Category Archives: OKTOBERFEST & GERMAN RECIPES

APPLE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

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This is probably the best and easiest apple cake recipe imaginable. I received the basic bones of this recipe from my dear friend Linda’s mother Rhoda. Rhoda told me the cake was OK served the same day but was absolutely sensational after it had been frozen. I sometimes bake wedding cakes for relatives and friends and always freeze them until the day they are to be served. But until Rhoda told me about freezing this particular cake, I hadn’t really thought about why some cakes are actually moister after having been frozen.  Since vegetables and fruit are built of cells containing cytoplasm (the clear liquid that fills the cells), when frozen, water expansion causes the cell membranes to rupture. This creates a distinctly different texture. In essence, plant cells lose any remaining crispness that may have remained after having been exposed to heat during the baking process. (I’m no chemist, so this is a very rudimentary, and hopefully accurate explanation.) Bottom line: I would never dream of serving any cake containing fruit or veggie matter without first letting it spend a bit of quality time in my freezer. Same goes for quick breads such as Banana or Zucchini. The difference is simply that remarkable.

Please note: There are two recipes for cream cheese frosting below

Cake:

  • 4 c. grated apples
  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 c. packed brown sugar
  • ½ c. vegetable oil
  • 1 c. chopped nuts
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 c. flour
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. soda
  • 1 tsp. salt

Combine apples, sugars, oil, nuts, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk together the flour cinnamon, soda, and salt. Add to apple mixture. Pour into a greased and floured 9 X 13-inch pan. (A glass pan is best.) Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven (for glass) or 350 degree oven (for metal) for 40-45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean. Cool completely, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze for at least 2 days. Defrost and spread with frosting. *Decorate with chopped nuts. Serve at room temperature.

*I always decorate a cake with nuts if there are nuts in the cake itself. You never know when someone might be allergic. So if there are nuts on top, no one has to wonder. Many people don’t like to cause a fuss, and having nuts so in evidence, nothing has to be said to the hostess except no thank you!

Regular Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • ½ c. butter, room temperature
  • 8-oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 lb. powdered sugar
  • ½ c. chopped nuts, decoration

Cream butter and cream cheese together until well blended. Add vanilla and enough powdered sugar to make a firm but not too stiff consistency. Beat until smooth and easy to spread.

Spiced and Spiked Cream Cheese Frosting: 

  • ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
  • pinch salt
  • 2 T. brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. vanilla
  • 1½ T. liqueur – Calvados (apple flavored brandy) or regular brandy
  • 1 lb. powdered sugar, more or less

Beat the butter, cream cheese, salt, and brown sugar together until creamy. Mix in the cinnamon, vanilla, and Calvados. Add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

 

 

 

 

 

APPLE PIE BARS

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There is just nothing better than apple pie.  Apple pie is delicious, relatively inexpensive to prepare, and by golly, it’s American! But Apple Pie Bars, an Irish favorite, are simply amazing too and take about half the time to prepare. All the lovely spiced apple flavor we so dearly love is right there in this dessert. Then to make matters even more delectable, and decadent I might add, we take the whole dish over the top by adding a *cognac flavored whipped cream. (I don’t know if a liquor enhanced whipped cream is Irish or not. But when Mr. C. and our good friend Mr. H. recommended the use of cognac when I approached the subject of adding some type of booze to the whipped cream for this dessert, it sounded perfect to me. It turned out so amazing, that if the Irish don’t add liquor to their whipped cream, they sure as heck should be!)

