Swiss Recipes

Trübeliwähe

Andie Pilot — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 15:01:30 +0000

In my Aunt’s alpine garden near Flumserberg, her red currants, or Trübeli, are wrapped in green mesh to protect them from hungry birds. We have one big bush, but the nearby birds seem less interested in these ruby jewels and more interested in waiting a few weeks to absolutely decimate our blueberry bushes.

My aunt makes jelly and syrup from the berries (perfect for filling her Christmas Spitzbuben), but another favourite is this gorgeous Wähe, where you can use fresh or frozen berries.

The currants are juicy, so bake using bottom heat to prevent a soggy bottom. You can use ground almonds or hazelnuts on the base of the tart—though another option would be ground walnuts, which pair wonderfully with currants

For the pastry:

200 g flour

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

80 g butter

125 ml cold water

For the filling:

2 eggs

125 ml milk

125 ml cream

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

3 tbsp ground nuts

500 g red currants

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.

Add the cold butter in pieces and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers until you have small flakes.

Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the water. Mix this gently until a dough forms. Try not to overwork the dough or it will become tough.

Press the dough into a disc, wrap, and let cool in the fridge for about an hour.

Roll out your dough and line a 28 cm (11-inch) round tart pan, then keep the tart shell cool (preferably in the freezer) until you have the filling ready.

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F / gas mark 6, with bottom heat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla.

Place your tart pan on a parchment-lined baking sheet then sprinkle with nuts and then currants. Pour in the liquid.

Bake in the bottom half of the oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until the liquid has set.

If your berries are particularly sour, you can garnish with an additional sprinkling of sugar, either powdered or caster.

To save time, you can use use store-bought dough like Kuchenteig / pâte brisée / pasta per crostate to line your pan.

I like to use a mix of half milk and half cream for my Wähe, but feel free to use all milk or all cream.
Always place the tart pan on your baking sheet before pouring the liquid over.
For best results, and to avoid a soggy bottom, bake your tart in the bottom part of the oven, using bottom heat.

More Wähe?

Rhabarbertorte

Andie Pilot — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 06:18:48 +0000

Rhabarbertorte

There are lots of nice, seasonal bakes in Das Butter Buch, but this is one of my favourites. The sheer volume of rhubarb, with soft, tart pieces in every bite, makes this cake a real winner. It’s beyond easy to prepare too, so the perfect vehicle for rhubarb windfalls of all sorts.

From the youngest (seven) to the oldest (seventy-eight) the whole family loved this easy, rhubarb-stuffed cake.

Rhabarbertorte

100 g butter

200 g sugar

3 eggs

pinch of salt

zest from one lemon

200 g flour

1 tsp baking powder

500 g rhubarb, washed and chopped into 1-2 cm pieces

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350 ° F / gas mark 4.

Line the bottom of a 24 cm (9 inch) springform pan with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and salt and mix until light and fluffy. Mix in the lemon zest.

In a separate bowl, whisk the the flour with the baking powder. Add to the butter mixture and fold in sparingly. Gently fold in the rhubarb.

Smooth into the prepared pan and bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the top springs back when pressed and the sides of the cake pull away from the pan.

The batter is quite stiff, but with all the liquid released from the rhubarb, it bakes up quite tender.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I assume the base cake batter would work wonderfully well with similar fruits—maybe berries?

More Rhubarb?

Rhabarberkompott

Sauerkrautwähe

Andie Pilot — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 07:54:51 +0000

Not just a side dish, here sauerkraut is the star of the show!

Paired with cheese, sauerkraut adds a welcome break from the richness, and provides a lighter, yet equally filling meal.

(Have you ever tried cheese fondue with sauerkraut? It’s perfection.)

It also works well to add some bulk to a typical Chäswähe, and helps get some vegetables in there too—you don’t even need to prepare it—you can add it straight from the bag, jar or can.

My go-to Sauerkraut is the wonderful Swiss brand Schöni, and the filling for this recipe is based on theirs too. They have been making sauerkraut since 1920 and are still a family business, now in the 4th generation. Their sauerkraut is excellent and available throughout Switzerland (I get mine at the Coop and Landi), and they have other products as well, like beet salad, red cabbage, apple sauce, kimchi, and my all-time favourite the BBQ Kraut Chili that is amazing on hot dogs (or just by the forkful).

Dough:

200 g flour

pinch of salt

80 g butter, cold

125 ml water, cold

Filling:

3 tbsp breadcrumbs

400-500 g Sauerkraut, cooked

300 g hard cheese, grated

2 eggs

100 g crème fraîche or sour cream

200 ml milk or cream

nutmeg, salt and pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

Add the cold butter in pieces and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers until you have small flakes.

Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the water. Mix this gently until a dough forms. Try not to overwork the dough or it will become tough.

Press the dough into a disc, wrap, and let cool in the fridge for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F / gas mark 6.

Roll out your dough and line a 26 cm (10 inch) round tart pan. Lightly poke the bottom of the dough all over with a fork and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Filling:

Drain the sauerkraut slightly, or pat dry with a paper towel. It can still be a bit wet, just not dripping.

Mix together the sauerkraut and cheese, then add to the tart base, distributing evenly.

Whisk together the eggs, sour cream/crème fraîche, milk, and seasonings, then pour this mixture into the tart pan.

Bake in the bottom part of the oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the tart is nicely browned.

If you don’t have sour cream, you can replace with more milk or cream.
Bacon can be a nice addition—if you like, add about 150-200 g.

