VISITING
AUTHOR/EDITOR ARTICLE
APRIL
2009
Berlin
Pancakes
or
Shrove
Tuesday Cakes
Ingredients:
2
cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2
ounce yeast
dash
of salt
3
1/2 tablespoons sugar
1
cup plus 2 1/4 teaspoons milk
3
eggs, separated
7
tablespoons butter
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
apricot
or other jam
oil
for frying
powdered
sugar for sprinkling
1.
Make a soft dough by
combining the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, milk, egg yolks,
butter,
and vanilla extract. Cover with a towel and let rise.
2.
Roll out the dough on
a lightly floured surface to about 1/3 inch thick. Divide the
rectangular
dough in half and set one half aside.
3.
Use the rim of a
drinking glass to lightly mark 8 circles on one half of the dough
(circles
should be about 31/2 inches in circumference). Put a spoonful of jam in the
center
of each circle.
4.
Trace the outline of
each circle with a thin coating of egg white. Gently place the
other
half of the dough over the dough with the jam rings. Press down lightly so that
the
dollops of jam do not spread.
5.
Using the rim of the
glass, cut through both pieces of dough to cut out the circles.
Press
the edges of the dough together to seal the top and bottom halves.
6.
Cover the circles
with a towel and let rise again, about 10 minutes.
7.
Heat oil in a deep
fryer and place a few Berliners at a time into hot oil. Cover and
let
cook for about 5 minutes. Turn the doughnuts and continue cooking until golden
brown,
about 10 minutes total.
8.
Remove with a slotted
spoon and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with powdered
sugar.
Alternate
Recipe
Berliner
Pfannkuchen oder Krapfen (Berlin Pancakes or Shrove Tuesday Cakes)
This is not a
pancake at all, but a jelly doughnut under a new name! In Germany these treats
are served throughout the Karneval or Fasching festivities leading up to Ash
Wednesday. This recipe requires both a bit of time and a bit of work -- which is
perhaps why they are usually bought in large quantities at the corner bakery.
Makes
8 - 10 Berliners
Ingredients:
2 cups
plus 2 tablespoons flour
pinch
of salt
.5
oz. dried yeast
1
cup plus 2-1/4 teaspoons milk
3
egg yolks, reserve whites
7
tablespoons butter
3-1/2
tablespoons sugar
1-3/4
tablespoons rum
grated
lemon peel or vanilla extract
Filling:
apricot
or other jam
Confectioner's
sugar
Method
Make
a soft yeast dough using the above ingredients.
Let
rise.
Roll
out dough on a lightly foured surface (about a 1/3 inch thick).
Divide
the rectangular dough in half and put one half aside.
Mark
rings on the remaining half with a wine glass (the circumference should be about
3-1/2 inches) and place a dollop of jam in the center of each ring.
Trace
the outline of each ring with a thin coating of egg white.
Carefully
place the reserved dough on top and lightly push down so the jam dollops are not
spread, but apparent under the dough.
Use
the wine glass to cut completely through the dough, lightly pressing the dough
edges to seal the top and bottom halves.
Cover
loosely with a towel and let rise again, about 10 minutes.
This
rising affects both shape and consistency.
Meanwhile,
heat oil in a deep saucepan or deep-fryer.
Place
a few Berliners at a time gently in the heated oil.
Cover,
let cook for about 5 minutes and turn the Berliners once.
Continue
cooking until golden brown, about 10 minutes total depending on oil temperature.
Drain
Berliners on paper towel.
Sprinkle
with cconfectioners' sugar.
The
finished Berliner should look like a small cannon ball with a white waist line.
Guten
Appetit!
|