Kirschennudeln (cherry noodles), Zwetschgennudeln (plum noodles), Zimtnudeln (cinnamon noodles), Wuchteln, Dukatennudeln, Schneckennudeln (snail noodles), Rosenkuchen, Hefemaultaschen, Hefekloß (yeast dumplings), Hefepudding (yeast pudding), Hefekleingebäck (yeast bakery), Hefezopf (yeast braided cake), Wickelkuchen, Nußkranz (nut wreath), Gugelhupf, Obstkuchen (fruit cake), Käse-(Quark)kuchen (cheese cake), Butterkuchen (butter cake), Zuckerkuchen (sugar cake), Streuselkuchen, Bienenstich (honey cake), Speckkuchen (bacon cake), Zwiebelkuchen (onion cake) Stollen (Christmas cake).

Ingredients:

500 g (17.6 oz) flour,

 pinch of salt

1/8 - 1/4 L (1/2 - 1 cup) warm milk (depending on egg size and fat amount)

20 g fresh yeast (or 1 packet dry yeast 7g)

50 - 100 g (1.7 - 3.5 oz) melted butter or vegetable oil

50 - 80 g (1.7 - 2.8 oz) sugar

1 - 2 eggs, zest of 1 untreated lemon

Optional depending on bakery type:

raisins, sultana raisins or almonds can be added to above recipe.

Preparation (using a hand mixer or bread machine)

1. Add the lukewarm milk, melted butter or lukewarm vegetable oil, sugar, salt and sieved flour in a tall bowl. Sprinkle the zest of one untreated lemon on top of the mixture, add the crumbled fresh or dry yeast and one or two (if small) eggs. 

2. Mix all ingredients first on the lowest setting using a hand mixer (might need a dough attachment) or you can use the dough setting using a bread machine. Switch to highest setting on the hand mixer and mix until dough separates from bowl and has a consistent and even texture.

3. Cover the yeast dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it raise in a warm room. If you are using a bread machine let the dough rise inside the bread machine. 

4. To make the dough texture fine(r) you can knead it once while it raises (the bread machine usually kneads it once during the raising period).

5. If you let the dough rise in a colder environment it will make the doughtexture very fine but it will take longer for it to rise. Therefore this can be accomplished over night. If there is not enough time for the dough to rise dumplings can be formed first using a minimal amount of flour (unrisen dough is sticky) and after they've been formed they still have to rise especially well.

6. Form the risen dough depending on what you are making using as little flour as possible. Make sure you don't disturb the risen dough and form your bakery very carefully (don't knead). Small bakery items should not be formed to large because the dough will still rise after it's been formed and it will rise more during baking/cooking.

Place formed bakery on a greased cookie sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise just a bit more.

Bake/cook risen bakery according to the recipe, some may have to be brushed with egg or butter before baking.

Fränkischer Zwiebelkuchen - Franconian Onion Cake

Franconian Onion Cake (Fränkischer Zwiebelkuchen) is a savory yeast dough cake made with plenty of onions, seasoned with herbs and served best warm right from the oven with Franconian white wine. In September Zwiebelkuchen is sometimes served with Federweißerwhich is a fermenting new wine made from freshly harvested grapes. Zwiebelkuchen is great as appetizer or meal with a fresh salad. Most Franconian house wives will know how to make the onion cake. You can buy it fresh at the local bakery or winery.

