Snacks ()
It’s hours before Thanksgiving dinner, and you’re the one bringing the pumpkin pie. But there are only so many hours in the day, and you’re pressed for time. So you reach for a ready-made pie crust and a can of pumpkin, add a few spices, bake it in the oven and produce a pie that wins compliments from all those gathered around. Whew! That was a close one.
Just as American homemakers reach for a variety of products to cut down the time and effort made to turn out a tasty, semi-homemade meal or baked good, German cooks also have a variety of products at their disposal. Here’s a look at some ready-made cooking and baking products that can help answer the eternal question “What’s for dinner tonight?”
Blätterteig: Puff pastry is a wonderfully versatile product and helps turn out savory appetizers in minutes flat. Cut into strips, twisted and salted, it makes bread sticks; ham and cheese slices combine well with it too. Salami rose blossoms make use of puff pastry with sliced salami and a sprinkle of cheese creating a beautiful effect. Sweet tooths will like it smeared with a layer of Nutella prior to baking—adding banana slices is optional. For a savory main dish for two, fry a pound of small chunks of meat along with an onion, chopped potatoes and diced carrots; thicken to a stew-like consistency and bake in a small deep-dish pie pan lined with the puff pastry until the crust is nicely browned. For an oh-so British take on a meaty meal, see this recipe for Easy steak pie from BBC Good Food.
Backfertiger Pizzateig mit Sauce: This is a handy and economical kit for making a pizza that’s a step up from straight-from-the-box frozen. The kit contains a generously sized, rolled-up rectangular slice of pizza dough and just enough sauce to cover it. The cheese and toppings must be purchased separately.
Flammkuchenböden: Missing festivals and yummy Flammkuchen? We are too! These ready-made crusts help you replicate their taste at home. Flammkuchen are typically covered with onions and bacon cubes, but just about anything goes. As to that creamy, cheese-like topping, bakers turn to all sorts of things, from herbed cream cheese to sour cream to a yogurt-like product known as Schmand. For the most authentic take on an Alsatian version, use crème fraiche, or, if you cross the border to shop in France, reach for a container of fromage blanc.
Reibekuchenteig, Kartoffelpufferteig: Another festival food you may be missing these days is the wonderful Kartoffelpuffer, or potato pancakes. If you’ve ever been disappointed in the results you got while attempting to make them from scratch, reach for this handy ready-made batter that you’ll heat up in a frying pan with a little cooking oil. Serve with applesauce or a creamy, garlicky aioli dip.
Kloßteig: This dumpling dough made out of potatoes, salt, butter, cornstarch and eggs can be used in many creative ways aside from the most straightforward method, which is rolling into a ball and boiling. Pressed out flat, it can make a change from the usual pizza crust. Mixed with an egg and breadcrumbs and it can be used as a dough for Russian-style pierogi, little baked pies stuffed with meat, cabbage, boiled egg or other fillings.
Laugenbrezeln: Soft on the inside and crunchy on the out, starting the day with a piping hot pretzel doesn’t have to mean an early morning run to the bakery. Pretzels all ready for the baking are sold in the deep-freeze section, but beware that they need to defrost thoroughly before going into the oven in order to reach their full size and taste potential.
