German Baking Today - German Baking Today
Page 16
4. To make the filling, drain the mandarins in a sieve, reserving 100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) of the juice. Soak the gelatine following the instructions on the packet. Stir together the curd cheese, sugar, vanilla sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Heat the man-darin juice. Squeeze out the gelatine, add to the mandarin juice and stir until dissolved. Stir 4 tablespoons of the curd cheese mixture in the dissolved gelatine using a whisk, then stir in the rest of the curd cheese mixture.
5. Whip the cream until stiff. When the curd cheese mixture begins to thicken, fold in the cream with the mandarins. Spread the filling on one of the rectangles, put the other rectangle on top (with the underside facing upward) and press down lightly. Smooth the sides flat and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Tip: Dust with icing sugar before serving and cut into portions.
ADVICE
Cheese and oil cake mixture
Curd cheese and oil cake mixture is similar to yeast dough in consistency and can be used as a pastry, but it does not need to rise.
The mixture is elastic, and pastry made with it tastes best when fresh.
The mixture is made with plain (all-purpose) flour, baking powder, cornstarch, oil, sugar, milk and/or egg. Like yeast dough, curd cheese and oil mixture is very good for cakes and also for small pastries.
Preheating the oven
First preheat the oven. In the case of an oven with top and bottom heat, the oven must be heated thoroughly. If the baking time is 30 minutes or less, even fan ovens and gas ovens must be preheated. If the baking time is over 30 minutes, preheating will not be necessary in the case of fan and gas ovens.
Preparing the baking sheet or baking tin
Grease the baking sheet or baking tin with soft margarine or butter and spread it evenly with a brush. Do not use oil because it will run down the edges.
In the case of small pastries, the baking sheet need not be greased; it is simply lined with baking parchment.
Mixing and sifting the flour and baking powder
Sifting aerates the flour and distributes the baking powder evenly, thus producing pastry with a lighter texture.
Wholemeal flour and baking powder should only be mixed together, not sifted, because the coarser texture of wholemeal flower makes sifting impossible.
Making the dough
Sift the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Depending on the recipe, mix together the sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, curd cheese, milk and/or egg and oil using a hand mixer with whisk, first at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting to make a smooth dough (do not whisk too long or the dough may become sticky). Beat the egg in a cup to check if it is fresh before adding to the mixture.
The oil is particularly important in this kind of dough and should not be replaced by solid fat. Any oil with a neutral taste can be used, for instance sunflower oil, corn oil or soya oil.
Dust the dough lightly with flour, remove it from the mixing bowl and roll out on a floured work surface and proceed according to the recipe.
Baking curd cheese and oil mixture
Bake curd cheese and oil mixture following the instructions in the recipe. When the cake or pastry is baked, remove it immediately from the tin or baking sheet and put on a rack to cool down. Pastries and cakes made from curd cheese and oil mixture should be eaten as fresh as possible.
Storing
Curd cheese and oil cakes and pastries taste best when fresh. They can also be frozen, then defrosted at room temperature in their wrapping.
CHEESE AND OIL CAKE MIXTURE
85 | Basic recipe for 1 baking sheet
For a baking sheet (40 x 30 cm/16 x 12 in):
some fat
For the cheese and oil cake mixture:
300 g/10 oz (3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
3 level teaspoons baking powder
75 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) sugar (leave out in the case of savoury pastry)
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar (leave out in the case of savoury pastry)
1 pinch salt
150 g/5 oz curd cheese (low fat)
100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) milk
100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil
1. Preheat the oven at the top and bottom and grease the baking sheet.
2. To make the dough, carefully mix together the flour and baking powder and sift into the mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting, to make a smooth dough. Do not knead too long or the dough may become sticky. Then shape into a cylinder on a floured work surface.
3. Roll out the dough and line the greased baking sheet.
4. Make the topping of your choice, for instance, cut the fruit into small pieces, put on the dough and sprinkle with crumble or pour a glaze on top. You can also put a savoury topping on top to make a pizza for instance. Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 25 minutes (depending on the topping).