Fränkischer Zwiebelkuchen - Franconian Onion Cake

Ingredients:

Medium yeast textured dough*****SEE BELOW FOR THIS RECIPE 

 prepared with 375 g flour (no sugar)

1/4 L / 1 cup warm milk

50 g / 1.7 oz butter (room temperature)

1 package of dry east (7 g)

Topping ingredients:

30 g / 1 oz butter or olive oil

1/2 - 3/4 kg / 1.1 - 1.6 lbs onions

50 - 80 g / 1.7 - 2.8 oz bacon (Räucherspeck) or ham

3-4 tablespoons sour cream

2 eggs

Pinch salt, ground cumin, pepper

Preparation

Prepare a medium textured yeast dough according to the basic recipe method but with modified ingredients (see ingredients window), dough should be soft and light in texture. If preparing dough in a bread machine, resolve the yeast in the warm milk first for about 10-15 minutes in a separate cup. Add the flour to the bread machine container then the in small pieces cut soft butter and finally pour the warm milk with the yeast on top of the flour. The bread machine will do the rest. Dough can be prepared the day before. Store risen dough in the fridge covered with tin foil until ready to use the next day.

Grease a deap baking dish and sprinkle some flour on the bottom of the dish, shake dish horizontally so the flour spreads evenly. Dump the dough directly into the baking dish, dough may seem sticky at this point, sprinkle little bit flour on the dough and work into the dish forming an edge on all sides. Let dough rest and rise some more in a warm room while preparing the filling.

Cut onions in thin stripes and sautée in some butter or olive oil on low heat until glossy and golden in color. Add plenty of cumin, pinch salt and pepper to taste. Cut the bacon in small cubes and fry until crispy. Drain bacon and set aside. Let cooked onions and bacon cool. In a bowl whisk the eggs with the sour cream, add the cooled onions and bacon to the eggs and fold into the dough. Preheat oven to 390° - 410° F (200°-210° C), oven temperatures may vary. On my old oven I had to bake it at 380°F. Spread onion mixture evenly on the dough and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Serve warm with a fresh salad on the side and a good Franconian white wine"Bocksbeutel" (if you can find it) or any other good white wine.

Foto Credit: Bavarian Kitchen

Medium Textured Yeast Dough Recipe

This medium textured yeast dough basic recipe is used to make traditional Bavarian Buchteln, Dampfnudeln (steamed dumplings), Rohrnudeln, Apfelnudeln (apple noodles), Kirschennudeln (cherry noodles), Zwetschgennudeln (plum noodles), Zimtnudeln (cinnamon noodles), Wuchteln, Dukatennudeln, Schneckennudeln (snail noodles), Rosenkuchen, Hefemaultaschen, Hefekloß (yeast dumplings), Hefepudding (yeast pudding), Hefekleingebäck (yeast bakery), Hefezopf (yeast braided cake), Wickelkuchen, Nußkranz (nut wreath), Gugelhupf, Obstkuchen (fruit cake), Käse-(Quark)kuchen (cheese cake), Butterkuchen (butter cake), Zuckerkuchen (sugar cake), Streuselkuchen, Bienenstich (honey cake), Speckkuchen (bacon cake), Zwiebelkuchen (onion cake) Stollen (Christmas cake).

Ingredients:

500 g (17.6 oz) flour,

 pinch of salt

1/8 - 1/4 L (1/2 - 1 cup) warm milk (depending on egg size and fat amount)

20 g fresh yeast (or 1 packet dry yeast 7g)

50 - 100 g (1.7 - 3.5 oz) melted butter or vegetable oil

50 - 80 g (1.7 - 2.8 oz) sugar

1 - 2 eggs, zest of 1 untreated lemon

Optional depending on bakery type:

raisins, sultana raisins or almonds can be added to above recipe.

Preparation (using a hand mixer or bread machine)

1. Add the lukewarm milk, melted butter or lukewarm vegetable oil, sugar, salt and sieved flour in a tall bowl. Sprinkle the zest of one untreated lemon on top of the mixture, add the crumbled fresh or dry yeast and one or two (if small) eggs. 

2. Mix all ingredients first on the lowest setting using a hand mixer (might need a dough attachment) or you can use the dough setting using a bread machine. Switch to highest setting on the hand mixer and mix until dough separates from bowl and has a consistent and even texture.

3. Cover the yeast dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it raise in a warm room. If you are using a bread machine let the dough rise inside the bread machine. 