Silserli

Andie Pilot — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:40:04 +0000

“Guess what my son wants for his birthday meal?” a friend recently asked, “sandwiches!”

I nodded enthusiastically. I’ve enjoyed many a Swiss gathering—from Apéro to anniversary—that featured sandwiches: by the meter, in little buns, or as a Party-Brot.

And the Swiss definitely make great sandwiches. Of course this can be attributed to the fantastic cheese they have available, as well as excellent cured and cooked meats (like Buurehamme).

I love to stop at a (new to me) local bakery during a hike and take a sandwich for the road. Even the very least exciting varieties—cheese on Zopf, ham on a baguette, salami on a Silserli—are typically quite good. Add a butter/mustard/mayo mix, a soggy tomato, a slick pickle, and a round of hard-boiled egg, and you’ve got a classic Swiss sandwich.

But what elevates many of them is the bread, and there is no bread I’d rather turn into a sandwich than a pretzel bun.

Filled with classic salami or cheese, tuna or chicken salad, smoked salmon or thin slices of cucumber, or just a smear of butter, these are the perfect buns for sandwiches.

It may seem intimidating to make them—before baking, you need to boil the buns in a baking soda solution—but the process is quite straightforward.

This recipe is nearly identical to my Brezelherzen recipe, only with slightly more butter and a different form. You can also double the buns and place them in a ring, or form them into pretzels or little Zöpfli (braids).

Dough

500 g flour

2 tsp salt

300 ml warm milk

20 g fresh yeast or 2 tsp dry yeast

60 g butter, room temperature

Dipping solution

100 g baking soda

1 L water

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk and yeast.

Make a well in the flour and add the liquid ingredients. Stir this together until a dough starts to form, then add the butter and knead on a flat surface for about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, mix for about 8 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook.

Cover and let rise for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Split the dough into 12 pieces, about 70–75 g (2½ oz) each, then roll into buns.

Meanwhile, boil the water in a large pot and add the baking soda.

Gently drop the buns into the boiling water (as many as fit comfortably in the the pot, usually around 3-4) and count slowly to ten. Use a slotted spoon or sieve to remove the buns, shake off excess water and place them on a cooling rack on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Once they have all been dipped, slice the tops with a sharp knife (preferably serrated) and then bake for about 20 minutes, or until they are a deep brown on the top and bottom.

The perfect bread for all manner of sandwiches! Go wild!

Pull-apart Weggli

Recipe Here

Totenbeinli

Andie Pilot — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 14:26:01 +0000

Totenbeinli, meaning ‘bones of the dead’ (though more literally translated as ‘legs of the dead’), are a crunchy, nut-filled cookie originating in Graubünden. This macabre name comes from the fact that they were once commonly served at wakes, and that they should be about as hard and crunchy as the aforementioned bones.

Today they are made year-round throughout the country, and under much more neutral names like Nussstängeli, ‘nut sticks’, in German, and croquants in French, describing their crunchiness. They are a perennial Christmas favourite too—they keep well and their shape adds interest to the season’s cookie platters.

150 g whole almonds or hazelnuts, toasted

120 g ground almonds or hazelnuts, toasted

100 g butter, room temperature

200g sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

180 g flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

Once the whole nuts are toasted, set aside a handful to keep whole, and very roughly chop the rest. You will have three kinds of nuts to add: ground, roughly chopped, and whole.

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and salt. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, then stir into the butter mixture. Fold in the nuts.

Spread into a flat loaf (around 30 cm x 15 cm x 1 cm) directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for about an hour or freezer for about 15 minutes, until firm.

When you are ready to bake

Preheat oven to 200° C.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top has completely set.

Remove from the oven and wait for about 5 minutes, or until it is cool enough to handle. Cut into long slices, place back on the baking sheet and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes or until they are just starting to brown around the edges.

Almonds or hazelnuts (or a mix!) are generally used, however you can also experiment with different nuts like walnuts, or maybe even pistachios?

More cookies?

Nocino Sablés

Andie Pilot — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 12:58:02 +0000

These buttery and tender sablés get a helpful kick from the addition of my homemade Nocino—a liqueur made with green walnuts.

Bittersweet and full of flavour, it’s typically made at the end of June, and often drunk the following Christmas. For this batch that I made in 2023, I ordered green walnuts from Gubler Nuss, and a box of the fresh and fragrant nuts arrived in the post. After resting in booze for over a month, they were strained and sweetened and then left in my cellar to soften the tannins.

(This year I made my Nocino with nuts from Schmiedhof Retschwil, which we picked up in person.)

More on Nocino?

I have some recipes on the blog, like Nocino Torte, Nocino Biscotti and this drink, plus there’s a guide to making your own, as well as some Nocino-based drinks in my Alpine Elixirs book!

It’s the glaze that really makes these cookies, so don’t be tempted to skip it!

150 g butter, room temperature

80 g icing sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp Nocino

1/2 tsp salt

160 g flour

40 g walnut flour (optional, see below)

1/2 tsp baking powder

Glaze

200 g icing sugar

1 egg white

1 tbsp Nocino

walnuts

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the yolk, Nocino, and salt.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, then stir into the butter mixture until combined.

Roll the dough into two logs about 5 cm in diameter.

Chill in the fridge for about an hour, or until firm.

When you are ready to bake

Preheat oven to 180° C.

Cut the logs into 1 cm thick rounds and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the bottoms are golden.

