Früchtebrot is a holiday fruit and nut bread, sliced into rounds into bite size pieces. It's not overly sweet or salty. The flavors of fruits, nuts, and cognac meld together to form a perfect holiday loaf. It makes three logs which can be sliced into rounds. Wrap logs in parchment paper and string for a homemade holiday gift. This recipe is from Essen und Trinken, a great website for recipes. You'll notice in this recipe grams are not converted to cups. Thanks to a colleague and friend of mine, I received a kitchen scale for Christmas. For those without a kitchen scale, try using the cooking conversion calculator from Gourmet Sleuth.  I've had success using this online converter.

Früchtebrot
Recipe from Essen & Trinken
Makes roughly 3- 12" logs

Note: the original recipe called for equal amounts of dried apricots, plums, apples and figs. In place of 100 g dried apples, I added an additional 50 g dried apricots and 50 g chopped dates. Any variety of dried fruit will work well in this recipe.

100 g dried plums (roughly 11 plums), chopped
100 g dried figs, chopped
150 g dried apricots, chopped
50 g dried dates, chopped
50 ml cognac (equivalent to a trial size bottle- the original recipe calls for whisky)
50 g pine nuts
50 g flaked almonds, divided in half
50 g pistachios, peeled
1 Tablespoon of allspice
1 Tablespoon of dry yeast
100 g all purpose flour
1/3 cup of water in a small bowl and a pastry brush, set aside

Marinate dried fruit with cognac in a medium size bowl for approximately 30 minutes. The dried fruit will soak up the liquid.

Meanwhile, chop the pine nuts with pistachios. Add one portion of the flaked almonds to the nut mixture. In a separate bowl, combine flour, yeast, and allspice. Combine half of the nut mixture with the flour and yeast. Knead in the dried fruit mixture. Knead thoroughly. Form into three separate logs of equal length approximately 12" long and 1 1/5" wide. Spread the remaining flaked almonds on a sheet of parchment paper. Brush each log with water that has been set to the side. Roll each log into the flaked almond mixture. Let each log rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees while the logs rest. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool completely before slicing into 1 cm thick rounds. Line rounds onto a sheet of parchment paper or sandwich paper, roll, and tie each end with string to give as a gift over the holidays.

    

In addition to Springerle, Lebkuchen, and Zimtsterne, I added two more types of German cookies and holiday treats to the boxes I packaged for family members. Spekulatius-Brezeln and Früchtebrot were packaged in boxes, and Matt and I gave the boxes of cookies to our families. The Früchtebrot is a nut and dried fruit bread, with very little flour and yeast. It is sliced into bite size rounds and is a perfect combination of nuts and fruit. It's not too sweet.

Spekulatius-Brezeln is a combination of puff pastry and speculaas (a spice laden) dough, rolled together in pretzel and other shapes.  The recipe for Früchtebrot and Spekulatius-Brezeln I found from Essen & Trinken, a German food website. These recipes were featured on their Christmas cookie slide show- and if you can't translate the recipes, the pictures themselves are worth looking through for holiday ideas.

Spekulatius-Brezeln
Adapted and translated from Essen & Trinken

1 cup ground roasted almonds
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg yoke
1 T cardamom
1 T cinnamon
1/2 T ground cloves
1/2 T ground nutmeg
1 cup all purpose flour
 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed, at room temperature
1 egg white
1/2 c granulated sugar, placed in a bowl or dish

Place puff pastry out on the counter as you prepare the spekulatius dough. Combine butter, brown sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until creamy. Add egg yolk and lightly mix until smooth. Gradually add flour, ground almonds, and spices.  Knead mixture until smooth if you have difficulty using the stand mixer. Place in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Fold out puff pastry dough on a board. Roll approximately to the length of a standard cookie sheet (a flexible length). Remove spekulatius dough from the refrigerator and divide into two portions. Brush half of the puff pastry with egg white. Roll out one of the portions of spekulatius dough onto the puff pastry half covered with egg white. Fold over the puff pastry on top of the spekulatius dough. Brush the top with egg white. Roll out the reserved spekulatius dough on top. Roll the entire layers into a long cylinder, place in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the puff pastry and spekulatius dough from the refrigerator and roll out to 1/4" thick. Cut into strips and fold over pieces into pretzel shapes or spirals. Dip each shape into sugar, alternatively sprinkle each piece with sugar. Place onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-15 mins at 375 degrees until slightly golden. Watch for over browning. Flavor improves the next day and the day after.     