*Some interesting information about cognac. According to the Cognac Expert web site “cognac is a type of blended brandy (distilled wine) that most commonly is produced in 3 different grades – V.S. (Very Special – aged 2-5 years), V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale – aged 5-10 years), and X.O. (Extra Old – 10 years and beyond). Blending different ages of cognacs is what determines the grade and quality of the finished product. And it doesn’t matter in what proportion these cognacs are blended, it’s the youngest one in the blend that determines the grade. So, for example, you might find that a large producer blends a few drops of a very, very old and rounded cognac with a small amount of middle aged Cognac, and then fills the bottle with seven year old cognac. They would still only be able to market the bottle as V.S.O.P. because the youngest member of the blend was within the 5 to 10 year guideline for V.S.O.P.” As with other fine liquor, aging time is often a consideration in both quality and price. So obviously an X.O. cognac is going to be considerably more expensive to purchase than a V.S. For cooking purposes, I use a V.S., whereas for sipping, Mr. C. prefers a V.S.O.P. (Of course he does.) A little hint regarding the use of cognac in cooking: I love good gravy, and in my humble opinion, I make one that’s fairly decent. (Our good friend Jim swears it’s only because I have the “grandma” gene.) But I have a secret. I often finish my gravies with a teaspoon or two of cognac. There is just something about the flavor of cognac that blends beautifully with the richness of the meat juices, especially in turkey gravy. You don’t even really taste the cognac. It just helps ramp up the other flavors. So give it a try next time you fix gravy. Just go easy, you don’t really want your family or guests to learn your secret. Just let them think you possess a “gravy” gene too. It’s more fun that way!

  • 2 c. + 1 T. flour
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 c. chilled butter, diced
  • 2 egg yolks, beaten
  • 3 large semi-tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon + more for sprinkling
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1 c. heavy whipping cream
  • 2 T. powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp. cognac or spiced rum or 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Whisk the 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (I use my fingers.) Stir in egg yolks with a regular table knife. (The dough will be crumbly.)  Remove 1/4 of the mixture and set aside. Press remainder onto bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, remaining 1 tablespoon flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg; add prepared apples. (See tip below.) Place apples on crust, and top with reserved crumb mixture sprinkled evenly over top.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes or until top is a light golden brown and filling is bubbly around the edges of the pan. Meanwhile whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. Add powdered sugar and cognac and whip again just until combined. Serve bars warm or at room temperature dolloped with whipped cream and sprinkled lightly with cinnamon. Absolutely delightful served with a nice hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. (Tip: cut your apples ahead of time if you want, but don’t add the brown sugar mixture until just before you are ready to bake. If the sugar mixture is added ahead of time, osmosis (the tendency of liquid to travel) will occur and just that little bit of excess liquid can make the shortbread crust soggy. This same principle also applies when baking fruit pies. Regardless of whether you are using apples, berries, or any other type of fruit, don’t add the sugar mixture until just before you place the mixture on the bottom crust. (I even go so far as to have my top crust all ready to go before I add the filling.) Believe me, the fruit will still give off plenty of juice while it is baking, but you have a better chance of your pie crust not getting soggy if you start with as little liquid as possible.)

 

BRAISED GREEN CABBAGE

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I just can’t begin to tell you how wonderful cabbage is when it is braised with carrots and onions. All three veggies lose their own distinct powerful flavor and become this lovely amalgam that is ever so delicious. And then when served as an accompaniment to corned beef, with maybe a side of Champ (mashed potatoes with green onions), you have a meal fit for the loftiest Irish dignitary (the President) to the most mischievous leprechaun and everyone in between. So do yourself a favor this St. Patrick’s Day, plan a meal that will bring out the Irish in your family without having to spend a pot of gold. But don’t be surprised if a little old bearded man, clad in a green coat and hat shows up at your door. If that happens, by all means invite him in. Wishes are his specialty.

