Mennonite Girls Can Cook (25 page)

I
n contrast to the stories I heard from my grandmother, my childhood days were peaceful, filled with not a care in the world and lots of outdoor play. We lived in a dairy farming community in southern Brazil, mostly among Mennonites, where my dad was a bookkeeper for the local co-op.

One of my favorite family activities was bike riding. On Sunday afternoons we would hop on our bikes and visit another family to share a cold supper, which was known as
Vesper
in High German or
Faspa
in Low German. For us kids, it was always exciting to find out which family we would be visiting. We didn’t know if our parents had pre-arranged the visits or not; after all, didn’t every home have fresh
Zwieback
waiting for unexpected guests?

When we moved to Canada, my parents found similar Mennonite connections. I grew to love even more the relaxed, holiday feel of Sundays. During the week Dad studied by night and worked by day and mom cleaned houses. It was understandable that she was tired by the weekend. She taught me that work comes before play. While I cleaned the house, she would be in the kitchen cooking up a big pot of soup and baking food for the coming week.

My parents quickly made friends and continued to show hospitality to strangers. We often had guests after church on Sunday, eating a bowl of soup at lunch or buns and cold cuts for
Faspa
. Our lives were enriched by the people my parents entertained.

Some of this tradition of
Faspa
continued after I married. Setting out ingredients for simple sandwiches on a bun, veggies, fruit, and dessert was the kind of meal that the kids enjoyed. It was easy to have the food on hand to serve company, plus it gave me a break from thinking about what to make.

It’s interesting how family traditions develop around food. Today, we still serve
Faspa
to anyone who stops by on Sunday. Our son and daughter-in-law know that they can call at five in the afternoon and sit around our table or kitchen island within the hour. Our girls live out of the country with their families now, but it is a meal they still ask for when they come home.

I wonder, is it really the runny strawberry jam and Havarti cheese, the fresh veggies, the weekly allowance of chips, the pie or the
Platz
that’s thought of so fondly, or is it the memories associated with a meal shared because no one has to rush off to a meeting, to a game, or to do homework? For me, it all comes down to the fact that
Faspa
is a meal shared in complete appreciation of just being together, with no fuss and no special expectations.

...............................................Yields 4 dozen

• 10-12 cups / 2000-2500 ml all purpose flour
  
• 4 tablespoons / 60 ml instant yeast
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 3 cups / 750 ml milk
  
• 1 cup / 250 ml water
  
• 1¼ cup / 310 ml oil
  
• 1 cup / 250 ml white sugar
  
• 3 teaspoons / 15 ml salt
  

1. In a large bowl stir yeast with 8 cups / 2 L flour.
   
2. Combine eggs, milk, water, 1 cup of oil, sugar, and salt in a bowl and beat well.
   
3. Heat this second mixture in microwave for 3-4 minutes until very hot, or heat on stovetop, stirring constantly. Pour over flour and yeast, stirring with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated.
   
4. Continue adding remaining flour, ½ cup / 125 ml at a time. When the dough becomes too difficult to stir, begin to knead it. At this point, slowly work the remaining ¼ cup / 60 ml oil into the dough. You may not need all the flour. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes, until you have a very smooth and soft, but not sticky, dough.
   
5. Rub a little oil on your hands; form the dough into a ball, rubbing it with the oil. Cover the bowl with a clean cotton towel and place in a draft free place. Let rise until the dough doubles, about 1 hour. Punch down.
   
6. Use one of the following options for the dough.
   

• Butter, softened
  
• White sugar
  
• Cinnamon
  

1. Divide dough into 4 equal parts and roll each part into a rectangle.
   
2. Spread generously with butter at room temperature.
   
3. Sprinkle generously with white sugar and cinnamon.
   
4. Roll rectangles up tightly and cut into 1½-inch / 4-cm slices.
   
5. Place rolls onto greased baking pans. Place close but not touching so they have room to rise.
   
6. Cover pans with towels and let rise again, until rolls have risen and are touching, about 45 minutes.
   
7. Bake at 350° F / 175° C for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned. Add cream and brown sugar topping (recipe follows).
   

• 1½ cup / 375 ml brown sugar
  
• 3-4 tablespoons / 45-60 ml cream
  
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml vanilla
  

1. Stir brown sugar, cream, and vanilla together until you have a pourable sauce. When the buns are in the last minutes of baking, drizzle sauce over them and bake another 3-4 minutes. Watch closely, removing the buns when the
   topping begins to bubble.
   
2. Invert onto a rack to cool.
   

Kathy says

• Butter, softened
  
• 3 tablespoons / 45 ml cinnamon
  
• ½ cup / 125 ml white or brown sugar
  

1. Roll a piece of the dough as wide as your loaf pan and about 14-inches /
   35-cm long.
   
2. Lightly spread rectangle with softened butter; sprinkle with sugar and
   cinnamon.
   
3. Roll up tightly and place seam-side down in a greased loaf pan.
   
4. Cover with towel and let rise until double.
   
5. Bake in 350° F / 175° C oven for 25-30 minutes.
   
6. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes and then invert to a cooling rack.
   

Tip:
This bread makes great French toast.

• Butter, softened
  
• ¾ cup / 175 ml coconut, unsweetened or semi-sweet
  
• ¾ cup / 175 ml white sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml orange zest
  

1. Roll out 3 pieces of dough into 10-inch / 25-cm circles, each ½-inch / 2-cm thick.
   
2. Spread each circle lightly with softened butter.
   
3. Combine coconut, sugar, and orange zest and divide among the circles.
   
4. Cut each circle into 10-12 equal wedges. Starting with the wide end, roll up wedges to make crescents. Place on greased baking pans. Cover and let rise about 45 minutes.
   
5. Bake at 350° F / 175° C for 15-20 minutes.
   
6. Remove from oven. Pour sour cream topping (recipe follows) over crescents and leave in pans to cool.
   

• ½ cup / 125 ml sour cream
  
• ¾ cup / 175 ml white sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml frozen orange juice concentrate
  

1. Stir together and pour over hot crescents.
   

...............................................Yields 9 pieces

• 1 egg
  
• 1½ cup / 375 ml cottage cheese
  
• 2 teaspoons / 10 ml cinnamon
  

1. Press a 1-inch / 2.5-cm layer of dough into a greased 8 × 8-inch / 20 × 20-cm pan.
   
2. Mix egg and cottage cheese and spread over the dough.
   
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
   
4. Cover with crumble topping.
   

• 1 cup / 250 ml flour
  
• ½ cup / 125 ml sugar
  
• ½ cup / 125 ml cold butter
  
• Icing sugar
  

1. Stir flour and sugar together and, using a pastry blender, work in the butter to make crumbs.
   
2. Sprinkle crumbs over the cottage cheese and cinnamon. Cover loosely and let rise for 30 minutes.
   
3. Bake at 350° F / 175° C for 30 minutes.
   
4. Remove from oven. While hot, sprinkle
   generously with sugar.
   

—
Kathy