I am excited to be guest posting at “Supper for a Steal” today! Since Lane’s blog has quick and easy meals as a main influence, I decided to present you with a quick dinner idea that we’ve made frequently at our house. It’s the go-to thing when nobody has had time to cook and [...]]]>

I am excited to be guest posting at “Supper for a Steal” today! Since Lane’s blog has quick and easy meals as a main influence, I decided to present you with a quick dinner idea that we’ve made frequently at our house. It’s the go-to thing when nobody has had time to cook and things need to go fast because everybody is HUNGRY.

This sauce can be whipped up literally in minutes, and if you have pasta in the fridge, you’ll have something on your plate in less than 20 minutes. Enjoy!

For the full recipe, visit Lane’s place!

I am tickled to be guest-posting for my friend Jessica at Oh Cake! today. A couple of months ago I was contacted by somebody seeking to reinvent a cake she remembered from her childhood. She called it a “Zuckerkuchen” or “sugar cake” but everything she was describing to me was decidedly more a “Schmandkuchen” [...]]]>

I am tickled to be guest-posting for my friend Jessica at Oh Cake! today. A couple of months ago I was contacted by somebody seeking to reinvent a cake she remembered from her childhood. She called it a “Zuckerkuchen” or “sugar cake” but everything she was describing to me was decidedly more a “Schmandkuchen” or “sour cream cake”, or a cross between the two. Zuckerkuchen is really, really simple to make: a yeast-based dough, spread on a half-sheet baking pan, topped with cinnamon and sugar over butter or a layer of sour cream. That’s it. A Schmandkuchen is round and similar to Zuckerkuchen in that it is topped with cinnamon and sugar. The dough base can vary.

For the full recipe, head on over to Jessica’s and say “hi”!

I have stated before I love the smell of citrus, and even more its taste. It’s always refreshing, no matter what you add it to.

I therefore decided to make one of my favorite cakes for this guest post today. I am thrilled that my friend Raymund asked me to appear on his blog, [...]]]>

I have stated before I love the smell of citrus, and even more its taste. It’s always refreshing, no matter what you add it to.

I therefore decided to make one of my favorite cakes for this guest post today. I am thrilled that my friend Raymund asked me to appear on his blog, and I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I have. Added benefit: it can be whipped up in a very short time, so if you’re ever in a bind for a dessert, here you go!

For the full recipe, visit Ang Sarap!

Apples are among the most versatile fruit I know. I just love apples. LOVE apples. Pies, tortes, apple sauce, apple pancakes… the list goes on and on. They have just enough sweetness to not require very much more sugar, and their tartness (provided you use a baking apple) single-handedly enhances any pastry they are [...]]]>

Apples are among the most versatile fruit I know. I just love apples. LOVE apples. Pies, tortes, apple sauce, apple pancakes… the list goes on and on. They have just enough sweetness to not require very much more sugar, and their tartness (provided you use a baking apple) single-handedly enhances any pastry they are added to.

Apple pockets (Apfeltaschen) are consequently one of my favorite pastries, and the best thing is that they are a non-messy affair when you’re eating them, which makes them an ideal snack for kids, young and old. The first round of these mysteriously disappeared over the course of the evening, before I had a chance to even photograph a single one coming out of the oven, much less GLAZE them. (Can I just say, “TSOS” = “teenage son over shoulder”?) I normally put out little signs that say things like, “Please don’t eat.” all the way to “Eat this and be PUNISHED!”, but this time I neglected to do that and was promptly punished myself – with an empty plate.

There was nothing else left to do but to make another batch, but these are so easy and quick, it was not really that bad. The recipe came out of one of my favorite recipe books, “Backen Macht Freude” by Dr. Oetker (the US English edition is called “German Baking Today”). The recipes are easy to follow, accessible and accompanied by helpful photographs. The only substitution I made was to use craisins instead of the raisins that the recipe calls for, as nobody in my family really likes raisins that much.