  • 1 medium sized green cabbage (about 2 lbs.)
  • 1 lg. yellow onion, cut in half and then sliced into thick half moon pieces
  • 2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch rounds
  • 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 c. chicken or vegetable stock
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • crushed red pepper flakes to taste
  • Fleur de Sel or coarse sea salt

 

Remove any bruised outer leaves from the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges. Keep the core attached so the wedges stay intact during the long cooking process. (Don’t worry; the tough core will get super tender too.) Place the cabbage pieces in a single layer in a lightly greased 10×16-inch gratin or baking dish.  (A 9×13-inch pan will work. A little overlap is okay.) Scatter in the carrot and onion pieces. Drizzle veggies with the oil and stock. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt, pepper, and the pepper flakes. Cover tightly with foil or lid, and bake in a pre-heated 325 oven for 1 hour. Remove pan from oven and gently flip the cabbage wedges with a pair of tongs. Return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes or so until cabbage and carrots are very tender. Just before you are ready to serve, remove the foil or lid, turn the heat up to 400 degrees, and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the cabbage is just starting to brown. Serve hot or at room temperature lightly sprinkled with Fleur de Sel or any other nice finishing salt. Fabulous served with corned beef.

 

COLESLAW

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There is something truly pathetic about a restaurant that normally serves fairly decent fare that apparently can’t prepare decent coleslaw. I mean really, how hard is it to make truly flavorful coleslaw?  I tell you, it’s just sick and wrong!  First of all, good coleslaw is a treat. It’s crunchy, savory, (sometimes a little sweet), easy to prepare, economical, nutritious, fairly low in calories, full of dietary fiber, and colorful. Good grief, what more could anyone want in a salad? So why do so many restaurants treat it as a “throw away” food?   (My definition of something that appears on my plate at a restaurant seemingly just to fill up space.) Well darn it, if most restaurants can’t (or won’t) serve a lovely coleslaw I’m going to make it my mission to right this terrible injustice! I’m going to teach you how to make coleslaw at home! (And please excuse me if you are already a devotee of coleslaw and have been making it for your family for years. I hate to preach to the choir, but sometimes the choir just has to close its metaphorical ears when a subject is of such importance!) And I know, some restaurants do make good coleslaw, but you have to admit, they are rare. And this is the part that really shreds my cabbage; there are people out there who haven’t even had the benefit of tasting a truly delicious coleslaw. They don’t even know what they’re missing! How unfair is that? So then, why would anyone who hasn’t experienced good coleslaw in a restaurant or at someone else’s home even want to make coleslaw for their family?  Like I said, sick and wrong! So if you are one of those unlucky souls who haven’t as yet come to appreciate coleslaw, I am especially excited to share this recipe with you. And trust me there are lots of wonderful recipes for coleslaw on the Internet and in cookbooks. Just give coleslaw a try. If this one isn’t right for you, don’t stop looking.  Keep trying until you find that perfect one.

  • 3 T. mayonnaise
  • 1 ½ tsp. sugar
  • ½ tsp. celery seeds
  • 1 ½ tsp. cider vinegar
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly grounds black pepper
  • 2 T. finely chopped red or green pepper
  • 1 small stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, grated
  • red and/or green cabbage, shredded

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, celery seeds, cider vinegar, salt, and a couple grinds of pepper in a salad bowl. Stir in chopped pepper, celery, carrot, and enough shredded cabbage to make a total of 4 cups. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (And I know at first glance the recipe doesn’t appear to make enough dressing to coat all the veggies. It does. They are just not swimming in dressing.)

FRIED CABBAGE WITH BACON

It seems to me that cabbage doesn’t always receive the respect it deserves. In a way, it’s kind of a misunderstood vegetable. Cabbage, to be enjoyed to its fullest potential, needs to be co-mingled with other ingredients. (Just like some people live happier lives surrounded by the people they love, cabbage isn’t quite complete without its buddies either.)  So when I was thinking about different ways to prepare this lovely member of the family Crucifers, my mind naturally turned to the best way I know to get people (including children) to happily eat cabbage. Just like two people who are absolutely meant for each other, like Mr. C. and me for example, there are ingredients that fall into the same category. The marriage of bacon and cabbage is a fine example of another perfect pairing. (Of course with bacon and cabbage you need to add a little salt and pepper, whereas with Mr. C. and me it comes naturally given our ages! Sigh.) On that happy note, and without further ado, I offer you this ever so easy and delicious cabbage recipe.

