Cheddar Wursts with Cider Sauce

This is a great meal for a cold fall or winter's day!  I feel like I am back in Germany, eating at fine restaurant  (My husband and I went to Munich and Bavaria many, many years ago... before kids)
I will admit, the kids were not to crazy about the broccoli.  (they prefer their vegetables boiled)  The original recipe asks for hard cider.  I chose beer, because I thought the taste would be milder for the kids.  Smoked pork sausages may also be substituted.  I thought the sauce was delicious! I doubled the ingredients.  The recipe below reflects a single recipe.  Serve with beer!



2 Granny Smith apples + half an apple
2 oz rye bread
1/2 cup beer
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar 
4 to 6 cheddar wursts
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb broccoli (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 cup water
1  1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Use nonstick spray on a pan
• Core 2 apples and place cut side down on pan
• Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool
• Scoop out apple pulp and puree.  Discard the skins
• Cut bread up into 1 inch cubes and bake for 10 minutes, until golden
• In a pan, boil beer, vinegar, sugar and apple puree
• Simmer, stirring until reduced to approximately 3/4 cup
• Remove from heat
• Broil or grill sausages  (the cheddar wursts come fully cooked)  until heated inside, remove and cover with foil to keep warm
• In a large skillet,  heat oil and add broccoli 
• Stir in ground mustard, caraway seeds, cider sauce and water
• Cover and cook until al dente or soft
• Remove from heat and stir in butter
• Place sausage, bread pieces and 1/2 apple (cut into match sticks) on top of broccoli mixture

-Queenie Cuisine

Crock Pot Bavarian Pot Roast

I am using apples again!  My youngest went on two apple orchard field trips,  so I have plenty to spare.  This recipe is easy to prepare, and very mild in taste.  I will easily get two meals (2 adults, 3 kids) out of this roast.  Make sure to serve with mashed potatoes and gravy.




3 to 4 lb rump roast
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 whole cloves
4 medium apples, cored and quartered
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 cup apple juice or water
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons water

• Lightly rub top of meat with oil
• Dust with salt, pepper and ginger
• Insert cloves
• Place apples and onions in crock pot
• Place roast on top
• Pour in apple juice
• Cover and cook on low for 10 - 12 hours or high for 5 - 6 hours
• In a small pot, mix flour and water together
• Add juices and cook until thickened
• (or remove roast and apples.  Turn crock pot onto high and stir in flour/water mixture;  cover and cook until thickened)
• Serve with mashed potatoes and cooked apples on the side

-Queenie Cuisine

Zwetschken Kuchen (German Plum Tart)

  This is my grandmother's recipe.  I have been waiting all year for the prune plums to come into season. Today was the first day that I saw them in the supermarket.  If you want to make this recipe,  you better hurry up and run to your local supermarket, because before you know it,  they will be gone. 
  This tart looks and tastes like it belongs in a fancy coffee shop.  And yes, it freezes well.  Don't think this is a healthy and low calorie dessert... the plums and  butter don't cancel each other out. : )


2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1  1/2 sticks butter (plus more for dotting on top of tart)
1 egg
2 tablespoons cold water
2 lbs prune plums (I had a few left over)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup slivered almonds

• Sift 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl
• Add 1  1/2 sticks butter into bits, and blend
• In a small bowl, beat 1 egg with 2 tablespoons of cold water
• Add egg mixture to to flour mixture and work with fingers until smooth
• Press down in spring form pan (I used a 10 inch pan)
• Wash and halve prune plums.  Remove pits
• Put halved plums on dough, cut side down
• Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar
• Combine 1/4 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon  and slivered almonds
• Sprinkle over plums
• Dot with butter
• Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes (make sure there is a pan underneath the spring form pan to collect any leakage)
• Wait until completely cool to remove sides of spring form pan

-Queenie Cuisine

Zwieback Rolls

I had been looking for a new kind of roll to make.  I was very interested when I came across these,  due to the name.  My German Grandmother's name is Zweig.  I looked up the definition of Zwieback, and per Wikipedia "The name comes from German zwei ("two") or zwie ("twi-"), and backen, meaning "to bake".[2] Zwieback hence literally translates to "twice-baked"  It's funny, since these rolls are only baked once.  So for the fun of it, I spoke to my grandmother last night and I told her my findings... her only answer was "yeah, I know."  Well, she told me; I had no idea!

