.Heimat

So I've been lazier about baking and posting adventures the past weeks because I've been working on my website and my new blog.

I moved back to Portland, OR six months ago.

I call this my new home.

The space .heimat reflects my new surroundings, 

but at the same time I want to keep to connection to my German roots upright.

.heimat is the feeling of home -

which for me, is split between two places now.

I will continue to post recipes once a week and little {ad}ventures into the beautiful nature in Oregon, heck all the Pacific Northwest, ALL THE FOODS and my passion for photography.

Click here to add me to your bloglovin feed, keep on following me on facebook!

This week I'm starting off with Schweineohren, literal translation being 'pig ears', or Palmiers, as most of you know them. 

Web presence.

So no recipe this week. 

Why?

First of all I've been sick - and I couldn't get any baking done. 

BUT

I was pretty productive in another sense:

I got my very own website up and running.

Please, do check it out, just click on my logo!

Also, here are some older photos and links, in case you're in need of some inspiration. 

Also I'm working on improvements on this food blog, 

so bear with me the next couple of weeks.

Poppyseed 'Striezel'.

 

White mountains, 
hidden coal.
BLACK
concealed in many layers.

Evoking nostalgia, 
remnants of a borrowed childhood.
Past made present.
Poppyseed.

...

Poppyseed 'Striezel'

time 20 minutes for filling prep, 90 minutes for the dough, 15 minutes for streusel prep, 20 minutes assembly, 30-60 minutes proofing, 30 minutes baking, 15 minutes finishing

yields 12-14 'Striezel' pieces

filling

110g poppy seeds

25g unsalted butter

100ml milk

75g sugar

50g honey

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

dough

500g all-purpose flour

200ml milk, room temperature

30g sugar

1/2 tsp. himalayan salt

2 eggs

17g fresh yeast

1/8 tsp. lemon zest

a large pinch of fresh vanilla

250g butter

streusel

50g butter

50g sugar

90g flour

large pinch of salt

large pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

glaze

100g powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. hot water

Make the filling:

Grind the poppy seeds in a coffee grinder in batches for about 15-20 seconds per batch, till they are ground soft and powdery.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk in the milk, sugar, and honey. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, till the sugar dissolves and the honey melts.

Pour some of the hot liquid into a cup.

Immediately but gradually being drizzling the hot liquid into the beaten eggs.
 Whisk briskly and constantly till all of the hot liquid is integrated into the eggs.

Slowly pour the heated, tempered egg mixture back into the hot liquid in the saucepan, whisking constantly.

Continue to whisk and cook for a couple more minutes over medium heat till the mixture thickens and turns light yellow.

Remove the saucepan from heat.
Whisk the ground poppy seeds into the buttery liquid and stir well to blend all ingredients.

Allow filling to cool to room temperature before using.

Prepare the dough:
Combine all ingredients except the butter in a large bowl, ideally use a stand mixer for this.
Knead for a couple of minutes, until the dough's surface is smooth and taunt.
Form into a smooth ball and leave to relax and proof, covered, for half an hour.
In the meantime, cut the cold butter into slabs.
Once the half hour is up, punch down the dough.
Roll the dough to double the size of all of your slabs of butter put together.
Distribute the butter evenly in the middle and fold the dough into the middle like an envelope.
Make sure to press down and seal the edges.
Roll out evenly into a long rectangle.
Procede to fold like a letter, in thirds, then refrigerate for half an hour.
Repeat this process another two times.
Let rest before rolling out the pastry.

While the dough is resting, make the streusel:

cream butter and sugar until combined.

Add flour and spices and mix until the dough sticks together but easily crumbles.

Pack together densely and refrigerate until needed.

To assemble:
roll out the dough to 2-3mm into a large rectangle.
Spread the filling across on the 'long' side in the middle, leaving free a couple centimeters on each side.
Fold the dough evenly into the middle, enclosing the filling.
Transfer to a lined baking sheet.
Brush the top of the dough with egg wash (mix egg along with a splash of water) and sprinkle the streusel evenly across the surface.
Leave to proof for 30-60 minutes in a warm spot, the pastry should gain 1/3rd in size.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C/ 375°F.
Once proofed, bake for around 25-30 minutes or until the streusel have gained a little color and the pastry is puffed and golden-brown.
Let cool for at least 15 minutes, then mix together the glaze and sprinkle or brush onto the 'Striezel'.
Cut into stripes before serving.

