Faceromance

Raspberry Tartlets (Austria)

1 cup butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Confectioners’ sugar
Raspberry jam

Cream butter; gradually add sugar.
Beat in egg and extracts.
Blend in flour and salt.
Chill.

Roll dough 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
Cut with
a 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter.
Cut small hole in center of half
of the cookies.
Place on lightly greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 375
degrees F about 8 minutes.
Cool.

Dip cookies with hole in confectioners’ sugar.
Spread bottom of
whole cookies with a thin layer of raspberry jam.
Cover with the
sugar-coated cookies, pressing the two together to make a
sandwich.

Makes about 6 1/2 dozen.

Red Cabbage with Apples

This sweet-sour sauce is what the Pennsylvania Dutch brought
with them from Germany to the United States hundreds of years
ago.

1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced in long slivers
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red cabbage, shredded
1 medium-size tart apple, peeled and shredded
1 teaspoon caraway seed (optional)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup water
Salt, to taste
1 clove minced garlic

Heat the oil.
Add onion and cook until soft.
Add cabbage and
apple.
Stir often for 5 minutes, then stir in caraway seed, brown
sugar, red wine vinegar, water, salt and garlic.
Bring to a boil;
reduce heat and simmer until cabbage is very tender and most of the
liquid has evaporated.
Serve hot!

Red Fruit Pudding

This is Germany’s national dessert.

2 cups German red currant fruit juice
2 cups German raspberry juice
1 strip lemon peel
1/2 to 1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Mosel wine
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice or additional wine
Whipped cream
Fresh red currants (for garnish)
Fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Combine fruit juices in a large, heavy-based saucepan; add lemon
peel and heat gently.
Dissolve cornstarch in wine and stir a few
spoonsful of the hot juice into the mixture.
Return the mixture to
the saucepan, whisking continuously.
Bring to a boil and stir until
thickened.
Add sugar to taste and simmer gently until the sugar
dissolves completely.

When the mixture thickens and clears, remove it from the heat
and add lemon juice or additional white wine.
Pour into a large
glass serving bowl or individual dessert glasses and chill until
set.

To serve, pipe or spoon whipped cream on the top and decorate
with fresh red currants and raspberries.

Roast Goose with Apple Stuffing (Gänsebraten mit
Apfelfüllung)

1 (8 to 10 pound) goose, giblets reserved
2 cups water
1 small onion, sliced
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
6 cups soft bread crumbs
3 tart apples, chopped
2 stalks celery (with leaves), chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Trim excess fat from goose.
Heat giblets, water, sliced onion
and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer
until giblets are done, about 1 hour.
Strain broth; cover and
refrigerate.

Chop giblets; toss with remaining ingredients except 1 teaspoon
salt and the flour.

Rub cavity of goose with 1 teaspoon salt.
Fold wings across back
with tips touching.
Fill neck and body cavities of goose lightly
with stuffing.
Fasten neck skin of goose to back with skewers.
Fasten opening with skewers; lace with string.
Tie drumsticks to
tail.
Prick skin all over with fork Place goose, breast side up, on
rack in shallow roasting pan.

Roast uncovered at 350 degrees F until done, 3 to 3 1/2 hours,
removing excess fat from pan occasionally.
Place a tent of aluminum
foil loosely over goose during last hour to prevent excessive
browning.
Goose is done when drumstick meat feels very soft.
Place
goose on heated platter.
Let stand 15 minutes for easier
carving.

Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from pan.
Stir in flour.
Cook
over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly.
Remove
from heat.
Add enough water to reserved broth if necessary to
measure 2 cups.
Stir into flour mixture.
Heat to boiling, stirring
constantly.
Boil and stir 1 minute.
Serve goose with apple stuffing
and gravy.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Rot Kohl

2 tablespoons bacon drippings
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small cabbage head, shredded
2 apples, grated
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Coarsely-ground black pepper, to taste

Warm the bacon drippings in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the
onion and sauté it briefly until it is limp.
Stir in
the remaining ingredients, and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cover
the saucepan, and cook 20 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.

Round Steak in Spicy Sour Cream Sauce

1 (2 pound) top round, sliced 1/2 inch thick, cut into 4
pieces
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
6 whole black peppercorns
4 tablespoons flour
3 whole allspice
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 small bay leaf
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 whole clove
1 teaspoon paprika
2 cups water
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Madeira

In a bowl combine 3 tablespoons of the flour with the pepper.
Dip the pieces of beef in the flour one at a time.
Shake off excess
flour.

In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat.
Add the beef and brown on both sides.
Transfer meat to a
platter.

Add remaining butter to skillet and add onions.
Cook until
onions are soft and lightly browned.
Add paprika, peppercorns,
allspice, bay leaf and clove.
Add the water and bring to a boil,
scraping the brown sediment on the bottom of the skillet.
Return
the beef to the skillet, turn heat to low and cover tightly.
Simmer
for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours, basting meat occasionally.

