German cuisine ranks among my favorites. And I readily admit I don't write about it nearly often enough. But let's face it, German food is kind of ugly. Sausages, schnitzel, white asparagus, sauerkraut, dumplings, hunks of roasted and braised meat, plain boiled potatoes -- as tasty as these foods are, they aren't much to look at.
The exceptions are Germany's baked goods and sweets: fresh loaves in all shapes, sizes and colors -- dark loaves, light loaves, seedy loaves, shiny loaves -- soft pretzels, cakes, tarts, strudels, cheesecakes, doughnuts.
Spritzkuchen are fried doughnut-like sweets made with choux pastry. Choux pastry is generally regarded as French, and many famous French pastries are made with it. However, several recipes that use choux paste were included in German cook Sabina Welserin's cookbook written in 1553, according to foodtimeline.org, establishing the pastry's strong German history as well.
Spritzkuchen are believed to have originated in Eberswalde, northeast of Berlin near the Polish border. They are often eaten at Karneval (Mardi Gras), but can be enjoyed any time.
Spritzkuchen
1 cup milk OR water (see note)
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups PLUS 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour OR bread flour (do not use cake flour)
4 eggs
Vegetable oil for frying
Icing:
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine milk or water, salt, sugar and butter. Stir until butter melts. Add the flour all at once. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture pulls away from the pan and forms a ball around your spoon.
Remove from heat and cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then add the eggs, one at a time, and mix with an electric mixer to make a smooth dough.
Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
Cut 12 to 18 (3- or 4-inch) squares parchment paper. Lightly coat each square with vegetable oil. Pipe the dough into a circle on each square of parchment. If desired, place the dough-topped squares in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will help the dough keep its shape.
Meanwhile, heat a deep pot of vegetable oil to 350 to 360 degrees over medium heat.
If the dough is frozen, you can remove the round from the parchment paper, otherwise just place the paper and all into the oil. The dough will release from the paper as it fries. Use tongs to remove and discard the paper. Fry spritzkuchen, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.
Transfer cooked pastries to a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain. Cool completely.
In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice with a little hot water, whisking until smooth. Dip in glaze, placing pastries on a rack to let the excess run off, or use a brush to apply the glaze.
Makes about 1 to 1 1/2 dozen depending on size.
Note: For tender, evenly browned spritzkuchen, use milk. For crispier spritzkuchen, use water.
Food on 09/26/2018