5. Put the pastry or cake, still on the baking sheet, on a rack to cool down (but a pizza should be served hot).
CHEESE AND OIL CAKE MIXTURE
86 | Kolatschen (Czech speciality)
Traditional (20 pieces/3 baking sheets)
Preparation time: about 50 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet
For the cake mixture:
400 g/14 oz (4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 packet (16 g) baking powder, 75 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch salt, 200 g/7 oz curd cheese (low fat)
100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) milk, 100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) cooking oil
For the cheese topping:
300 g/10 oz curd cheese (low fat), 50 g/2 oz (4 tablespoons) soft butter, 50 g/13⁄4 oz (4 tablespoons) sugar
30 g/1 oz (3 tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 medium egg
For the plum topping:
4 teaspoons plum purée
For the poppy seed topping:
1 packet (250 g/9 oz) oven-ready poppy seed topping
In addition:
50 g/2 oz blanched flaked almonds
3 tablespoons apricot preserve
Per piece:
7 g, F: 13 g, C: 32 g, kJ: 1046, kcal: 250
1. Preheat the oven at top and bottom and line the baking sheet with baking parchment.
2. To make the dough, carefully mix together the flour and baking powder and sift into the mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting, to make a smooth dough. Do not knead too long or the dough may become sticky. Then shape into a cylinder on a floured work surface.
3. For the curd cheese topping, stir together the curd cheese, softened butter, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and egg. Stir the plum purée until smooth to make the plum topping. Cut the dough into 20 pieces and shape into balls. Flatten the balls of dough in the middle so as to form a raised edge all round.
4. Put some of the dough balls (6–7) on the prepared baking sheet and put some curd cheese, poppy seed and plum purée topping on each. First put 1 tablespoon curd cheese mixture on the dough, then a blob of plum purée in the middle. Cut a corner in the poppy seed packet and sprinkle a large ring all round. Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet.
5. Make the rest of the kolatschen in the same way and bake. Put on a rack to cool. Roast the almonds in a pan without fat until lightly brown and put on a plate
to cool. Rub the apricot jam through a sieve and bring to the boil while stirring. Spread over the cooled kolatschen and sprinkle the almonds on top.
Tips: Make the remaining kolatschen on baking parchment and simply slide onto the baking sheet.
You can replace the ready-made poppy seed filling with 125 g/ 5 oz freshlyground poppy seeds, 75 ml/3 fl oz (3⁄8 cup) boiling water, 1 medium egg, 2 tablespoons honey and 25 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter. Pour the boiling water on the ground poppy seeds and leave them to swell briefly. Then stir in the remaining ingredients and leave to swell briefly again. Continue working the poppy seed as described in point 4 above.
CHEESE AND OIL CAKE MIXTURE
87 | Banana turnovers
For children–easy (9 pieces)
Preparation time: about 20 minutes
Baking time: about 15 minutes
For the baking sheet:
baking parchment
For the cake mixture:
300 g/10 oz (3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 packet (16 g) baking powder
75 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch salt, 125 g/41⁄2 oz curd cheese (low fat)
100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) milk, 100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil
For the filling:
3 bananas
4 teaspoons apricot preserve
4 teaspoons lemon juice
For the coating and topping:
1 medium egg
blanched flaked almonds
some sugar crystals
Per piece:
P: 7 g, F: 13 g, C: 43 g, kJ: 1323, kcal: 316
1. Preheat the oven at the top and bottom and line the baking sheet with baking parchment.
2. To make the dough, carefully mix together the flour and baking powder and sift into the mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting, to make a smooth dough. Do not knead too long or the dough may become sticky. Then shape into a cylinder on a floured work surface. Roll out the dough to make a large square (36 x 36 cm/14 x 14 in) and then cut into 9 squares (12 x 12 cm/43⁄4 x 43⁄4 in).
3. For the filling, peel the bananas and cut each into 3 so that you have 9 pieces in all. Mix together the apricot jam and the lemon juice. Coat each piece of dough with this mixture using a pastry brush (leaving the edges uncovered), put a piece of banana on each and coat again with the apricot and lemon juice mixture. Brush the edges with beaten egg, fold the 2 opposing corners over the banana and press the edges down firmly.
4. Put the turnovers on the prepared baking sheet, brush with the rest of the beaten egg and sprinkle with flaked almonds or sugar crystals according to taste.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 15 minutes.
5. Put the banana turnovers on a rack to cool.
Tips: Serve the banana turnovers hot with whipped cream or vanilla sauce.
Pineapple jam may be used instead of apricot jam.
CHEESE AND OIL CAKE MIXTURE
88 | Rolled slices (Coffee slices)
Quick (about 10 pieces)
Preparation time: about 40 minutes
Baking time: about 25 minutes
For the cake mixture:
150 g/5 oz (11⁄3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
4 level teaspoons baking powder, 40 g/11⁄2 oz (4 tablespoons) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 pinch salt
75 g/3 oz curd cheese (low fat)
50 ml /11⁄2 fl oz (3 tablespoons) milk
50 ml /11⁄2 fl oz (3 tablespoons) cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil
For the filling:
100 g/31⁄2 oz marzipan
50 g/2 oz (4 tablespoons) soft butter
1 medium egg
25 g/1 oz candied lemon peel
125 g/5 oz raisins
50 g/2 oz chopped hazelnut kernels
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon rum essence
For the icing:
80 g/3 oz (5⁄8 cup) icing (confectioner’s) sugar
2–4 teaspoons rum
Per piece:
P: 6 g, F: 17 g, C: 39 g, kJ: 1411, kcal: 337
1. Preheat the oven. Grease the baking sheet with fat and line it baking parchment.
2. To make the dough, carefully mix together the flour and baking powder and sift into the mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting, to make a smooth dough. Do not knead too long or the dough may become sticky. Then shape into a cylinder on a floured work surface.