Tis' the season for cookies! Although I try not to eat too many cookies and sweets, for the last three years I have baked and packaged various baked goods for close friends and family for Christmas. My mother has done this every year that I can remember. Every first weekend of December she would meet with her long time friend and co-worker and bake throughout the day. I remember our kitchen table covered in newspaper, wax paper, and dozens of various cookies spread over the table. Cookie tins were piled high and put away so our little hands and mouths couldn't find them. You can't hide cookies from kids though, we knew to look under the table, behind the couch, in her bedroom, in the basement, and even in the laundry room.  Now that we're grown and not living at home, they're a lot more easier to find. My mom filled plates with her cookies and handed them out to church members, friends, teachers, and neighbors.

To date, I'm on my third batch of Springerle cookies, and fourth separate batch of Christmas cookies to bring to family and friends. I've been enjoying translating German recipes, flipping through various German cookbooks to find inspiration, and for the cookies I've never tasted before- experiencing new flavors.  

Springerle Cookies:
I've only become familiar with these cookies in the last two years. They are a South German cookie, flavored with anise extract and printed with a rolling pin or single wooden molds. I've blogged about Springerle in earlier posts, but here, I've included photos of Springerle I've painted with luster dust. Springerle last for at least 3 months. Great with coffee or tea.

Ulm Weihnachtsterne: (Ulm Christmas Stars)
I came across this recipe in a Germany cookbook published in English with UK measurements. It's a shortbread like cookie with a marzipan and candied fruit topping. This cookie greatly improved its' flavor two days later.

Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Stars)
Cinnamon stars are perfect for the Christmas season. They are a meringue like cookie made with ground almonds, cinnamon, and egg whites. Although hard, they make an excellent cookie for dunking into your coffee or tea. 

Nürnberger Lebkuchen (also called Elisenlebkuchen) Gingerbread
From decorated gingerbread hearts to rectangular shaped gingerbread cookies to round cookies and gingerbread houses, gingerbread has a long and celebrated history in Germany. Lebkuchen comes in different types, here, I used oblatens (round wafers) to shape gingerbread rounds. I translated a recipe from the Einladung zu Kaffee & Kuchen cookbook I own, converted the measurements, and made two changes to the recipe. Elisenlebkuchen is typically glazed with a powdered sugar and citrus icing and made from a dough rich with almonds, spices, and candied citron. You can find this kind of Lebkuchen imported to the US available in packaged form in European food markets or online. I had my first taste of Lebkuchen at a stand in the Christkindlemarkt (a Christmas market) in Bethlehem, PA a few years ago. This version comes very close to my first taste.

Nürnberger Lebkuchen
Translated and adapted from Einladung zu Kaffee & Kuchen
1995 Mosaik Verlag München
Makes 24 rounds (70mm wide)

Dough:
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar (caster or superfine granulated sugar)
1 large packet of Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar (available at most grocers)
3 cups of finely ground almonds (pulse whole raw almonds in a food processor)
3/4 T mace
2 tsp cardamom
3/4 T cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp rum
1/4 cup (generous) roughly chopped candied lemon peel
1/4 cup (generous) roughly chopped candied orange peel
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 T baking powder
24 oblaten rounds (alternatively spread or pipe dough into round shapes on a prepared baking sheet)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T (or more) fresh lemon juice
Drop or two of almond extract or Amaretto
24 whole, raw almonds (for top)

Prepare two aluminum baking sheets with parchment paper. Lay out 24 oblatens on each.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs with sugars until frothy and thick. Meanwhile whisk together the flour and baking powder. Reduce speed of the mixer and gradually add ground almonds, spices, rum, and candied citron. Gradually add flour and baking powder.

Pick up one oblaten and using a knife, shape and spread the dough onto the round. Alternatively, spread the dough into a circle onto the parchment paper. Continue with each. You may need to wash or rinse your hands to handle the cookie dough. It will be sticky.

Let cookies dry overnight (about 8 hours). Do not cover. The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for approximately 15 minutes just until edges begin to darken.  Prepare glaze as cookies are baking. Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and extract with a fork. Remove cookies from oven. While cookies are hot, quickly press a whole raw almond into the center of each and place cookies onto a cookie rack. Use a pastry brush to glaze each cookie on the rack. Cool completely before placing inside bags or tins. The flavor will improve the next day and the day after.

 



 

 

 

I wish this combination was my idea. I scoured the web for ideas on what to bring to the staff Christmas luncheon last Friday afternoon for the vegans and vegetarians on staff. (I'm included in that group). I visited Heidi Swanson's site at www.101cookbooks.com. She has a great photo of her bulgur and pomegranate salad on her blog. I adapted the recipe here to include the nuts I had available as well as the fresh herbs in my garden. It's a perfect salad to serve at a luncheon as you can make it the night before, and toss in the toasted nuts in the morning. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve. It will serve 8-10 people as a side dish.

