Mennonite Girls Can Cook (30 page)
Read Mennonite Girls Can Cook Online
Authors: Lovella Schellenberg,Anneliese Friesen,Judy Wiebe,Betty Reimer,Bev Klassen,Charlotte Penner,Ellen Bayles,Julie Klassen,Kathy McLellan,Marg Bartel
............................ Yields 2 large or 3 medium loaves
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup / 125 ml sugar
- ½ cup / 125 ml butter, melted
- 1 cup / 250 ml warm milk
- 1 teaspoon / 5 ml salt
- 2 tablespoons / 30 ml instant yeast
- 3 cups / 750 ml raisins, rinsed with hot water
- 4 cups / 1 L flour, divided
- 4 tablespoons / 60 ml butter
- 4 Granny Smith or Gala apples, chopped thinly
- 2 tablespoons / 30 ml white sugar
- 1 teaspoon / 5 ml cinnamon
- Thoroughly beat eggs and sugar.
- Add melted butter, warm milk, salt, 2 cups / 500 ml flour, and yeast.
- Stir in raisins and then the rest of the flour. If using a mixer, switch to dough hook attachment.
- Knead for several minutes. Let rise until double in bulk, about 1½ hours.
- In the meantime, chop apples for the filling; cook them with the butter, sugar, and cinnamon for a few minutes. Do not overcook; they should still have a bit of crunch. Cool.
- Divide dough in 2 or 3 parts. Roll out as for cinnamon buns.
- Spread dough with the filling mixture.
- Roll the dough, tucking in the ends, and place seam-side down on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough or form plain loaves and place into greased loaf pans.
- Cover loosely with a tea towel and plastic wrap. Let rise 30 minutes.
- To give the loaves a glossy look, brush with a mixture of beaten egg and 2 tablespoons / 30 ml milk just before putting them into the oven.
- Bake at 325° F / 160° C for 40 minutes, or until top and bottom are brown.
- Dust with icing sugar when completely cooled.
—
Anneliese
(Fried Bread)
................................................ Serves 4
- 5-6 cups / 1.25-1.5 L flour
- 3 teaspoons / 15 ml baking powder
- 1 teaspoon / 5 ml salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup / 250 ml sour cream
- 1 cup / 250 ml milk
- Combine 5 cups / 1.25 L flour with the baking powder and salt.
- Beat eggs, sour cream, and milk together and add to dry ingredients.
- Continue to add flour until a soft dough forms.
- Chill dough 1-2 hours for easier handling.
- Divide the dough in half; roll out thin on a floured surface. If you prefer softer
Rollkuchen
, roll the dough thicker. - Cut strips of dough about 2 × 4-inches / 5 × 10-cm. Make 2 slits in the
center of each strip. - Gently stretch the pieces before dropping them into the hot oil.
- Deep-fry in hot oil over medium heat until golden on one side. Flip and fry until the other side turns brown.
—
Judy
If you grew up in the Russian Mennonite tradition, you would know that Rollkuchen are a tasty, deep fried pastry, served as a wonderful accompaniment to cold watermelon on a hot summer day! How well I recall childhood picnics with big tubs of fresh
Rollkuchen
. It was impossible to eat only one. At some time over the years, Rollkuchen and Roger’s Golden Syrup (definitely Canadian) became a great team on my table.
My mother-in-law made the best flaky, crispy
Rollkuchen
, which were always a uniform size. Mine are the thicker, softer variety and end up looking rather free-form in size. Though each recipe seems to differ slightly, I’ve never met a
Rollkuchen
I didn’t like!
Rollkuchen
puff up beautifully while cooking. Really, they are mostly air pockets by the time they are ready to eat. A totally healthy choice!
Judy says
Schnetki
(Finger Biscuits)
.......................................... Yields 2½ dozen
- 3 cups / 750 ml flour
- 2 teaspoons / 10 ml salt
- ½ cup / 125 ml shortening
- ½ cup / 125 ml butter
- 1 egg
- Whole milk added to egg to make 1 cup / 250 ml
- Mix flour and salt together. Cut in shortening and butter.
- Place egg into a measuring cup; add milk to measure 1 cup. Add to flour/butter mixture.
- Mix together; turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
- Form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
- Chill in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. This is an important step.
- Place dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out very thin; spread with softened butter.
- Starting at one edge roll dough to the thickness of your middle finger, then cut along edge of roll (see photo). Repeat until remaining dough is used.
- Cut each long roll into 4 or 5-inch / 10 or 12-cm lengths.
- Bake at 425° F / 220° C for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown.
—
Julie
The word
Schnetki
closely resembles the German word
Schnecke
, which means “snail.” It is easy to see how these rolled-up-like-a-snail breadsticks got their name.
Schnetki
have been my husband’s favorite comfort food ever since he’s been a child. If I ask him what I should make, I know his answer will be “
Schnetki and Perishky
.”
Perishky
are fruit pockets made from same dough.
There is a family story tied to this recipe.
Schnetki
always stirs up emotional memories for my husband, memories of the last time he saw his father when he was only four years old. In September 1941, during World War II, Ukrainian officials ordered all men, aged sixteen and over, to be taken from their Mennonite villages and marched to Siberia. Because these men were of German descent they were considered enemies of the state. My husband’s father was one of those men forced to march away under guard that fateful morning. He, along with many others, would never see his family again.
Their tearful wives and mothers prepared what they could to send with their departing loved ones. They hastily packed food and clothing, knowing that harsh treatment and extreme living conditions would be awaiting the men in Siberia.
My husband clearly remembers his mother baking
Schnetki
on the outside hearth for her husband. The image of his father walking out of his life, carrying the
Schnetki
, is indelibly imprinted in my husband’s memory.
Julie says
The Schnetki, when broken open, are very flaky.
Julie says
More than BreadJesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
—Matthew 4:4b (
NIV
)
M
y grandmother loved to eat bread in any form! She baked double-decker buns (
Zwieback
) and enough white bread to feed an army. But more than bread, she loved her German Bible, which I now have, complete with all her notations.
I treasure her Bible; it is a constant reminder that life is about so much more than the bread we eat!
We were created to enjoy an ongoing relationship with God. That relationship is not fed by the good foods we eat on a daily basis but by reading God’s Word, and hearing what he has to say to us.
Jesus said, “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
—John 6:33 (
NIV
)
Jesus is the bread we really need!
—
Judy
