Octoberfest Time

It is Octoberfest time again! I have mentioned before that my family would always get together in October so we could cook German food and celebrate all the October birthdays. Well, we haven’t been able to do that for years but I still will make a couple meals in October centered around German food. This year I’m going to try some new recipes that I found in German Cookbooks that my exchange students sent me from Germany. You might want to have your own Octoberfest and try them as well.

Baked Pork Chops
(Schweinekoteletts
in Saurer Sahnesosse)

6 each Pork Chops
1 each Garlic Clove - Minced
1 t. Caraway Seeds - Crushed
2 t. Hungarian Paprika - Mild
1/2 t. Salt
Pepper - As Desired
1 c. White Wine - Dry
1 c. Sour Cream - Optional
Place the pork chops in an ovenproof casserole. Mix the remaining ingredients, except sour cream, and pour over the chops. Marinate the chops 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator. Bake the chops, uncovered, in the marinade in a preheated 325 degree F. oven for 1 hour or until tender.
Add more wine if necessary. Stir sour cream into pan juices and heat through but DO NOT boil. Serve chops with sour-cream gravy and buttered noodles or dumplings.
The following recipe was sent to me my German exchange student’s sister Linda. Her mother made these cookies and mailed them to Sandra while she was living with me. Sandra told me that her mom makes them every Christmas. After Sandra returned to Germany I asked her to get the recipe from her mother and mail it to me. She got her sister Linda to email it to me - so the first recipe is what Linda wrote. I then went through my German cookbooks and found another recipe that was similar and added that after Linda’s. These cookies turn out very hard and so need to be dunked in coffee, which makes them even better. Sandra also told me that the more they age, the better they get.

“Bethmännchen”

Dear Carol,
In Germany the cookie recipe you want are called “Bethmännchen”.
You need:
150 gr basic mazipan
1 small egg
50 gr powdered sugar
2 t. flour
50 gr grated almonds
In order to garnish: almonds which are cut into halves
In order to spread: a bit egg yolk
Making “Bethmännchen”:
The basic mazipan, the egg, the powdered sugar, the flour and the grated almonds should be kneaghed to a dough. Of this dough you form small balls. After that you need to push 3 graded almonds on the sides of the balls. Then you spread the whole ball with a bit of egg yolk. All balls must be baken for ca. 30 minutes in a preheated backoven (ca. 175 °).
Finally you get ca. 20 “Bethmännchen”.
My translation surely very bad but here is a picture of it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethm%C3%A4nnchen (Here you can find a link with a German recipe if my translation does not help :) )
Or check Google --> “Bethmännchen”.

Bethmännchen

Originally baked by the Bethelmann family in Frankfurt, these little guys are now a special holiday treat everywhere!
3/4 c. plus 2 T. peeled almond halves
120 almond halves - reserved for decoration
3/4 c. plus 2 T. prepared marzipan - (a prepared almond paste -usually packaged in logs, available in specialty food stores) - Van’s IGA in Forsyth does carry Almond Paste
1 T. rosewater
7 T. powdered sugar
2 small eggs
3-1/2 T. flour
Preheat oven to 350° F. Finely grind the measured almonds. Break the marzipan dough into small pieces and mix with one of the eggs, rosewater, powdered sugar, ground almonds and flour. Separate the remaining egg and beat the yolk, set aside. Form marzipan mixture into balls the size of walnuts, placing three almond halves onto the top of each ball. Brush each ball with the beaten yolk and place on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet on the middle rack. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown.

Fruit Salad With Nuts
(Fruchtsalat mit Nussen)

1 small Honeydew Melon
2 Oranges
1 c. Blue Grapes
Lettuce Leaves
12 Walnut Halves
DRESSING:
8 oz. Yogurt - (1 Container)
1 T. Lemon Juice
1 T. Orange Juice
1 T. Tomato Catsup
2 T. Evaporated Milk
Salt - Dash
White Pepper - Dash
Scoop out melon with melon baller. Cut peel from oranges, remove white membrane, and slice crosswise. Cut grapes in half and remove seeds. Line a glass bowl with lettuce leaves; arrange melon balls, orange slices, grapes, and walnuts in layers on top of lettuce. Mix and blend well all ingredients for the dressing. Adjust seasonings. Pour dressing over fruit. Let salad ingredients marinate for 30 minutes. Toss salad just before serving.

Bean Soup With Frankfurters
(Frankfuter Bohnensuppe)

1 lbs Navy Beans - Dried
8 c. Water
3 c. Beef Broth
1 Carrot - Chopped
1 Celery Stalk - Chopped
4 Bacon - Strips, Cubed
2 Onions - Small, Chopped
1 t. Salt
1/4 t. Pepper - White
6 Frankfurters - Sliced *
2 T. Parsley - Chopped
* Note: Use the real Frankfurters in this recipe and not the hot dogs!
Soak beans overnight. In a 3-quart saucepan bring beans, water and beef froth to a boil. Cook for about 1 hour. Add carrot and celery and continue cooking for 30 minutes. In a separate frypan cook the bacon until transparent. Add the onions; cook until golden. Set aside. Mash soup through a sieve or food mill. Return to pan and add the bacon onion mixture, salt and pepper. Add frankfurters; reheat about 5 minutes. Sprinkle soup with chopped parsley and serve. Print this post