When beef is tender, transfer to platter and keep warm.
Strain
the cooking liquids through a sieve into a bowl.
Press hard on the
onions with the back of a wooden spoon to get all the juice and
flavor.
Discard.
If you have less then 2 cups of liquid in the
bowl, add some beef broth.
If you have more than 2 cups, boil
briskly until reduced to 2 cups (this is important).

Return liquid to skillet, bring to a simmer over high heat then
reduce to low.
With a whisk, beat the remaining flour into the sour
cream.
Slowly whisk the sour cream into the simmering liquid a few
tablespoons at a time.
Cook, whisking constantly until the sauce is
hot and slightly thickened.
Do not let it boil as the sour cream
will curdle.
Return the beef to the skillet and baste with the
sauce.
Cook just long enough to thoroughly heat the meat.
Stir in
the Madeira and taste for seasoning.

Serves 4.

Viennese Cheesecake (Topfen Schnitten)

Crust
2 generous cups flour
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon rum
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Work flour, butter, egg, rum, sour cream and sugar to a dough.
Let stand for 30 minutes.
Roll into two rectangles 1/8-inch thick.
Bake one rectangle on an ungreased baking sheet at 300 degrees F
for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly brown.
Cover with Cheese
Filling.

Cheese Filling
3 tablespoons butter
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup vanilla sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon lemon rind
11 2/3 ounces cream cheese,
rubbed through a strainer
1/4 cup sour cream
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Cream butter.
Add yolks, vanilla sugar, raisins, lemon rind,
cheese and sour cream.
Fold in egg whites.
Top cheesecake with
second rectangle; brush with 1 beaten egg.
Bake at 325 degrees F
until light brown on top (about 15 minutes).
Cool; cut into
rectangles about 3 x 1 1/2 inches.
Sprinkle with sugar.

Vanilla Sugar
Cut one vanilla bean and put it with 1 cup of sugar into a jar.
Seal tightly and let set about a week before removing the vanilla
bean and using the sugar.

Viennese Pot Roast

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chuck roast, 1 1/2 inches thick
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 cup catsup
1 tablespoon vinegar

Brown meat in electric skillet.
Combine remaining ingredients to
make a sauce.
Spoon half the sauce under roast and remaining sauce
on top.
Roast at 325 degrees F for 2 hours or until tender.
(Foil-wrapped roast may be baked in outdoor electric barbecue with
lid.)

Rumtopf

Rum is used for traditional German and Austrian Rumtopf.
The
French use bourbon, but you can choose the spirit that best suits
your tastes.
The recipe should be made at least a month before
giving as a gift.
Fruit should be in perfect condition without any
blemishes and just ripe.
Don’t use over ripe fruits.
It is okay to
use fruit you have frozen earlier in the season.

Depending on the fruit you use they should be prepared according
to their type.
Apples, pears, peaches and nectarines should be
peeled, cored, and sliced.
Then drop them into a water and lemon
juice bath to keep them from discoloring.

Citrus fruits should be peeled, segmented and skinned.

Remove stalks from currants and blueberries, and the top and
bottom points from gooseberries.
Hull strawberries and
raspberries.

When washing the soft fruits gently spray them with a fine mist
of water but don’t soak them.

Choose decorative glass jars that have tight fitting lids.
Wash
and sterilize all the containers in a boiling water bath for 10
minutes.
Let the jars cool before you begin adding the fruit.
The
different fruits should be layered in any combination that is
pleasing to the eye.
Begin by putting the first layer of fruit in
the bottom of the container.
Then sprinkle with granulated sugar.
The amount of sugar you use for each layer depends on the sweetness
of the fruit but a good rule of thumb is 6 ounces of sugar for each
pound of fruit.
Continue layering each variety of fruit and
sprinkle with the sugar.
When you have filled the jar to the top
pour your choice of liqueur into the jar so the fruit is completely
covered.
Close the lid tightly and place in a cool dark location
until you are ready to present the gift.

When presenting the Rumtopf, add a hand decorated tag to the jar
with some serving suggestions such as the ones below.

A traditional Christmas morning celebration starts with a
Rumtopf cocktail.
Combine some Rumtopf with champagne and a few
fruits and toast to family and friends.

Serve Rumtopf and cream in wine glasses.

Pour Rumtopf over ice cream or frozen yogurt and serve with
toasted waffles.

Ladle some Rumtopf over lemon pound cake topped with fresh
whipped cream.

Schmarren (Scrambled Pancakes)

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 eggs, separated
Pinch of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk or cream
2 tablespoons butter

Cream butter until frothy, then add, one after another, sugar,
egg yolks, salt, flour and milk.
Beat egg whites until stiff and
carefully fold in.

Melt remaining butter in a in a cast iron skillet, and pour in
batter.
Fry on each side until golden brown.
With 2 forks, chop the
resulting pancake.

Serve on a hot platter sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and
garnished with pieces of apple, cherry, seedless raisins or other
fruit, sautéed in butter.

Serves 4.