At our house, we are big yogurt eaters. “Au naturel”, with honey, with fruit – you name it, we either LOVE it already or we are actively thinking about trying it. In Germany, we used to buy our yogurt at a local Turkish grocery store. My theory has long been that on a culinary [...]]]>

At our house, we are big yogurt eaters. “Au naturel”, with honey, with fruit – you name it, we either LOVE it already or we are actively thinking about trying it. In Germany, we used to buy our yogurt at a local Turkish grocery store. My theory has long been that on a culinary level , Turks and Greeks have more in common than the respective politicians will have us believe, and so the yogurt we got at the local “bakkal” was, you guessed it, a Greek brand.

Greek yogurt is simply incomparable: it is tasty, creamy, will not simply drip off your spoon. And what better to make with it than tzatziki (in Turkish, cacık)?

I have been in a cheese-making mood lately, and the book I have been using is a German one my husband has had for years, but that I have only recently taken interest in. Making yogurt at home could not be any easier: you heat up milk to a certain temperature, add yogurt culture, more or less keep it stable at that temperature for a few hours, and voilà, you have new yogurt!

You can buy machines with little glass jars that will basically do most of the work for you. You can buy special insulated containers. But trust me, you do not need any of that. All you need is a 2-gallon cooler, a lidded container that will comfortably fit it and a few old towels. Most of us have this kind of thing lying around somewhere.

Just like with Quark, non-homogenized milk works best, but you can make yogurt pretty much with any kind of milk – just be prepared that it will affect the consistency of the finished product.

Do you like yogurt? What kind?

Today’s post comes from my friend Soni of “Soni’s Food for Thought”. I’ve been faithfully following her posts for a while now, and she is as versatile as she is a pleasure to read.

Hi, I’m Soni and today I’m honored to be guest posting for Sofie who is an extremely talented blogger. I’m a big [...]]]>

Today’s post comes from my friend Soni of “Soni’s Food for Thought”. I’ve been faithfully following her posts for a while now, and she is as versatile as she is a pleasure to read.

Hi, I’m Soni and today I’m honored to be guest posting for Sofie who is an extremely talented blogger. I’m a big fan of her German recipes especially her breads and desserts! I met her through our Facebook group and getting to know her has been a sheer pleasure. Her witty comments just crack me up.

For this post I’ve made an Apple Ricotta Cake that I think you all will love. It’s a rustic cake, that I’ve adapted from the website All Recipes. This cake is great for all seasons and is super easy to make. I’ve used extra virgin olive oil here that also makes it a healthy indulgence.

The addition of Ricotta gives it a creamy texture and the sweet apples with cinnamon flavor it beautifully! Great with a topping of either whipped cream or ice-cream…

I was thrilled when Sofie asked if I would be willing to guest post here at The German Foodie while she was off on her global travels. She didn’t ask me to accompany her, so I figure this is the next best thing, right?

Immediately upon my agreement [...]]]> Hi, y’all! I’m Jen from Juanita’s Cocina.

I was thrilled when Sofie asked if I would be willing to guest post here at The German Foodie while she was off on her global travels. She didn’t ask me to accompany her, so I figure this is the next best thing, right?

Immediately upon my agreement to do this guest post, I began frantically searching for all sorts of German food. I searched desserts, entrees, drinks…

I almost settled on a fabulous drink, because who wouldn’t want a nice boozy cocktail in the middle of this summer heat, but then I rethought my approach. I decided I’d do a “Juanita twist” on something quintessentially German.

When I think of the quintessential German dessert, my mind immediately goes straight to black forest cake. Black forest cake, or Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (black forest cherry torte), generally consists of layers of chocolate cake with cherry filling, chocolate ganache and/or shavings, and at times, whipped cream. All I have to say to all of that is, “Yes please!”

Now, how to do a Juanita twist on black forest cake?

Turn it into ice cream, that’s how. It’s summer. No one wants to bake, melt chocolate, and boil sour cherries for a cake. At least, not where I live in Texas. But ice cream? Ice cream I can do.

I found a recipe for black forest ice cream and I adapted it slightly for ingredients that I had on hand. Boom! A Juanita twist on a quintessential German dessert.

