Westfälische Götterspeise Westfalian Ambrosia Recipes

WESTFäLISCHE GöTTERSPEISE (WESTFALIAN AMBROSIA)

Steps:

• Put cherries, sugar and lemon peel into pot, bring to a single boil and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
• Take from heat, let cool slightly and add cognac. Divide cherries and fluid into 4 serving glasses. Pack the cherries, so that they make a dense layer. Cover with cling film and put into the fridge.
• Toast the pumpernickel in the oven until it completely dry and slightly roasted. Take out of the oven and let cool completely. Chop the pumpernickel finely (I use the food processor). Add the very coarsely chopped hazel nuts and set aside.
• In a bowl mix quark, sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
• Chop the meringue very coarsely and add to the quark mixture. Mix carefully with a spoon.
• Add the pumpernickel mixture and mix with a spoon.
• Beat the whipping cream until stiff. Add to the quark mixture and fold in carefully. Do not overmix it.
• Divide quark mixture into the four serving glasses, cover again and chill it for about 2 hours in the fridge.
• To serve: take out of the fridge, sprinkle with some chocolate, add a few hazel nuts and a cherry.
• NOTE on serving: you can premix the cherry layer with the cream layer. It looks not as fancy as the layered serving, but it taste as good as the layered one.
• NOTE: you can store this dessert for one day in the fridge. It is even better the next day.
• NOTE: you can use preserved cherries. But then don't cook the cherries. Cook only the fluid as described above. To thicken the fluid you can add cornstarch. Dilute 1 tsp in a bit of cold water and then add this mixture to the cooking fluid.
• NOTE on meringue: you can sub the meringue here by "dry" cookies or butter cookies.

AMBROSIA

Steps:

• Place the cream and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip until stiff peaks are formed. Add the sour cream and whisk to combine. Add the marshmallows, orange, pineapple, coconut, pecans and cherries and stir to combine. Transfer to a glass serving bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.

SWEDISH KNäCKEBRöD

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar and salt in mixing bowl or food processor and cut or pulse in butter.
• Gradually add the milk with a spoon or pulse until you have a stiff dough.
• On a lightly floured board roll out as thin as you can.
• Cut dough into strips about 2"x3" and punch lots of small holes in each.
• Bake at 300 on lightly greased pan until lightly browned- about 10 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack then store at room temperature.
• Will keep 5-7 days.

BADISCHE SCHUPFNUDELN (SPAETZLE)

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes in their jackets for 25-30 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes and put them on a lightly floured board.
• Mash them with a rolling pin.
• (You can also use a potato masher).
• Add flour, egg, parsley, salt and nutmeg.
• Knead well to form a smooth dough.
• Roll out the dough to about 1 cm thick or to the thickness of your thumb.
• Cut flattened dough into thin strips of 5 cm long.
• Gently roll out the strips or stretch them until the ends taper.
• Leave aside for 15 minutes.
• (Alternatively, you can immediately toss the noodles into boiling water. Remove them when they rise to the surface).
• Heat lard in a pan and fry the noodles till golden brown.
• Serve with roast pork, racks of lamb, sauerkraut or any cabbage dish.

SWEDISH CRISPBREAD (KNäCKEBRöD)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in the water (if using dry yeast, follow instructions).
• Add salt and fennel/aniseed.
• Add rye and enough wheat flour to make a quite firm dough.
• Knead vigorously for at least five minutes.
• Divide into 16 parts and roll to balls.
• Let rise, covered, for 40 minutes.
• Heat the oven to maximum heat.
• Roll out one piece at a time to a thin circle, 8-10 inches in diameter.
• Use plenty of rye flour when rolling.
• Make a one-inch hole in the middle.
• Prick the surface all over with a fork (in Sweden we have special rolling pins for this purpose).
• Bake one at a time on a dry tray in the oven for about 2-4 minutes.
• They should get brown, but not too burnt.
• Slip them on a stick (e. g. a broom) through the hole in the middle to cool.
• Store in a dry place and eat with butter, cheese and/or pickled herring, maybe together with beer and aquavit.

GERMAN LOWENBRAU (LöWENBRäU) COLESLAW

Steps:

• Wash the cabbage under cold running water.
• Remove tough outer leaves, and cut the cabbage into quarters.
• To shred the cabbage, cut out the core and slice the quarters crosswise into 1/8 inch-wide strips.
• Drop the cabbage into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the onion and bell pepper, and mix well with a spoon.
• In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, beer, celery seed, salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
• Stir with a wire whisk until all the ingredients are blended.
• Pour the mixture over the cabbage and toss together gently but thoroughly.
• Taste for seasoning.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the coleslaw for about an hour before serving.