Bulgur Pomegranate Celery Salad
Adapted from Heidi Swanson
Serves 8-10 as a side dish

1 cup red bulgur wheat
2 cups water
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pomegranate, reserve seeds and juice
3-4 stalks of celery (I used relatively short stalks)
2T fresh mint, chopped
2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
4oz of pine nuts, toasted
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly ground sea salt

Combine bulgur and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Fluff with a fork after 15-20 mins.

While the bulgur is cooking, cut and separate the pomegranate. Reserve 3-4 tablespoons of juice in a small bowl and set the seeds to the side to further drain. If you need to make juice, crush the seeds to make more.  Chop celery, shallot, garlic, and mint. Set vegetables and spices to the side. Cool bulgur.

Toast the pine nuts in two batches in a dry saucepan or frying pan. Use medium heat and stir constantly until the pine nuts turn golden brown on all sides. Set aside to cool. Toss pine nuts with a small amount of sea salt.

Combine bulgur, celery, and shallot in a bowl. Gently toss in the pomegranate seeds. In a small measuring cup, combine reserved pomegranate juice, 2-3T olive oil, garlic, mint, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour on top of the bulgur salad. Gently fold in the dressing, cover, and refrigerate. If you're making the salad to serve immediately or within the next few hours, fold in the pine nuts gently through the salad with the dressing. If you will wait to serve the salad until the next day, fold in the pine nuts that morning.  Refrigerate the salad until ready, or serve at room temperature.

I was pleasantly surprised to come home from work Sunday afternoon and smell the aroma of a lentil soup gently simmering on the stove. The day before was the first accumulating snow here in SE PA, and there's nothing like having your partner make a warm comforting soup for you when you come home from work on a cold snowy day on the weekend. He worked with staple pantry ingredients and seasonal vegetables.  I enjoyed it so much that I requested his recipe so I could share it with all of you.

Lentil and Brussel Sprout Soup
Serves 4-6
Matt Kennedy

10 C Water
1 T Olive Oil
1 C Green Lentils, Dry
1 C French Lentils, Dry
Half Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Shallot, Chopped
6 Cloves Garlic, Minced
3/4 C Red Quinoa
2 T Ground Black Pepper
1 Tsp Tumeric
10 Brussels Sprouts, Sliced
3 T Red Miso Paste
Sea salt (to taste)

In a large pot, toast the quinoa, garlic, and onions in the olive oil. Toast the quinoa so that it releases an aroma- not until it turns brown. Add 8 C water to the pot. Bring to a boil, stir in the other ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for 50 minutes.

From time to time I cater artist's receptions at work, for anywhere between 50 to 150 visitors. For the reception pictured above, here is my menu list of items prepared and assembled that day:

Drink: Cranberry Pineapple Ginger Ale Punch with Pomegranate Seeds

Savory items: 
Roasted Chickpeas
Dates with Goat Cheese Wrapped with Fresh Basil and Proscuitto (served warm)
Blue Cheese Gougeres
Stuffed Olive Bread (baked with assorted olives from Wegman's olive bar) with oregano olive oil for dipping

Sweet items:
Chocolate Chunks with Pistachios and Dried Cherries
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Date and Walnut Phyllo Rolls with Organic Greek Yogurt and Wildflower Honey

Prepared packaged/ bought items:
(from Giant and Wegmans grocery stores)
Black Pepper and Water Crackers for goat cheeses
Walnut and Maple Spread for assorted donated goat cheeses
Assorted olives from Wegman's Mediterranean Olive Bar
9" Mixed Berry Cheesecake (Giant)

Most of the recipes for the savory and sweet items you can find by performing a simple search on Epicurious.com.
You can search my blog for the recipe for stuffed olive bread. See the below recipe for roasted chickpeas.

Roasted Savory Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
Yield: 2 cups
Time: overnight + 45 mins roasting

1 1/2 cups dried garbanzo beans
2 T organic extra virgin olive oil
2 T raw granulated sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
freshly ground pepper
ground cayenne pepper (to taste)

Soak chickpeas overnight or at least 8 hours in room temperature water. Drain and dry with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss chickpeas with olive oil and sugar in a bowl, then spread out onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roast them in the oven, tossing every 10-15 mins and more frequently toward finishing time. Roast them between 45-50 mins. I burnt them on my first attempt, so watch them carefully as when roasting nuts, it doesn't take very long for them to turn from a golden roasted color to charcoal black. Chickpeas will become crispy and dry.

Upon removing them from the oven while still in a single layer, sprinkle salt, pepper and paprika onto the chickpeas and toss. Season to taste, I like them with a gentle heat. Gently cool and place into a serving bowl.  They'll keep for a day or two, but may soften the longer they are exposed to air.

If you want sweet cinnamon chickpeas, see Epicurious.com's recipe for Crispy Cinnamon Garbanzo Beans from Cookie magazine.