To glaze

Sift the icing sugar. Whisk the egg white until foamy, then slowly whisk in the icing sugar and the Nocino. Once the cookies are cool enough to touch, but still warm, dip their bottoms in the glaze (this way you get a nice flat surface for decorating), then place them glaze-side up on a cooling rack. Place half a walnut on each cookie. Let cool completely and let the glaze set.

If you don’t have walnut flour, no problem—just use 200g flour.
I made these cookies very large, though they are also lovely as little bite-sized biscuits. If you want smaller ones, instead of 2, roll 4 logs with a diameter of 2.5-3 cm each. Cut them ever so slightly thinner and bake about 8 minutes.
In my book Swiss Cookies, I have a version of these cookies using absinthe (and VERY green food colouring!)

Schümli Pflümli & Co.

Andie Pilot — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 11:54:01 +0000

Ein neues Buch?

Ja! Es heisst Schümli Pflümli & Co. und es dreht sich alles um Schweizer Getränke!

Wo kann ich es kaufen?

Ich bin froh, dass Sie fragen!

Im Moment können Sie es direkt beim Helvetiq/Bergli Books, auf Deutsch, Englisch und Französisch kaufen, oder in guten Schweizer Buchhandlungen, im Haus oder online. Auf Englisch heisst das Buch "Alpine Elixirs" und auf Französisch "Trinquer Suisse".

Was für Getränke sind in diesem Buch enthalten?

Alle Ihre Schweizer Lieblingsgetränke!

Most, Milchkaffee, Ovo, Oeil de Perdrix? Die sind da drin. Rivella? Ja, natürlich. Möchten Sie aus der Flasche Kirschwasser oder Williams, die Sie herumliegen haben, einen Cocktail mixen? Ich habe Rezepte.

Aber halt, das ist noch nicht alles!

Möchten Sie etwas über die Geschichte des Schweizer Bierkartells erfahren? Wie wäre es mit dem notorischsten Getränk der Schweiz, dem Absinth? Es gibt auch Schweizer Trinkgefässe - vom Mostbecher über Boccalino bis hin zum kleinen Fass um den Hals eines Bernhardiners. Sie lieben Schweizer Milch und wollen wissen, wie die Schweizer Kühe im letzten Jahr hiessen? Das finden Sie hier.

Woher stammen die Rezepte?

Das hängt von dem jeweiligen Getränk ab.

Ich habe viele alte Koch- und Lehrbücher benutzt, um Rezepte zu finden, einige tolle Rezepte von Freunden und Produzenten bekommen und einige selbst entwickelt.

Warte, hast du nicht schon einmal ein Buch über Getränke geschrieben?

Doch, habe ich! Drink like the Swiss wurde 2018 veröffentlicht. Dieses neue Buch lehnt sich an jenes an, aber anstelle meiner handgezeichneten Illustrationen habe ich Farbfotos verwendet. Einige der Texte und Rezepte sind in beiden Büchern enthalten, aber dieses neue Buch ist umfangreicher und stellt auch viele Schweizer Getränkehersteller vor.

Wer hat die Fotos gemacht?

Ich habe das Styling und den Grossteil der Fotos selbst gemacht. Mein Mann Sam hat einige der Fotos vor Ort gemacht, darunter mein Lieblingsfoto von einer Kuh (siehe oben). Danke Sam!

Was enthält das Buch sonst noch?

Neben Fotos und Rezepten gibt es die faszinierende Geschichte einiger der beliebtesten und ungewöhnlichsten Getränke der Schweiz. Dazu kommen Besuche bei vielen Getränkeherstellern im ganzen Land.

Hier ein kleiner Einblick in einige der wunderbaren Orte, die ich während des Schreibens des Buches besucht habe:

Edelwhite Gin Monstein Mia Iva Raselli Mosterei Kobelt Distillerie Studer

Es ist auf Englisch, Deutsch und Französisch, richtig?

Ja! Ich habe mit tollen Lektoren und Übersetzern zusammengearbeitet, ganz zu schweigen von der wunderbaren Illustratorin Ela Kownacka.

Ich hoffe, Sie finden auch ein paar neue oder nostalgische Schweizer Getränke, die Sie gerne trinken.

Alpine Elixirs

Andie Pilot — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 11:51:28 +0000

What’s this about a drinks book?

It’s my new book, Alpine Elixirs! And it’s all about Swiss drinks!

Where can I buy it?

I’m so glad you asked!

At the moment, you can buy it directly from the publisher, Bergli Books in English, German, and French, or at fine Swiss bookshops, in house or online. Starting in fall 2024 it will be available in North American bookshops too!

What kind of drinks are in this book?

All your favourite Swiss drinks!

Most, Milchkaffee, Ovo, Oeil de Perdrix? They’re in there. Rivella? Of course. Want to make some cocktails out of that bottle of kirsch or Williams you have lying around? I’ve got recipes.

But wait, that’s not all!

Want to learn about the history of the Swiss beer cartel? How about Switzerland’s most notorious drink, absinthe? There are Swiss drinking vessels too—from ceramic apple juice cups to the little painted jugs for Ticinese Merlot to the little barrel around a St Bernard’s neck. Do you love Swiss milk and want to know the top names for Swiss cows last year? You’ll find that here.

Where are the recipes from?

It depends on the drink.

I used lots of old cookbooks and textbooks to find recipes, got some great ones from friends and producers, and developed some on my own.

Wait, didn’t you write a drinks book before?