3. For the filling, cut the marzipan into small pieces, add the softened butter and egg and stir with a hand mixer until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Finely chop the candied lemon peel and add to the mixture together with the raisins, hazelnuts, cinnamon and rum essence.
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to form a square (30 x 30 cm/12 x 12 in) and cover with the marzipan mixture. Sprinkle the raisin mixture on top and press down lightly. Roll up the dough and put on the prepared baking sheet. Make a cut 2.5 cm/1 in deep along almost the whole length of the cake, about 25 cm/10 in, but without cutting through to the ends, pull slightly apart and press to flatten.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 25 minutes.
5. For the icing, sift the icing sugar and stir enough rum to make a thick glaze. Spread this over the cake immediately after removing it from the oven using a pastry brush. Leave to cool and cut into thin strips.
CHEESE AND OIL CAKE MIXTURE
89 | Plum purée cake
Sophisticated (about 16 pieces)
Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 35 minutes
For a rectangular tin (30 x 11 cm/12 x 41⁄2 in):
some fat
For the cheese and oil cake mixture:
250 g/9 oz (21⁄2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
3 level teaspoons baking powder
50 g/13⁄4 oz (4 tablespoons) sugar
125 g/5 oz curd cheese (low fat)
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil
For the filling:
200 g/7 oz marzipan
125 g/5 oz plum purée
For the coating:
2 teaspoons condensed milk
For the icing:
4 heaped teaspoons icing (confectioner’s) sugar
1–2 teaspoon lemon juice
For the topping:
2 teaspoons sugar crystals
Per piece:
P: 4 g, F: 8 g, C: 25 g, kJ: 781, kcal: 187
1. Preheat the oven at the top and bottom and grease the baking tin.
2. To make the dough, mix together the flour and baking powder, sift into a mixing bowl and add the other ingredients. Stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting until the dough is formed. Do not knead too long or the dough may become sticky. Then roll out the dough on a floured work surface to make a rectangle (30 x 25 cm/12 x 10 in) and cut in half lengthways.
3. For the filling, finely chop the marzipan and stir into the plum purée with a hand mixer with whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Spread this mixture over the two strips of dough, each time leaving a border of 2 cm/3⁄4 in uncovered. Roll up the strips starting each time with the longer side.
4. Twist the 2 rolls round each other like a rope and put in the greased baking tin and make a cut 1⁄2 cm/3⁄16 in deep
along the domed ridges with a knife. Brush condensed milk over the dough and put on a shelf in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (not preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 35 minutes.
5. Remove the cake immediately from the tin and put on a rack to cool.
6. For the icing, sift the icing sugar, add lemon juice and stir until smooth. Spread over the cake and sprinkle with sugar crystals.
Tip: Cakes made from curd cheese and oil dough taste best when very fresh.
CHEESE AND OIL CAKE MIXTURE
90 | Mandarin and Schmand cake
For children (about 20 pieces)
Preparation time: about 45 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 40 minutes
For the cheese and oil cake mixture:
300 g/10 oz (3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
3 level teaspoons baking powder
75 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch salt
125 g/5 oz curd cheese (low fat), 100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) milk
100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil
For the topping:
4 cans mandarin oranges (drained weight 175 g/6 oz per can)
80 g/3 oz (9 tablespoons) custard powder, vanilla flavour
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄2 cup) sugar, 750 ml/11⁄4 pints (31⁄2 cups) milk
500 g/18 oz Schmand or crème fraîche
50 g/2 oz chopped almonds
For the icing:
200 g/7 oz (11⁄3 cups) icing (confectioner’s) sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Per piece:
P: 5 g, F: 13 g, C: 43 g, kJ: 1312, kcal: 313
1. Preheat the oven at the top and bottom and grease the baking sheet with fat.
2. To make the dough, mix together the flour and baking powder, sift into a mixing bowl and add the other ingredients. Stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting until the dough is formed. Do not knead too long or the dough may become sticky. Then shape into a roll on a floured work surface. Roll out the dough and place a baking frame round it.