Christmas Delights.

I celebrated Christmas Eve with myself. 

It's not a big deal in the U.S. but it's THE main holiday back in Germany so I wanted to make it special.

I skyped with my family for hours, went on a prolonged dog walk with Dewey - the puppy I'm dog sitting over the holidays - and then spent a good amount of time in the kitchen making myself some special food. 

Oh and I topped it off with eating too many Rocher chocolates and watching a German movie. 

A good day through and through, although I wish I could have been closer to my loved ones.

The food:
Sauerbraten (German roast), heirloom potatoes, cooked red cabbage, mousse au chocolate with vanilla whipped cream

 

 

 

Plätzchen (Xmas Cookies).

Stars and crescents

create galaxies of sweet. 

Powdered sugar clusters, 

hazelnut comets,

orbit dishes

brought out for this special occasion.

After the holidays

only crumbs speck this universe.

...

Ochsenaugen / Sandwich Cookies

time 15 minutes preparation, 2 hours chilling, one hour cutting and baking, 30 minutes finishing

yields around 70 cookies (around 2.5cm in diameter)

400g all-purpose flour

200g butter, room temperature

3 (60g) egg yolks

100g sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. vanilla zest

50g ground hazelnuts

filling

150g strawberry jam

juice of one lemon

100g powdered sugar

Place the flour in a large bowl. 

Cut the butter into small cubes and spread on top of the flour. 

Make a indentation in the middle of the flour and add the rest of the ingredients.

Knead everything until it comes together as a smooth dough.

Form into a flat ball and let chill, covered, for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 390°F.

Roll out thinly, around 2-3mm and cut out rounds and rounds with holes in them to make sandwich cookies with the jam after baking. 

Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.

Let cool completely, then put tops and bottoms together.

Sift the powdered sugar over the sandwich cookies to cover them in a thin layer.

Heat the jam with the lemon and boil up once.

Let cool slightly, then using a funnel or a pastry bag (careful, hot!) fill the sandwich holes. 

Let cool and enjoy.

Nougatkipferl / Gianduja Crescents

time 20 minutes preparation, 3-4 hours chilling, 45 minutes shaping and baking, 30 minutes finishing 

yields around 50 crescents

100g butter, room temperature

200g gianduja (nougat / hazelnut chocolate)

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. himalayan salt

300g all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

200g semi-sweet chocolate

50g coconut oil

Cream butter and gianduja until smooth.

You might have to soften both in the microwave.  

Add the egg, vanilla and salt and mix until smooth. 

Knead in the flour and baking powder until the dough comes together completely. 

Form into a flat ball, wrap in plastic wrap and leave to chill for 3-4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F.

Divide the dough into two halves and roll out each one into a thin log. 

Cut into 6cm long pieces and roll into small crescents 'Kipferl'.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes until they brown slightly. 

Remove from sheet and let cool completely before dipping the ends in chocolate.

For the chocolate:

melt both the chocolate and coconut oil and mix to emulsify.

Let cool until 32°C/ 90°F.

Dip the ends of the crescents in the chocolate and set on a silicon mat or baking paper to harden.

Vanillekipferl / Vanilla Cresents

time 20 minutes preparation, 2 hours chilling, 45 minutes shaping and baking, 15 minutes finishing

yields around 50 crescents

50g ground almonds

50g ground hazelnuts

300g all-purpose flour

100g granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. himalayan salt

200g butter, at room temperature

2 egg yolks

1 vanilla bean, scraped

100g powdered sugar

30g granulated sugar, ideally vanilla sugar

Place the flour and ground nuts in a large bowl. 

Cut the butter into small cubes and spread on top of the flour. 

Make a indentation in the middle of the flour and add the rest of the ingredients.

Knead everything until it comes together as a smooth dough.

Form into a flat ball and let chill, covered, for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F.

Divide the dough into two halves and roll out each into a thin log.

Cut into 5cm long pieces and roll into crescents.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden-brown.

Still warm, transfer them carefully into the powdered sugar mixed with the granulated sugar and either toss to coat or dust the crescents with the help of a sieve.

Let cool.