  • 6 slices lean bacon, chopped (I really like to use pepper bacon)
  • 1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

In a large frying pan, fry bacon until very crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the grease, being careful not to remove the little crispy bits. Add sliced cabbage and stir fry for about 4-5 minutes or until cabbage is crisp tender. Add the cooked bacon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Note: Fried Cabbage with Bacon is fabulous food to prepare when camping. Bacon lasts very well in a cooler and cabbage lasts for days without refrigeration.

PEACH KUCHEN

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There are few recipes with which I can impress people regarding my ultimate command of all things gluten as much as when I serve these amazing bar cookies/dessert. I really should not be sharing this recipe with you because my expertise in the kitchen is going to suffer a mighty hit when you realize how easy Peach Kuchen is to prepare. But because I hold you in such high regard and want you also to be known as kitchen geniuses, I am going to make the supreme sacrifice. (Nobility obviously runs in my family. It runs alright, as fast and as far away as possible!) But back to the recipe. I found this recipe probably 25 years ago, and as with many of the recipes I am going to share with you, couldn’t name the author even if someone threatened to take away my KitchenAid mixer! So for what it’s worth, take my advice and prepare Peach Kuchen next time you need a quick and easy cookie/dessert. You are simply not going to believe how good these few pantry and refrigerator staples can taste when combined for this dessert. And yes, of course, butter, eggs, and sour cream are staples in my home! If I even run low on butter and sour cream, I break out in hives. As far as white cake mix, coconut, and sliced peaches, they too are standard ingredients I always try to have on hand. (And no, I don’t break out in hives if a white cake mix doesn’t happen to be in residence in my pantry. I lose sleep of course until I can get to the store and purchase one, but I don’t break out in hives. That would be ridiculous!)

  • ¾ c. cold butter
  • 1 box white cake mix
  • ½ c. coconut
  • 1 can (29-oz.) sliced peaches
  • 1 T. cinnamon (yes, 1 tablespoon!)
  • ½ c. sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 c. sour cream

Cut butter into cake mix until crumbly. Add coconut. Pat mixture into an ungreased 12×17-inch medium sized jelly roll pan (a 10×16-inch pan can be used in a pinch if you don’t own a 12×17); bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool. Meanwhile, drain the peaches and chop into pea sized pieces. When crust is cool, arrange peach pieces evenly over the surface. Mix cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle evenly over the peaches. Combine egg and sour cream and slather evenly over the top of the cinnamon and sugar. Bake another 25 minutes or until sour cream mixture is set. (Thin cracks will start to appear on the surface when the sour cream is set.)  Cool and cut into small squares.

Note: I have never served this cookie/dessert without someone asking me for the recipe. These are simply heaven on earth good.

 

 

CHUNKY APPLESAUCE

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This is another one of those simple foods that sometimes doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. Many people are content to buy applesauce in a jar, or try to emulate in their own kitchen the apple puree they have previously purchased. Well I am here to try and change your thinking on the subject of applesauce.   While I realize that it isn’t difficult to throw some peeled and cored apples in a pot, boil them until the pieces are tender, and then puree the lot in a food processor, I would like you to consider another way of approaching applesauce preparation. Instead of pureeing those darling tender little chunks of apple, mash them ever so tenderly with your favorite potato masher. Then when you have an equal proportion of saucy stuff to chunks, add some brown sugar, a bit of spice and some lemon juice, and walk away from the kitchen. (That way you won’t be tempted to keep messing with the apples until they resemble baby food!) I promise, after you take one bite of this spicy, not too sweet chunky applesauce, you will never settle for bland flavored pureed applesauce again. And yes, I do know that I have a tendency to be a wee bit dogmatic. I’m working on it, but I kind of think I must have been a politician in a former life. That would explain a lot!