I did! Drink like the Swiss was published in 2018. This new book borrows from that one, but instead of my hand-drawn illustrations, I have full colour photos. Some of the text and recipes are in both books, but this new one is expanded, and features many Swiss drink producers as well.

Who did the photography?

I did the styling and most of the photography myself. My husband Sam took some of the photos on location, including possibly my favourite cow photo ever, above. Thanks Sam!

What else is in the book?

Besides photos and recipes there is the fascinating history of some of Switzerland’s best loved and most unusual drinks. Plus visits to many drink producers throughout the country.

Here’s a peek at some of the wonderful places I visited while writing the book:

Edelwhite Gin Monstein Mia Iva Raselli Mosterei Kobelt Distillery Studer

It’s in English, German, and French, right?

Yes! I worked some amazing editors and translators, not to mention our wonderful illustrator Ela Kownacka.

I hope you love this book and find some new or nostalgic Swiss drinks to love too.

Tirolercake

Andie Pilot — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:24:55 +0000

Avoiding dry cake can be a minefield on a dessert buffet, but in Switzerland there is one saviour—the Tiroler.

The Tirolercake is a cake so chock full of nuts and chocolate that even the most notorious over-bakers can still produce a cake with a tender and relatively moist crumb.

The name ‘Tirol’ suggests that this cake comes from Switzerland’s neighbours to the east (and there are a few examples of a Tiroler Nusskuchen (though often with even more chocolate)), but the Tiroler ‘cake’ seems to be profoundly Swiss.

Tirolercake is essentially a pound cake, with some of the flour replaced by ground nuts (and a healthy addition of chocolate). Even though it’s difficult to get this cake wrong, this recipe is still optimised to produce the tenderest of crumbs.

You can find versions of the cake from the standard Swiss sources—school textbook TipTopf, Betty Bossi, Swissmilk, Annemarie Wildeisen, with differing amounts of nuts and chocolate (as well as eggs and flour).

I love this cake because it is so easy, and it’s a great way to use up any errant half-bags of ground hazelnuts leftover from Christmas baking.

150 g butter, room temperature

150 g sugar

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

½ tsp salt

4 eggs, room temperature

150 g ground hazelnuts

120 g flour

1 tsp baking powder

150 g chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F / gas mark 4.

Line a 30 cm (11 inch) loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt together until fluffy.

In a measuring cup, whisk together the eggs.

Add the eggs to the butter mixture and beat well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground nuts, flour, and baking powder. Mix in the chopped chocolate.

Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture and scrape into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top springs back completely when you press it down.

If you don’t have ground hazelnuts, ground almonds work in a pinch.
More tips on room temperature ingredients and how long to bake cakes.
Want to take it to the next level? Separate the yolks and whites, beat the whites until fluffy and fold in at the end, just before baking.

Another classic cake?

Rüeblitorte

Recipe Here

Nocino Torte

Andie Pilot — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 12:47:59 +0000

I made this nutty and boozy cafe for my mom’s birthday a couple of weeks ago, and it was a hit—boozy, creamy and nutty all at once.

The nuttiness comes from Nocino, a liqueur popular in Ticino. It’s made by soaking green walnuts in spirits and it can be flavoured very lightly with cinnamon, lemon peel or coffee beans. The resulting liquid—deep brown, almost completely black—is then sweetened.

I made a batch last June, when the walnuts were still green (the traditional day to make this is on the eve of St. John’s Day, June 24th), and though it benefits from resting in the bottle for as long as a year or more (to soften the bitter tannins), I snuck out a little and used it in this cake. (And tried a nip or two, who am I kidding?)

(More on Nocino? I have some recipes on the blog, like Nocino Biscotti and this drink, plus there will be a guide to making your own, as well as some Nocino-based drinks in my new book on Swiss drinks coming May 2024! )

The cake recipe is another variation on my Zuger Kirschtorte.

I just never get tired of this style of cake—crispy meringue, tender sponge and silky buttercream, plus a bold boozy element. I’ve made variations before, like this Limoncellotorte, and I can imagine that other flavourful boozes like amaretto or even Eierlikör would lend themselves well to this style too.

Meringue:

4 egg whites

130 g sugar

130 g walnut flour

30 g flour

Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F / gas mark 3.

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Draw a 24 cm circle (using the base of a springform pan) on each.

Using a large bowl and an electric mixer, start whipping the egg whites. Once they are frothy, begin to add about half of the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Keep beating until the mixture is stiff and glossy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the other half of the sugar, walnuts, and flour. Fold this gently into the beaten whites.

Scoop into a piping bag with a large nozzle and pipe two 24 cm meringue discs onto the parchment, following the template.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the meringue looks dry.

Set aside.

Sponge:

4 eggs, separated

100 g sugar

1 tbsp Nocino

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

100 g flour

20 g cornstarch

Preheat oven to 200 C / 350 F / gas mark 6.

Line the bottom of a 24 cm (9 inch) springform pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, Nocino, salt, and vanilla.

Sift in the flour and cornstarch, then mix gently, using a spatula.

Using a large bowl and an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until they are stiff. Fold these gently into the batter.

Spread into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cake has started to pull away from the sides.

Let cool completely, remove from pan and set aside.

Buttercream:

30 g cornstarch

250 ml milk

75 g sugar

200 g butter, room temperature

2 tbsp Nocino

In a medium pot, whisk the cornstarch into the cold milk. Then whisk in the sugar.

Start heating over medium, then bring to a boil and let cook for a couple of minutes, or until thickened.

Remove from heat and let cool to at least room temperature.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Add the cooled milk mixture a spoonful at a time and beat in well.

