Gigelhupf or Gugelhupf Cake

 

                                  Gugelhupf  or Kugelhopf Cake                                                                                                                           Combining the delicious flavors of lemon, rum, raisins, almonds and butter in a wonderfully fragrant yeasted cake, look no further for a thoroughly traditional Gugelhupf recipe! Also known as Kugelhopf, this special cake has been known and loved for literally centuries throughout Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland.

Ingredients:

12 whole blanched almonds 

   (to blanch/remove the skins, place the almonds in boiling water, let

    sit for one minute, drain, and squeeze the almonds between your  

    fingers to slip the skins off)

1 cup heavy cream

2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup lard or butter

5 large egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest one lemon

3/4 cup raisins 

1 tablespoon rum

1/3 cup slivered almonds

12 whole almonds

Directions:
Butter a 8.5 inch Kugelhopf pan or a bundt pan  (8 to 9 cup capacity).
Place the raisins and rum in a small bowl, stir to combine, and let the raisins soak for at least an hour or overnight.
Place the lukewarm cream in a bowl or cup and stir in the yeast along with one tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until nice and frothy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, lard (if using) and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add lemon zest and vanilla and beat until combined. Add egg yolks and beat until combined.
Add half of the flour and yeast mixture and mix until combined. Add the remaining half of the flour and yeast mixture and the salt and mix until combined. Once the mixture comes together continue to knead with the paddle attachment for 10 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. If the mixture is too dry, add some additional egg yolk. If it's too wet, add some additional flour. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and put in a warm place (like a warm oven) to rise for up to two hours or until doubled in size.

Roll out onto clean non-stick work surface. Press or roll out to for a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. 

Sprinkle evenly with the raisins and almonds. Roll it up from the widest side. Bring the ends together to form a circle, pressing the ends together, and place it into the Kugelhopf mold. Press gently down to ensure the dough is evenly spread in the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and put in a warm place (like a warm oven) to rise for about another hour or until the dough has risen just barely above the mold. 

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Bake the Gugelhupf until it is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes. Let the cake sit in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.

Serve immediately. Best eaten the same day.
To store leftovers, wrap well in plastic wrap (will keep up to 3 days) or freeze. (See blog post for ideas on how to use leftover Kugelhopf.)

Hefezopf. Braided Yeast Bread

 

Hefezop  "Braided Yeast Bread"

My German translation is: Hefe is yeast and zopf is braid.  Apparently it is a bread commonly found in German kitchens or Bakery.  

Ingredients:

4 cups flour 

1/2 - (3/4) cup sugar

1 tsp salt 

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 stick butter

1 pkg yeast

lemon zest( grated  (1 tsp)

1 cup milk lukewarm

1/2 cup raisins or cranberries (dried)

some slivered almonds

coarse sugar crystals

Directions:

Ingredients must be at room temp. (Eggs/Butter)!

Make a soft but solid dough. Add a bit of flour if dough is sticky. Knead by hand and let rise in a covered dish until doubled.

Divide dough into 3 sections and roll into 3 logs you can braid! 

Brush braid with an eggyolk mixed with a tsp milk. Decorate with sugar and almonds - let rise again (warm oven helps).   

Bake for 35 min at 325F oven.

Lebanese Chicken Rice Pilaf ~ Hushweh

Lebanese Chicken Rice Pilaf  ~ Hushweh

Ingredients:
For the chicken:
3 to 4 pound chicken
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
Paprika
Granulated Garlic Powder
Kosher salt
Black pepper
For the hushweh:
1 pound ground beef or lamb
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup long grain white rice
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Pat the chicken dry. Place it in a large roasting pan with ½ cup of water surrounding the chicken. Stuff the onion in the cavity. Rub a couple of tablespoons of oil over the skin to coat and season lightly with paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken until it the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced, and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, baste the chicken every 15 minutes.

To toast the nuts, in a small skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Remove from the heat. Salt lightly. Try not to eat all of the nuts now—you’ve made them for the hushweh.

While the chicken is roasting, make the hushweh: In a large dutch oven or sauté pan over medium heat, cook the ground beef, using a wooden spoon to crumble it, until no trace of pink remains.

Season the beef with cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Add the rice and 2 tablespoons butter and cook, still over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the rice kernels are completely coated. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not stir while cooking.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the skin. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.

Add the chicken, 1/2 cup of the toasted nuts, remaining 5 tablespoons butter (or more, if you prefer) and plenty of salt and pepper to the hot rice mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts and serve immediately.

Crepes Aux Fruits

 

Crepes Aux Fruits

Sunday evening, Phyllis and husband Dave were dinner guest at our daughter's home.  Phyllis is a long time friend of the family and piano teacher of Anne and Greg's daughters.  We were gifted with hostess gifts of  Phyllis's homemade Apricot Jam and the recipe for Crepes Aux Fruits.  What a wonderful gift! 

Ingredients:

3 - 4 apples or pears thinly sliced, sautéed in butter 

    until tender

Add lemon juice 

1/4 to 1/2 cup apricot jam

1 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds 

1 to 2 tablespoons rum

Simmer a few minutes.

Directions:

Fill crepes, fold, and place in buttered baking dish.  

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar, dot with butter.

Bake 350 degrees until heated through.

Crepe Recipe:

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted, or oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, if desired

Directions:
In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add all remaining ingredients; beat until smooth.

Heat crepe pan, or 7 or 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Grease pan lightly with oil.

Pour scant 1/4 cup batter into hot pan, immediately tilting pan until batter covers bottom. Cook until edges start to dry and center is set. Turn and cook other side until light brown. Fill with desired filling.