  • 10 apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (I recommend a combination of Gala, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith)
  • ½ c. water
  • ½ c. brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 T. fresh lemon juice

Place apples and water in a large, covered sauce pan. Cover pan and place over medium heat; cook apples for about 30 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally during cooking time to prevent sticking. When tender, remove from heat and mash together with brown sugar, spices* and the lemon juice. (Just remember that you want those little lumps. They add to the overall appeal of the sauce.) Allow sauce to cool completely before storing in your refrigerator or freezer.

Hint: It is always a good idea when using ground spices to mix them together before you add them to whatever you are cooking. Ground herbs and spices have an annoying tendency to ball up in their containers while they are patiently waiting to be used. These little “balls” if not broken up first, can be the very devil to deal with if they are already added to other ingredients. A fine mesh strainer also works very well. Just hold the strainer over the other ingredients and pour the spice through. Voila. No lumps!

 

 

 

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

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There are few foods as evocative of my childhood as bread and butter pickles. When I was young every holiday meal had to include “the relish tray”. And said relish tray had to offer at the very least black olives, carrot and celery sticks, and pickles. Sometimes the pickles were homemade dill pickles, but more often they were bread and butter pickles, because they were my dad’s favorite. It was always my job to assemble the “tray” which I gladly did with nary a “mom, do I have to?”  It was simply the best chore ever! I got to cut the carrot and celery sticks, open the can of olives and drain the pickles.  And, I was allowed to arrange the tray any way I wanted! Of course arranging the tray was really the fun part, well that and eating most of the olives and a considerable portion of the pickles before they ever hit the tray! So when I found this simple recipe years later and it didn’t even involve the “C” word (canning), I was very excited.  (And yes, I would gladly give credit to the awesome author of this recipe if I had any recollection. But I’m certain that when I saw bread and butter pickles, easy, and 24 hours all in the same sentence, the recipe could have been handed down from Moses for all I would have noticed.) So if you too love a good bread and butter pickle, give this recipe a try. I have actually observed grown men hover over a bowl of these pickles mumbling mine, mine, mine! I could easier accept such behavior from a flock of seagulls, for example, than grown men. But truth be told, I do understand. These lovely pickles are just that good.

  • 2 English cucumbers, partially peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 ½ T. kosher salt
  • 1 c. thinly sliced yellow onion
  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • ¼ c. packed brown sugar
  • 1 c. white vinegar
  • ½ c. cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ tsp. mustard seed
  • ½ tsp. celery seed
  • 1/8 tsp. turmeric

Combine cucumber slices and salt in a large non-reactive bowl (glass works best); cover and chill for 90 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and return cucumbers to bowl. Add onion. Combine sugars, vinegars, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric in a medium sized saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugars dissolve. Pour hot mixture over cucumbers and onion; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. At this point the pickles can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. (Good luck on that! They have yet to last that long in our refrigerator.)

 

SOUR CREAM POPPY SEED CAKE

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I love cake! Now I know you are thinking to yourself – “I knew there was something strange about that woman”! But before you cast me aside like an old Teflon pan, please hear me out. (Perhaps I should have started with I love good cake.) I have found that there is a huge problem in America today. (You’re shocked, I know!) Many Americans have forgotten how truly delicious cake can be. (I blame this on corporate America. Too many truly retched products calling themselves “cake” served at office birthday parties. Makes me itch just thinking about it.) So I have decided to make it my mission to return cake to its rightful place as one of the best desserts to serve an afternoon guest or to end a meal. And this recipe should go a long way towards helping me attain my goal. Sour Cream Poppy Seed Cake is quick and easy to prepare (seven ingredients, all of which are refrigerator or pantry staples), has an incredibly moist and tender texture, and the flavor is beyond delicious. So if you are one of those disillusioned souls who have lost their love for a truly good cake, please give this recipe a try. And next time you are handed a piece of store bought birthday cake at work (usually white, with raspberry filling, and thick white Crisco icing), graciously decline. If pressure is applied, take a piece, thank the person, turn around and walk out of the room. Remember, garbage cans were invented for this very reason!