Stir in the Nocino.

Syrup:

125 ml water

100 g sugar

2 tbsp Nocino

In a small pot, whisk the sugar into the water. Bring to a boil.

Take off the heat and add the Nocino.

Assembly:

icing sugar

walnuts, toasted and chopped

Put a few strips of parchment or wax paper along the border of your serving plate, and a small blob of buttercream in the centre (this will hold the first layer in place).

Place a meringue layer on the bottom, bottom (flat) side down, then spread with buttercream.

To help absorb more syrup, slice a very thin layer off the top of the sponge, then place the sponge on top of the buttercream. Using a pastry brush, soak the top with lemon syrup. Cover with buttercream.

Place a meringue on top, with the bottom (flat) side up. Cover with the rest of the buttercream and make sure it is spread around the sides as well.

Press the toasted, chopped walnuts into the sides of the cake and along the top rim.

Carefully remove the paper strips, then serve.

Tips on toasting your nuts, here.
If you don’t have walnut flour, you can substitute with ground almonds.
Don’t have Nocino? Try another spirit or liqueur like amaretto, or Limoncello.

For an extra boozy cake, you can soak both sides of the sponge in the Nocino syrup.
A serrated (bread) knife works well for cutting through the delicate meringue.

Now the classic?

Zuger Kirschtorte

Recipe Here

Züri Härzli

Andie Pilot — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 06:39:06 +0000

These jam-filled hearts from Zurich are also known as Züri Nüssli and piped into clamshell shapes. Buttery and chocolate-dipped, they are a filled version of a spritz cookie, the delicate treats often served in Germany at Christmas time, but here, heart-shaped, they are perfect for Valentine’s Day too.

I have a recipe for these cookies in my book Swiss Cookies (here’s the German version too), and they are a firm family favourite.

Keeping the dough cool is essential for keeping the nice piped shape of the cookie. You can fill them with any jam of your choosing—here I used raspberry, but they also taste great with apricot, strawberry or cherry.

Dough

200 g butter, soft

80 g icing sugar

2 egg yolks (30 g), room temperature

pinch of salt

250 g flour

Assembly

150 g jam

150 g dark chocolate, melted

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the yolks and salt. Sift in the flour and stir until combined.

Using a piping bag with a star tip 1 cm in diameter, pipe 24 hearts. Pipe two lines about 6 cm each in a ‘V’ shape, then wet your fingers and press the tails together to make a heart shape.

Chill in the freezer for about 15 minutes, until firm.

When you are ready to bake

Preheat the oven to 180° C.

Bake the cookies for about 8–10 minutes, or until they are set and the bottoms are golden. Let cool completely.

Assembly

Sandwich about a tablespoon of jam between two cookies. Dip one side into melted chocolate

My original recipe doesn’t call for it, but I sometime like to add a teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract to the dough.
Because this is a stiff dough, and it can be a bit challenging to pipe, you want to make sure that your butter is quite soft and that the yolks are at room temperature. You can do this by placing the butter in a bowl, and then resting this in a sink of hot water, and putting the eggs in hot water too, before you crack then open (more here).
At the same time, you really want the cookies to be cold before putting them in the oven, so the butter doesn’t run out. The best way to do this is to pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes (though you could also sit them in a cold cellar or balcony).

Rosenkuchen

Andie Pilot — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 09:32:36 +0000

Normally, my mother-in-law has a well stocked assortment of sweet treats to offer visitors who drop by unannounced in the afternoon. Sometimes it’s a homemade cake, or a box of cookies, but every so often an occasion demands the quick procurement of something to serve with coffee, and she sends my father-in-law to the local bakery.

My husband Sam and I will look at each other and mouth, “Rosenkuchen.”

Not dissimilar to cinnamon buns, Rosenkuchen is a yeasted dough, rolled out thin, filled with nuts and raisins, rolled up and cut into buns then baked together in a cake pan.

From the bakery, it’s a tolerable snack on the day its baked (though often a bit dry) and on subsequent days it becomes so dry it needs to be dipped in tea or coffee. This homemade version is better—not so dry, a very buttery dough, more raisins (that’s for you Sam), and a healthy application of icing. It keeps well for a couple of days, and makes a lovely accompaniment to tea or even a decadent breakfast.

I use a Zopf dough with a bit of sugar added, plus some orange zest and cinnamon. Ground almonds or hazelnuts work in the filing, and you can always add some extra raisins if you like (or leave them out if you’re not a fan).

I like a healthy drizzle of icing on top, though this isn’t completely neccessary.

500 g flour

12 g salt

1 tsp cinnamon

250 ml milk, room temperature

20 g yeast

2 tbsp sugar

the zest of one orange

100 g butter, room temperature

Filling

100 g butter

50 g sugar

100 g ground almonds

150 g raisins

2 tbsp orange juice

pinch salt

Icing

2 tbsp orange juice

1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

75 g icing sugar

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk and yeast. In a small bowl, rub the orange zest into the sugar.

Make a well in the flour and add the liquid ingredients and zested sugar. Stir this together until a dough starts to form, then add the butter and begin to knead it on the table. Knead until it is smooth and elastic. Alternatively, mix for about 8 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook. Cover and let rise for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

In the meantime, make the filling.

Filling

Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the ground almonds, raisins, orange juice and salt.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400° F / gas mark 6 bottom heat.

Line the bottom of a 24 cm (9 inch) springform cake pan with parchment paper.

Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a large rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a rim along one edge. Roll up the dough (the long way), pressing to seal, then cut into 12 rolls and arrange, swirl side-up, in the prepared pan.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes in the bottom half of the oven, or until the tops and bottoms are golden.

Icing

Whisk together the orange juice, vanilla and icing sugar. Drizzle over the still warm (but not hot) buns.

I like to soak my raisins in the orange juice before adding them to the filling.
For an added hit of flavour, toast your almonds before adding them to the filling.

Another swirl?

Magentraes Roll

Recipe Here

Saucisson Burger

Andie Pilot — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 13:29:36 +0000

A few weeks ago my husband Sam sent me a video of an unusual burger being prepared. Instead of adding regular cheese slices, they scooped out melty Vacherin Mont d’Or and drizzled it over top. There was a whole mini fried Rösti between the patty and bun. And instead of ground meat, it had two slices of Saucisson.

Saucisson burger? Sam wrote beneath.

Yes, please!

We replaced the Mont d’Or with Tomme Vaudoise (if you want a vegetarian alternative, check out my Tommeburgers) and left out the Rösti altogether. In its place, Sam made a papet-type topping—onions, apples and pears, cooked until they were almost melting and wonderfully sweet. We popped them on buns from a Krustenkranz, though softer buns would also work well.

The flavours of the juicy sausage melded perfectly with the pungent cheese and sharp mustard, while the soft and sweet onions and fruit were the ideal counterpoint. Better than a beef burger, any day!

1 tbsp butter

4-5 large onions, sliced

2 apples, sliced

2 pears, sliced

1-2 Saucisson Vaudois

1 Tomme Vaudoise, sliced

buns and Dijon mustard to serve

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large frying pan (it will eventually need to accommodate the sausages as well), and once it is sputtering, add the sliced onions. Let them sweat for a little bit, then add the apple and pear. Cook this for a couple of minutes, then turn down the heat to low and place the sausage(s) on top. Cover and let simmer 30-35 minutes.

Once the sausages have cooked, removed the lid of the pan, and poke them all over with a knife, letting the juices run into the onion mixture. Be careful, sometimes this can splutter!

Peel the sausages and cut into slices.

Assemble your burgers. Spread mustard on the bread, then add the Saucisson, then top with the Tomme and finally the onion mixture.

Serves 4
Depending on the size of the sausage (and what level of sausage-eating enthusiast you are, you might need one or two).
More on Saucisson, plus some of the different varieties, in this post.

Another burger from Vaud?

Tommeburger

Recipe Here

Krustenkranz

Andie Pilot — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 07:16:14 +0000

Although these crusty buns are truly a bread for every season, they are a particularly satisfying accompaniment to autumn soups and stews.

Or alone, warm from the oven, and slathered with butter and a tiny sprinkling of salt…

I like them best with a mix of wheat and spelt flour, though I have also had success making them with Ruchmehl, dark flour, or a wholegrain mix from our local mill.

400 g white flour

200 g spelt flour

12 g salt

20 g fresh yeast

320 g warm water

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

In a measuring cup, whisk together the water and yeast.

Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the liquid. Mix until you have a dough, and then knead for about 6-8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook.

Let rise for about 50-60 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Once it has risen, form into six buns and place closely together on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Let rest for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 230° C / 425 F / gas mark 7.

Dust the bread with flour, place in the oven, then turn down the oven temperature to 180 C / 350 F / gas mark 4.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the bread is nicely browned and it makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.

For a super crispy crust I use a trick I learned in baking school—add water when it goes in the oven. Have a baking sheet in the bottom of the oven and as soon as you put the bread in, pour about 500 ml into the baking sheet. This will immediately evaporate and help make the crust crunchy.
If you don’t have spelt flour, you can easily use all regular flour—you might have to add a little more water, as it absorbs more than spelt.

Prefer something soft?

Pull-apart Weggli

Recipe Here

Zwetschgen Quarktorte

Andie Pilot — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:44:20 +0000

It’s plum season!

These jammy little jewels won’t be here for long, but while they are, I like to use them in every possible cake and bake. This creamy and streusel-y is one of my favourites and always a big hit with my cheesecake-loving, quark-obsessed family.

I have a nearly identical recipe on the blog using rhubarb. Many different fruits work well here, though I particulary love ones that are a bit tangy, like these plums, apricots, and raspberries.

Plum topping:

around 300 g Zwetschgen or small plums

Streusel base and topping:

150 g butter

150 g sugar

300 g flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

Quark filling:

2 eggs, separated

2 tsp cornstarch

250 g half-fat quark

100 g sugar

2 tsp vanilla paste or extract

300 ml whipping cream

Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F / gas mark 4.

For the plum topping:

Pit and halve or quarter the plums. Set aside.

For the streusel base and topping:

Melt the butter over medium heat, then let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until you get small streusel-sized clumps.

Line the bottom of a 24 cm (9 inch) springform pan with parchment, then press in two thirds of the streusel mixture, making sure there are no holes.

Reserve the remaining streusel for topping.

For the quark filling:

In a large bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the egg yolks, then whisk in the quark, sugar, whipping cream, and vanilla.

Using a medium bowl and an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until they are stiff. Fold them into the yolk mixture.

Assembly:

Spread the quark filling over the streusel base, smoothing the top.

Carefully place the fruit on top (it tends to sink a little, but that’s ok).

Top with the remaining streusel.

Bake for about an hour or until the topping is browned and the filling is only just slightly wobbly.

