Guten morgen! (Good morning!)
Today’s breakfast comes to us from Germany. I did not know that the German word for breakfast was “Frühstück” until I used a translator — it sounds very precise and very… German. I am not familiar with the German language, although my brother studied it and I know that my first name is also a word in German (oddly enough, it doesn’t mean what you think it would, particularly given its colloquial English meaning).
There are many German-American people in the US; the earliest immigrants arrived in the 1670s and settled in the British colonies of Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia. According to Wikipedia, current estimates place their number at 44 million, more than Irish Americans (33 million). German Americans can be found in much of the US, with particular concentrations in Pennsylvania (parts of which are referred to as “Dutch Country”, a corruption of Deutsch), and also present in Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Texas and several other states.
Oktoberfest is a popular German festival which, as you would imagine, is celebrated with great vigor, liveliness, food, drink and song. I’ve attended an Oktoberfest celebration in Leavenworth, WA, a town that is Bavarian-themed and proud of it; the snow around that time of year can make it a bit of a challenge to get there though, but it is totally worth it in my opinion. I have also heard that there are some much more spectacular Oktoberfest celebrations in the US — have you been to one of them?
On to the recipes! First, waffles with raspberry cream and fresh raspberries:
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Melt the butter and mix with the sugar, vanilla sugar and eggs until fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, corn starch and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients and the cream to the mixture. Fold in the ground almonds. Bake the waffles in a preheated waffle iron until golden brown.
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For the cream combine the quark, confectioners' sugar, raspberry syrup and jam until smooth. Separate each waffle into five hearts. Spread the cream on one of the waffles and place another one on top. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
Something a little less sweet and more filling is this recipe for chocolate oat muesli bagels.
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Mix flour, Kölln Muesli Chocolate & Oats, yeast, butter, sugar, salt, egg and milk in a bowl and knead the dough until it is smooth and stretches easily. Let the dough rise covered for approx. 1 hour.
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Knead the dough again. Divide the dough into 9 pieces and form balls. Make a 2 inch hole in the middle of each ball. Form the balls into rings and let them rise for another 15 minutes.
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Bring a big pot of water and 1 tbsp. salt to a boil. Place the bagels in the boiling water for half a minute on each side. Remove and let drain. Place the bagels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Place the baking sheet into the cold oven (middle rack), turn oven on to 390° F and bake for approx. 20 minutes or until golden brown.
I find that strawberry rhubarb jam goes well with just about anything and what do you know — there’s a recipe for that too!
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Wash and thinly peel the rhubarb stalks and cut them into small chunks. Wash and clean strawberries and also cut them into small pieces.
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In a large saucepan combine all the ingredients over high heat and, stirring continually, bring the mixture to a boil and keep it at a rolling boil for three minutes.
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Pour carefully into canning jars and either seal or keep refrigerated. Use immediately, or follow proper canning guidelines.
Something that’s easy to make and just as nutritious — German pancakes. They can be made as-is or stuffed with sweet or savory delicacies.
- Preheat oven to 400°. Place first four ingredients in a blender; process just until smooth.
- Pour melted butter into a 13x9-in. baking dish; tilt dish to coat. Add batter; bake, uncovered, until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place butter, sugar, buttermilk, corn syrup and baking soda in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, 7 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
- Remove pancake from oven. Dust with confectioners' sugar; serve immediately with syrup and, if desired, fresh blueberries. Yield: 8 servings (2 cups syrup).
German Pancake
A traditional German breakfast is a large, hearty affair — looking at the list of dishes included below, I’m already feeling stuffed! I’m sure it provides a lot of energy for the day’s activities, though.
- Bread rolls (or as we called these in German: Broetchen / Brötchen) made of rye or multi-grain flour.
- Multi-grain, brown or rye bread.
- Butter or margarine.
- Marmalades such as strawberries and cherries.
- Nutella or nougat bread spread.
- Honey
- Schwarzwaelderschinken (Black Forest smoked ham)
- Gouda or Emmentaler cheese
- Salami
- Boiled, fried or scrambled eggs.
- Traditionally, a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
- A glass of orange juice.
- A glass of fresh milk.
Thanks MomentaryGrace for uploading this diary image — it’s perfect!