  • ½ c. (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 c. sour cream (light is fine)
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • ½ c. cream sherry (I like Paul Masson Golden Cream Sherry)
  • 1/3 c. poppy seeds
  • 1 (18 1/2-oz.) pkg. vanilla or yellow cake mix (without pudding)
  • 1 (3 ¾-oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding

Combine melted butter (slightly warm is fine), sour cream, eggs, cream sherry, and poppy seeds in the bowl of your mixer. Blend well. Add dry cake mix and vanilla pudding mix. Beat for a full 5 minutes on medium speed. Pour into a greased* and floured Bundt pan.  Place in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for approximately 50 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the cake comes out clean. (Watch closely the last few minutes. You don’t want to over bake this cake.) Turn cake out onto a cake plate or cooling rack immediately. Excellent served slightly warm or at room temperature.

*In my opinion, Crisco works better than butter for greasing cake pans.

Additional baking tips: If at all possible, avoid using baking pans that are of a dark color.  What happens with darker pans is that they conduct heat too well; the exterior of whatever you are baking (cake, cupcakes, cookies, etc.) often gets brown before the inside is fully cooked. If a dark finish pan is all you own, try lowering the oven temperature about 25 degrees and possibly increase the baking time. Dark cookie sheets? Try placing the cookies on parchment paper. Clear glass baking pans also conduct heat very well. So most of the time, if you are baking in clear glass, I also recommend that you reduce the baking temperature by 25 degrees.  For perfect cookies, aluminum pans are my number one choice.

 

 

 

 

BEER BREAD

 

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Every time I make this bread I am transported back to when my children were young and weekend dinners with our extended family were very common. None of us had very sophisticated tastes in those days, mainly because things were quite different in the 70s and early 80s, than they are today. There were no micro breweries, or wine tasting rooms (“good” wine came in boxes), or fresh herbs in every grocery store, or the Food Network……the list goes on and on. We felt lucky if we had a good meat market or seafood store in our vicinity! Times and food were just simpler then. It was very common in those days for one of the couples to call, even as late as a Saturday morning, for an impromptu dinner that evening. The hostess would usually prepare something like spaghetti or chili and the rest of us would bring beer or wine. There were no fancy appetizers or drinks, just lots of good food that we knew everyone would enjoy. There were always at least 2 generations at every meal, and never less than three dogs.  The kids would join in the adult conversations or play games or watch TV, while the parents and often grandparents shared stories about their week, the state of the union, sporting events, etc. I often spearheaded these get-togethers, and when I did I would usually bake bread to go with the meal. And when I made this bread recipe, my son Sven would fill up on bread and ignore most of the rest of the meal. (Oh, he always saved room for dessert however, being the intelligent lad that he was.)  What fun we had at those dinner parties. All the noise, confusion, and mess with never one argument or shedding of tears (among the adults that is). Just evenings spent with the best and dearest of friends eating, drinking and enjoying each other’s company.

  • 12-oz. bottle of beer (I like Alaskan Amber)
  • ¼ c. water
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 T. sugar
  • 2 T. butter
  • 2 T. yeast (or 2 pkgs.)
  • 5 c. flour
  • cornmeal

Heat beer, water, salt, sugar, and butter until very warm. Pour into the bowl of your stand mixer. Allow to cool to proper temperature for yeast to be added, about 105 degrees F. Add yeast; allow liquid mixture to sit (proof) for about 5 minutes. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead for about 5 minutes. Cover and allow dough to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes; punch down. Let rest 15 minutes. Shape in 2 long rolls on cornmeal covered pan. Let rest another 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack in your oven. When the oven is hot and the bread is risen and ready to be baked, being very careful not to burn yourself, pour two cups of very hot water in the pan in the oven. Quickly close the oven door to capture the steam. Next, place bread in oven on a rack above the pan containing the steaming water. Bake for about 25 minutes or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.