Once baked, let cool, then release from the pan. You can serve it still slightly warm, but my family prefers it cold from the fridge, so I chill it for a few hours first before serving.

You can use many other kinds of fruit, including rhubarb, apricots, or raspberries.
I used a half fat Quark Halbfett Quark / Séré demi-gras / Quark mezzo grasso, which is about 20% fat. More on Quark here (plus tips on availability in other countries).
If at any point during the baking you have the feeling the crumble top is getting a bit too brown for your liking, just pop some foil over top.

More Zwetschgen?

Zwetschgenwähe

Recipe Here

Krautstielwähe

Andie Pilot — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 08:47:14 +0000

Not everyone is a fan of Krautstiel, Swiss chard. (More on what makes Swiss chard ‘Swiss’ in this post)

My husband, Sam, loves this leafy, colourful green and plants it in our garden every year without fail. My mother wrinkles her nose every time I suggest serving it. But one dish she can actually get on board with is this Wähe. Convinced by the buttery base and custardy, not too ‘chardy’ filling, she’ll happily come for lunch when it’s on the menu.

Most kinds of leafy greens could work in this recipe—colourful , or even spinach or kale (though you might need to initially cook this a little longer, just until it’s softened).

Dough:

200 g flour

pinch of salt

80 g butter, cold

125 ml water, cold

Filling:

600-700 g Swiss chard

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped

a handful of fresh herbs, roughly chopped

2 eggs

300 ml milk or cream (or a mix of both)

nutmeg, salt and pepper

3 tbsp breadcrumbs

80 g Sbrinz or parmesan, grated

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

Add the cold butter in pieces and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers until you have small flakes.

Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the water. Mix this gently until a dough forms. Try not to overwork the dough or it will become tough.

Press the dough into a disc, wrap, and let cool in the fridge for about an hour.

Roll out your dough and line a 26 cm (10 inch) round tart pan. Lightly poke the bottom of the dough all over with a fork, then keep the tart shell cool (preferably in the freezer) until you have the filling ready.

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F / gas mark 6.

Filling:

Clean and process the Swiss chard—roughly chop the leaves and finely mince the stems.

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Once it is spluttering, add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

Over medium heat, add the chard stems and cook until softened. Then add the chopped leaves and fresh herbs and cook for a few minutes more.

Remove from heat and let cool in the pan, or transfer to another bowl to cool.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and seasonings.

Get your prepared tart shell and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Stir the cheese into the chard and add to the tart shell, evenly distributing everything.

Pour the egg mixture over top.

Bake in the bottom part of the oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the tart is nicely browned.

Many herbs would work here. I used a mix of thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, sage, and rosemary. Use what you have.
For the liquid element, I went half milk and half cream. For a lighter version, go for all milk, something richer demands more cream.
Don’t omit the breadcrumbs, they help absorb additional liquid and prevent a soggy bottom.

More Swiss Chard?

Scarpatscha

Recipe Here

Fruchtewähe vom Blech

Andie Pilot — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 07:47:47 +0000

If you need to feed a crowd, or you have a glut of fruit, or you simply don’t feel like faffing with a tart pan, then this is the Wähe for you!

The dough is rolled out directly on the Blech, sheet pan, the fruit laid on top, and then a nice pour of Guss, custard filling. Because the filling is so spread out, it bakes quicker, more evenly, and the bottom tends to crisp up better than when it’s in a traditional form.

I’ve upped the quantity of my Wähe dough so that it fits comfortably on a 35 x 40 cm baking sheet. The exact amount of fruit and custard is a little bit variable based on the size of the fruit, but just use as much as fits comfortably onto the pan and make sure the custard doesn’t spill over.

There are still some stray apricots in the supermarkets, although the season is slowly coming to an end. In a week or so, I’ll be making this again with the Zwetschgen, little purple plums, whose season is just getting started.

For the dough:

300 g flour

50 g sugar

1 tsp salt

110 g butter, cold

185 ml water, cold

For the topping:

1 - 1.5 kg fruit (apricots, plums, blueberries etc.)

2 eggs

200 ml milk

200 ml cream

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

For the dough:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.

Add the cold butter in pieces and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers until you have small flakes.

Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the water. Mix this gently until a dough forms. Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.

Press the dough into a disc, wrap, and let cool in the fridge for at least an hour.

Assembly:

Line a large baking sheet (35 x 40 cm) with parchment paper. Alternatively, lightly grease the baking sheet.

Roll out your dough and line the baking sheet, then lightly press all over with a fork. Keep the dough cool (preferably in the freezer) until you have the filling ready.

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F / gas mark 6, with bottom heat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla.

Process the fruit as desired (halve or quarter the larger fruit like apricots or plums), then place on top of the cooled dough. Pour over the egg and milk liquid.

Bake in the bottom half of the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until the liquid has set and the botttom is baked through.

My favourite fruits to use here are apricots, plums, apples, cherries or blueberries.
You can use frozen fruit. Place it directly from the freezer on the tart. Baking time may increase slightly.
The exact amount of fruit and custard is variable based on the size of the fruit, but just use as much as fits comfortably onto the pan, making sure the custard doesn’t spill over.
If you like, you can sprinkle some ground nuts on the dough before adding the fruit.

Now for something savoury?

Kräuterquarkwähe

Recipe Here

Galette

Andie Pilot — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 05:34:02 +0000

Perfect for any kind of summer fruit, this easy galette is quick to make, saving you time in the kitchen on hot days. Serve it as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or yogurt on top.