One of the best tools for making crepes is the right pan. An 8-inch skillet with sloped sides, that has a nonstick finish or is a heavy-bottomed stainless-steel that heats well, allows you to quickly pour in the batter and gently swirl it around to make consistently thin crepes that are evenly browned and lacy around the edges.

• Use a wire whisk to stir up the batter—and you want it to be very smooth. Strain it through a wire mesh sieve to remove any lumps if needed.
• Crepes are great made ahead. To freeze place crepes between pieces of plastic wrap, then wrap entire stack in foil for up to 2 months. To thaw, place package in refrigerator overnight, remove pieces of plastic wrap between crepes and bake in 250°F oven 5 minutes or until warm.
• Heat the pan slowly so it reaches the perfect temperature to quickly cook each crêpe without sticking. Lightly butter the pan before adding the batter; buttering skillet as needed.
• Practice flipping the crêpes. Wait until the surface of a crêpe is no longer shiny and the edges are starting to brown. Loosen it from the skillet with a small spatula; turn and cook other side until light brown. Another method is after loosening from skillet, lift the pan up off the burner. Push the skillet forward quickly so the crêpe slides out and flips on its own, landing back in the pan to finish cooking.
• Save time and make crepes ahead of time. Make crepes as directed and cool completely; do not fill. Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each, keep covered.

Serve with Creme Chantilly

Ingredients:
½ vanilla bean
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Split vanilla bean lengthwise with the tip of a sharp knife. Holding the pod open, scrape seeds from each half using the flat side of the knife. Transfer seeds to a large bowl; discard pod.

Pour heavy cream over vanilla seeds. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Whip with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving.

Candle Cafe Granola

"Candle Cafe" Granola

This is a tweaked recipe of the original Candle Cafe granola recipe.  
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup steel cut oats
2 c. rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups walnuts
1/2 cup raw pepita seeds  (pumpkin)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 cup dried fruit, cherries or raisins or
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

Combine the steel cut oats, rolled oats, almonds, pecans, walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt.  Mix until COMPLETELY coated. 

Spread out on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until golden, but pull out the baking pan at about 10 minutes and stir to ensure even baking. 

Remove from the oven, leave granola on the baking sheet and let cool completely.

Transfer to a bowl and mix in the shredded coconut and dried cherries or fruit of choice.

Store in an air-tight container for up to one month.

Almond Cookies

Almond Cookies

The newest addition to my kitchen is a Vitamix. I often heard of the many benefits and functions. I am a bit of a laggard with converting to either expensive or new kitchen gadgets. I live in a comfort zone! I am truly amazed that every praise given happens to be true! This VM recipe sounded to good to not post.

*

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (115 g) heart-healthy butter spread 
1/4 cup (60 ml) egg substitute or 1 egg 
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar 
1 tablespoon milk 
1/2 teaspoon almond extract 
3/4 cup (94 g) all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup (90 g) whole wheat flour 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 cup (50 g) slivered almonds

*

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).

Place butter spread, egg substitute, sugar, milk and almond extract into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.

Select Variable 1. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 4 or 5.  Blend for 10-15 seconds or until ingredients are creamed. Remove the lid plug.

Add flours, salt, baking soda and almonds.  Blend 10-15 seconds or until well mixed.

If necessary, use tamper to press the ingredients into the blades.

Drop by teaspoons onto a cookie sheet.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

***

Cedar Plank Brie With Raspberry, Almond, & Honey Topping

Cedar Plank Brie With Raspberry, Almond, and Honey Topping

Our daughter Barbara emailed a recipe that she found on a website,  Just remember to make certain that the cedar plank you use is produced to be used with food and not chemically treated.

Ingredients:

6" x 16" cedar plank

1 pint fresh raspberries

2 Tablespoons slivered almonds

1 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Coarse ground black pepper, to taste

4 Tablespoons honey

2 whole small wheels Brie, Camembert or Cambozola cheese

1 - 2 fresh baguettes

***

Directions: 
Soak plank in cold water, at least one hour. Preheat grill to medium heat, about 400 degrees. 

In a small bowl combine, raspberries, slivered almonds, and fresh thyme, season with coarse ground black pepper. Drizzle with honey and gently mix to combine. 

Remove plank from water, place wheels of cheese, evenly spaced. Top each wheel with raspberry mixture. 

Place plank on grill for 20 to 25 minutes until each cheese is golden brown and slightly puffy, topping is hot, and almonds are slightly golden brown. 

Remove from grill, cool 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately with sliced baguettes and a few spoons and plenty of napkins. Serves 8 to 12 as a party appetizer

Oriental Salad .... This salad is a great crowd pleaser.

If you have invited company for lunch or are going on a picnic, take along this salad, a nice crusty baguette, and a bottle of chilled Chardonnay wine.

Oriental Salad

Dressing:

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 cup salad oil

seasoning packet from chicken or pork ramen noodles

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

Place ingredients in jar and shake well then refrigerate. Do not substitute the sesame oil.

***

Salad

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced

4 green onions sliced

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 package ramen noodles, crushed

Salad greens of choice

fresh pea pods, trimmed

1 can water chestnuts, sliced

fresh parsley or cilantro

1/2 cup peanuts

1 red pepper, cut in strips

1 yellow pepper, cut in strips

Directions:

Place ramen noodles in skillet with just enough butter to toast. Stir often. Set aside to cool.

Assemble the salad ingredients and toss with dressing.

This is a complete meal and so refreshing.