4. To make the dough texture fine(r) you can knead it once while it raises (the bread machine usually kneads it once during the raising period).

5. If you let the dough rise in a colder environment it will make the doughtexture very fine but it will take longer for it to rise. Therefore this can be accomplished over night. If there is not enough time for the dough to rise dumplings can be formed first using a minimal amount of flour (unrisen dough is sticky) and after they've been formed they still have to rise especially well.

6. Form the risen dough depending on what you are making using as little flour as possible. Make sure you don't disturb the risen dough and form your bakery very carefully (don't knead). Small bakery items should not be formed to large because the dough will still rise after it's been formed and it will rise more during baking/cooking.

Place formed bakery on a greased cookie sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise just a bit more.

Bake/cook risen bakery according to the recipe, some may have to be brushed with egg or butter before baking.

Rumtopf - Fruit Rum Pot

Photo Credit: Fotolia

Rumtopf - Fruit Rum Pot

Late spring/early summer is the perfect time to start your Rumtopf (Rum Pot), which is in rum and sugar preserved fruit over summer months. 

Start by adding seasonal fruit from early summer all the way until fall, cover with sugar and dark rum, store in a cool place. 

Rumtopf can be enjoyed during Christmas time served best over Vanilla Ice-Cream. 

Traditionally a large stoneware pot is used which has a clean linen cloth tied over its opening but a large glass jar w/ lid is also suitable.  ****IF a linen cloth is used the alcohol DOES escape so IF you want the flavor and not the alcohol maybe a cheesecloth or linen cloth? FROM THIS BLOGGER****

Ingredients:

2 parts fruit

1 part sugar

high-percentage dark rum (minimum 54%)

Fruit Types:

strawberries
sweet cherries (pitted)
sour cherries (pitted)
peaches (pitted, no skin)
apricots (pitted, no skin)
mirabelle plums (pitted, no skin)
plums (pitted, no skin)
pears (pitted, peeled, no core)
pineapple (peeled, no core)
blueberries
raspberries
blackberries
currant
white or dark seedless grapes

Preparation

Wash, remove pits and stems from all fruits. Fruits with skins like peaches, apricots, plums, mirabelle plums will have to be blenched in boiling water for a few seconds to remove skin easily. Cut large fruit in cubes leave smaller fruit in whole. Peel pears, remove core, cut in cubes. Remove core and skin from pineapple and cut in cubes. Cut grapes in halves.
Weigh fruit and note fruit weight, add to Rumtopf, add 1/2 fruit weight of sugar sprinkled evenly on the fruit. Pour good quality high-proof dark rum over fruit so that rum is about 1/2 inch (1cm) higher than the fruit. Fruit may have to be weighed down with a small plate if it starts to float. Tie a linen cloth over the opening of the container and store Rumtopf in fridge or cold cellar in a dark place until ready to use. Keep adding more fruit throughout the summer keeping in mind the fruit to sugar ratio as well as that the rum has to at all times remain above fruit by 1/2 inch (1cm). Before adding the next fruit batch stir the previous fruit carefully first.
After adding the last fruit in fall remember to let fruit rest for another 4-6 weeks before consumption. More rum may need to be added occasionally to retain proper level.
Enjoy fruit over vanilla ice-cream on a cold winter day or at Christmas time. Remember fruits will have absorbed the alcohol very well at this point.

Fruit Seasons:

May - June: Strawberries
June - July: sweet and sour cherries, pitted
July - August: raspberries, black berries, blueberries, currant, apricots or peaches (pitted, skinned, cut in cubes)
August - September: plums or mirabelle plums (pitted, skinned)
September - October: pineapple, peeled, core removed, cut in cubes
October - November: pears, pitted, core removed, peeled
may need to add more rum and let fruit soak in cool place for another 4 weeks after adding last fruit
http://www.bavariankitchen.com/desserts/rumtopf.aspx