When I asked my friend Kayle from “The Cooking Actress” to do a guest post for me, little did I know she’d already know my biggest weakness – chocolate. I mean, you can’t go wrong with CHOCOLATE?! Not only is this girl a talented actress and incredible food blogger, she was also born and [...]]]>

When I asked my friend Kayle from “The Cooking Actress” to do a guest post for me, little did I know she’d already know my biggest weakness – chocolate. I mean, you can’t go wrong with CHOCOLATE?! Not only is this girl a talented actress and incredible food blogger, she was also born and raised very close to where we live now. I’ve accordingly pestered her for a blogger date, but that may have to wait until her busy schedule (and family) makes it happen… Without further ado:

Hello! My name is Kayle, and I’m the blogger behind The Cooking Actress. In case the title didn’t give it away, I am an actress and I live in New York with my wonderful boyfriend/food eater, Michael. Although I currently live in NY, I’m actually originally from an area of Ohio that’s right by where Sofie lives! Isn’t that so funny? When she and I met through The Food Bloggers Network it was a fun little thing to share. Anyway, I am so excited to be posting here for Sofie! This blog is crazy amazing, isn’t it? She always has gorgeous photos, delicious recipes, and such an informative/sassy voice! When trying to decide what recipe I should share with you today, Sofie just told me to choose whatever I wanted-something that represented me. I have something to tell you all: I am a cookie monster. I love cookies. So much. ESPECIALLY chocolate chip cookies! I cannot get enough of them! I have so many different recipes stored for me to try, it’s a little insane. And, I had recently made these crazy good, super huge and thick, chocolate chip cookies! Perfect timing!

These cookies have a few things that make them unique: obviously, browned butter-which, in case you didn’t know, is amazing! It’s pretty much just cooking butter until it turns brown and it makes everything taste more complex, buttery, and a little nutty! They also have yeast in them-which I presume contributes to the thickness. And, in addition to the browned butter, you also have little bits of cold butter added to the dough-sort of like you do with biscuits or pie crust. This also adds to the texture and thickness. The only drawback with the whole “biscuit-factor”, is that when these are a couple days leftover, their texture really gets crumbly and not super cookie-like. They’re still good, though! Michael and I both loved these (I thought they were so so so good warm out of the oven!)-he really enjoys walnuts in cookies, so that helped . All in all-they’re not my favorite recipe out of all the chocolate chip cookies I’ve made, but they are very good (and unique!) so they are definitely something I’ll make again someday. And I definitely think you should make them too! Definitely.

Today my friend Liz from “That Skinny Chick Can Bake” is guest posting for me, and I’m so excited to have her. The title of her blog is only fitting, because MAN, CAN SHE BAKE!

I’m delighted to be here guest posting on The German Foodie! Sofie has been such a supportive friend to [...]]]>

Today my friend Liz from “That Skinny Chick Can Bake” is guest posting for me, and I’m so excited to have her. The title of her blog is only fitting, because MAN, CAN SHE BAKE!

I’m delighted to be here guest posting on The German Foodie! Sofie has been such a supportive friend to me and so many other bloggers…offering support to us not so techy folk with her expertise in photography and computer programming.  I jumped at the chance to help her out while she was on a summer holiday. She kindly did not restrict me to any specific topic, so I elected to share a yummy dessert with you all.

As the 4th of July was approaching, I started brainstorming about what classic American dessert to make for our annual cook out. Grasshopper pie was a given as one of our neighbors requests it every year. A fruit pie was the perfect balance to the frozen ice creamy treat…and apple seemed to be the obvious choice. But since I was thinking of this dish as a possible guest post for Sofie, I wanted it to be more impressive than a plain ol’ apple pie. A rosette of apple slices on a buttery tart crust came to mind, so I hunted down an apple galette recipe to make my own.

The original recipe for the crust called for only 2 tablespoons of water which resulted in very dry crumbs instead of much of a dough. It took nearly 3 more tablespoons to make the dough workable, so start with 2 and use caution by adding a wee bit more at a time…you don’t want a soggy dough, either. Unfortunately, since it’s made with just butter, it’s quite delicate and a bit finicky to work with. But a little pinching of cracks solves any problems with tears. And this is supposed to be a rustic looking dessert, so perfection is not key.

Only a sliver remained after the 4th, and my dad put dibs on it for breakfast! I hope I’ve inspired you to try a galette for your next dessert. Thanks so much, Sofie, for inviting me here today!