I use my Wähe dough, upping the butter a little, and adding some sugar. You can use any kind of soft summer fruit, like berries, apricots or peaches. Adding a little cornstarch to the fruit will help prevent a soggy bottom, as will brushing the bottom with egg yolk, keeping the pastry cool, and baking it at the bottom of the oven, using bottom heat.

For the dough:

150 g flour

80 g butter

80 ml water

2 tbsp sugar

pinch salt

Filling and assembly:

around 800 g soft summer fruits (berries, peaches, apricots)

1 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp sugar

1 egg yolk, beaten

more sugar for sprinkling

For the dough:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar.

Add the cold butter in pieces and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers until you have small flakes.

Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the water. Mix this gently until a dough forms. Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.

Press the dough into a disc, wrap, and let cool in the fridge for at least an hour.

Filling and assembly:

Preheat oven to 200° C / 400° F / gas mark 6, bottom heat.

Cut up the fruit and mix it with the cornstarch and sugar (if your fruit is very juicy it’s best to strain it first, see below).

Roll out the dough into a large circle and brush the bottom with yolk. Add the fruit, leaving a generous edge. Fold up the edge around the fruit, brush it with yolk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in the bottom of the oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until the top has browned and the bottom is baked through.

If using a strawberries or another really juicy fruit (like peaches) it’s best to strain out some of the juice first. Cut up the fruit, add the sugar and let sit for about 15-20 minutes. Then strain out the juice (use this in drinks, if you fancy), and toss the fruit in the cornstarch.

Another great summer bake?

Apricot Crostada

Recipe Here

Holunderblütengelee

Andie Pilot — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:30:41 +0000

My Aunt Vreni lives up in the mountains, in a small house with a big alpine garden, in the eastern part of Switzerland. We visit her every summer and I always look forward to eating her Birchermüesli, Wähe and her famous Holunderblütengelee (elderflower jelly).

The jelly is not too thick, and it tastes like summer—floral and citrusy and fresh.

After harvesting plenty of elderflower for this year’s syrup, I decided, for the first time, to try and make the jelly too. It’s incredibly easy, and it tastes like sunshine in a jar.

You can find elderflower growing at the edge of forests and along rivers in much of Switzerland. At the end of May and early June (depending on the weather), the flowers bloom. I forage my blooms from along the Ilfis river near my house. Once you’ve picked the flowers, be sure to use them as soon as possible—they quickly begin to shrivel and wilt.

About 12-15 stems of elderflower

850 ml warm water

150 ml lemon juice

1 kg gelling sugar (1:1)

Shake any bugs off the elderflower. Fill a bowl with cold water, submerge your blossoms and give them a gentle swirl in the water to clean them.

Remove the leaves and the thickest part of the stems and place in a pot.

Measure out the warm water and lemon juice and pour over the flowers. Cover and let steep overnight.

The next day, strain the liquid, then add the gelling sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for about four minutes (depending on the gelling sugar—check the package) and then fill into sterilised jars.

When choosing blooms, look for freshly opened buds. Try to make the jelly shortly after picking the flowers.
I use a 1:1 Gelierzucker (gelling sugar)— typically this Aarberg brand that you can get at the Landi. You can also use a 2:1 gelling sugar and add half as much, just follow the instructions on the package.
With properly sterilised jars, this should keep for over a year in a cool place.
Makes about 1500 g.

Now for the syrup?

Holunderblütensirup

Recipe Here

Spargelwähe

Andie Pilot — Thu, 18 May 2023 08:41:43 +0000

This is the perfect tart for Spargelzeit, asparagus season, the very short window of time in Switzerland where asparagus is available and ubiquitous (more about it in my Spargelrisotto post).

You can customise it however you like, but rest assured that these sporadic spears are the star of the show.

I use my standard Wähe dough and custard filling to make this tart.

If desired, you can supplement you asparagus tart with different ingredients. Add a couple of cloves of roasted garlic to the custard, or a bit of grated cheese. You can add bacon or cured meat like Bündnerfleisch, or even put some blobs of soft goats cheese on top.

For the dough:

200 g flour

1 tsp salt

80 g butter, cold

125 ml water, cold

For the filling:

around 750 g asparagus

2 eggs

250 ml milk

100 ml cream

salt and pepper

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

For the dough:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

Add the cold butter in pieces and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers until you have small flakes.

Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the water. Mix this gently until a dough forms. Try not to overwork the dough or it will become tough.

Press the dough into a disc, wrap, and let cool in the fridge for about an hour.

Roll out your dough and line a 26 cm (10 inch) round tart pan or 18 x 30 cm (7 x 12 inch) rectangular tart pan and prick the bottom with a fork. Keep the tart shell cool (preferably in the freezer) until you have the filling ready.

When you are ready to bake:

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F / gas mark 6, bottom heat.

Whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, salt and pepper.

Trim the asparagus, snapping off or peeling down the hard stems. If the spears are thick, cut them in half.

Place your tart pan on a parchment-lined baking sheet then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and arrange the asparagus. Pour in the liquid.

Bake in the bottom half of the oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the liquid has set and the top has browned.

The amount of asparagus can vary. I usually start out with about 750 g, but by the time it is trimmed and chopped it weighs around 500 g. I like to halve the spears, but if you have thin ones, they can go in whole.
You can use all milk, all cream, or a mix of both.
To avoid a soggy bottom, roll the dough relatively thin, then bake in the bottom half of the oven, using bottom heat. I like to use French tart pans with removable bottoms.