This recipe is from Taste of Home.  It makes 24 large, or 34 smaller rolls.  (I made the smaller version)  Very tasty!

1 package active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)

6 to 6 1/2 cups flour, divided

1 tablespoon salt

3/4 cup melted and cooled butter

2 cups scalded milk

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; set aside
• In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, salt, butter, milk and yeast mixture;  Beat well
• Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough
• Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic for about 6 to 8 minutes
• Place dough in a lightly greased bowl;  turn greased side up, cover and rise in a warm place until doubled; about 1 hour
• Punch dough down and divide into 4 pieces
• Take 3 pieces and divide each piece into 8 balls and place on a greased baking sheet
• With the other piece, make into 24 smaller balls and place one on each larger dough ball
• Cover and let rise until double; about 45 minutes
• Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until golden

-Queenie Cuisine

German Pancakes

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!  This is not a family recipe.  I heard about it while reading a book about a caterer who solves mysteries.  (That's how I get a lot of my recipe ideas)  This recipe is surprisingly easy to make.  While this pancake would make a good dessert, topped with fresh berries and cream,  I decided to make it for lunch.  I made Sweet and Spicy Apples, (February 11, 2013) fresh apple chicken sausage and cantaloupe   I sprinkled on powdered sugar and drizzled real maple syrup on top.  A masterpiece!  This recipe makes 2 - 9 inch pancakes.  

4 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

2/3 cup flour, sifted

2/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons soft butter

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Powder sugar

• Heat oven to 400 degrees bake
• Butter two 9 inch cake pans
• Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl, blend eggs well
• Add remaining ingredients, and process until smooth
• Pour into prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 8 - 10 minutes
• Slide onto warm plates
• Using a sifter, sprinkle with powdered sugar

-Queenie Cuisine

Hot Milk Cake

This is a German recipe from my grandmother.  I don't know the translation in German.  This cake is a sweet kid's pleaser.  I had all of the ingredients in the house, already.

Don't mind the picture,  that white blob is whipped cream.  (which the kids won't get,  the cake is sweet enough)  If it were summertime,  I would pair this cake with a selection of fresh berries....Mmmmm!


3 eggs
1  1/2 cups sugar
1  1/2 cups flour
1  1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1  1/2 teaspooons vanilla
3/4 cup milk
1  1/2 teaspoon butter

• Beat eggs well. Add sugar in gradually while beating
• Fold in dry ingredients and vanilla
• Add hot milk with melted butter in it
• Bake 350 degrees 40 - 50 minutes.  (I used a 12 x 8 pan)

-Queenie Cuisine

German Lebkuchen

Ok, here it is, a great German cookie recipe.  I must confess, this is no family recipe, it came out of a cookbook.  Never the less, They are spicy and delicious! They taste like a mild form of gingerbread cookies.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

3/4 cup honey

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups flour

2 tablespoons cocoa

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoons ginger

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Icing

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon water (I used more)

For cookies, cream butter, honey and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg, lemon zest and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, spices, baking powder and baking baking soda.  Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.  Stir until soft dough forms.  Divide dough into fourths and wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight or until firm enough to handle.  

Preheat oven to 350.  On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out one fourth of dough to 1/4 thickness.  Use a 3 1/2 inch cookie cutter to cut out cookies. ( I used a star)  Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Transfer to wire racks to cook.

For icing,  combine ingredients and stir until smooth.  Spoon icing into a pastry bag with a very small round tip.  Pipe desired decorations onto cookies.  Allow icing to harden.  Store in an airtight container.

Yields about 3 dozen cookies.

Guten Appetit!

-Queenie Cuisine