The last week of WiSo, travel plans and Lavender Syrup

(From 3 February)

The Winter Semester at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität is just about over.  This coming week is the last week of classes and essays are due in the coming weeks.  This weekend is all about preparing for tests and planning the big trips coming up.
We have nine weeks off from classes, a crazy long time.  I'll be traveling for a good amount of the time and a few weeks I've left open to either stay in Munich or some spontaneous trip.  Who knows!  I've booked a ticket to Dublin with a friend from the study abroad program, Heidi.  After we watched the [horrible] movie Leap Year over the Christmas Break we have been trying to plan a trip to Ireland.  The storyline of the film is really banal but the setting is gorgeous. It seems so green and the castles are beautiful, very different from the ones in Germany! AND totally by coincidence, we are going to be in Dublin on Leap Day!  According to the movie, it's an Irish tradition that a man who receives a marriage proposal on Leap Day must accept it; hmmmm... ;)
We've been preparing for our trip in Munich at the Irish Pub near the Frauen Kirche in the city center.  It's a really fun environment and the Snakebites/Shandy (Irish drink of equal parts helles Beer, Cider and Black Current juice) are the best.
We're planning to visit not only Dublin but also some areas on the West Coast and perhaps in the South.  I'm really looking forward to it!  It will be interesting to be in another English speaking country outside of the US and I am definitely looking forward to experiencing the Irish culture and nature.
The next stop: England!  I'll spend about 4 or 5 days in England, probably just in London.  On the 10th I'll take the Chunnel (the train under the English Channel) to Paris!  I am SO EXCITED.  After taking French classes for most of my life, I am so ready to go to Paris!  Two friends and I rented an apartment near the Sacre Coeur church, about a 10 minute walk from the Louvre!  It ended up being about the same price as a hostel and includes a full kitchen and washer/dryer- definitely worth it! Definitely more to come about these trips.

A few weeks ago I purchased a little pack of lavender buds from the Viktualienmarkt in Munich and for the longest time could not decide what to make with them.  I finally decided to make a lavender syrup to mix into crème fraîche (great for the french yogurt cake!), whipped cream, make steamers, whatever.  It's great! And insanely simple to make.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 T lavender buds
(a bit of vanilla extract if you want)

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, allow it to cook a minute or two and remove from heat.  Stir in the lavender buds and pour the mixture into a jar.  It's that easy.

To make a steamer you'll need a frothing wand or use the steamer attachment of an espresso machine.  Heat the milk and about a tablespoon (more or less, depending on your sweet tooth) of the syrup, strained or not, over medium-low heat and froth until fairly foamy.  Add a bit of honey if you'd like.  I only had regular milk but a friend of mine said a lavender steamer made with almond milk is the best!

To sweeten crème fraîche or cream, simply stir it in.

Guten Appetit! 

Flourless Chocolate Cake. Gluten-Free or not, this cake is great!

I bake a lot in my tiny apartment.  The little toaster oven I bought was totally worth it.  I have been nothing but impressed with the performance of that thing; I have baked many, many cakes and have no complaints.
This cake was especially good, and unbelievably easy.  This was my first experience making or tasting a flourless chocolate cake and I definitely understand why it has become the "go to" recipe among both bakers and non-bakers alike.  It's literally the fastest thing I have ever baked and definitely a crowd pleaser.
Like I said before, I bake A LOT.  I go through more flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, cocoa, sahne, etc as fast or faster than a full family.   During the process of baking this particular cake, I had to make not one, but two last minute trips to the supermarket!  First time for cocoa powder and then to get bittersweet chocolate that I thought I had in the apartment.  Oops... at least the store is only a 5 minute bike ride away!

This cake takes almost no time at all and only very basic skills to prepare.  Because of the absence of flour, the cake is very dense and rich.  Serve this cake in all its glory, warm and topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Totally worth the indulgence.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

source: Gourmet Magazine (November 1997)

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1 stick (125g) unsalted butter
• 3/4 c (150g) sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 c (64g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• (optional, 2 oz espresso or 1 T instant espresso powder)
• (optional) vanilla ice cream or whipped for serving

Preheat oven to 375F (190C).  Butter an 8in round baking pan and line with wax paper, butter the paper as well.  Coat the pan with a bit of cocoa powder or flour.

Start a pot of water on the stove for a double boiler.  Use just a few inches of water and choose a bowl that will easily fit in the opening of the pot without having the bottom of the bowl touch the water.  It's important that only the steam from the boiling water heats the chocolate and butter, the water is too hot.

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt with the butter in the double boiler.  You do not need to stir the mixture continuously. Once the texture is consistent, remove from heat and whisk in the sugar.  Beat the eggs slightly and add to the chocolate mixture, mix well.  Sift in the cocoa powder and mix only until just combined.  If you want to use the coffee, add it with the cocoa.  I was short on time so didn't try it this time but coffee will enhance the chocolate flavor of the cake.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the center rack for about 25 minutes.  It's always a good idea to rotate the cake halfway through the baking time to ensure it is evenly baked.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.
Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar and serve with ice cream or whipped cream if you'd like.

Guten Appetit! 

Käsespätzle

There are few things more comforting than Käsespätzle.
It's like a German take on mac&cheese only BETTER.  Spätzle literally translates to little sparrows.  It is a traditional German dish, typical to the South and into Austria.  Miller Family, you know Spätzle as dumplings.


In the StudentenStadt, Käsespätzle pretty much forms it's own food group.  It's easy, cheap, fast and really filling.  We have been on the quest for the very best Käsespätzle for quite sometime and I think we are just about there.  It's very common to buy pre-made Spätzle in the grocery store but once you've made them homemade, there is really no turning back.  It's so easy and so much better.
Two very important things to remember with Käsespätzle: yes, add ALL that cheese, don't skimp on the butter!

Käsespätzle 

Ingredients

• 400 g all purpose flour (about 3 1/4 c) 
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 50-75 ml water (1/4-1/3 c)
• butter to your taste ( I usually do about 2-3 T)
• 250 g (pretty much the whole bag) grated cheese, Emmenthaler/Swiss, Gruyère, Mountain Cheese... 
• optional 
• an onion cut into rings 
• butter and evoo for the pan 
• salt      

Mix the flour and the salt in a large bowl and create a well in the middle of the bowl.  Add the eggs to the well and beat them, gradually pulling in flour from the sides.  Add enough water to make the dough workable but not too runny.  

The dough should rest for at least 20 minutes.  I usually turn the pot of water on once I have finished preparing the dough and it is boiling at just the right time.  

If you are making the onions, go ahead and start them. Melt the butter and evoo in a frying pans and cook the onions over a low heat until they turn golden brown.  Set aside. 

You will need a Spätzlepresse to make the Spätzle, a colindar might work too.  Add a good pinch of salt to the water and turn the heat down to allow it to simmer but not boil too heavily.  Now comes the messy part.  It's a good idea to plan for at least two runs to avoid a Spätzle-disaster.  Allow the Spätzle to cook for about 2-3 minutes, until they float to the top.  

You can either prepare the Spätzle to the end in the same pot or, if you'd like, you can cook them further in a baking dish in the oven. (I normally just cook them in the pot) 

Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked Spätzle from the pot into another dish.  Once all the Spätzle have been cooked, empty the leftover water and return the Spätzle to the pot with the butter and cheese.  Mix until melted.  Add a good amount of salt.  It is really good with a small pinch of nutmeg and topped with a few leaves of fresh basil and the caramelized onions if you are using them.  

   

Guten Appetit!