Willkommen! Check out these tasty and traditional German recipes you can try from Sarah Spencer’s “A Taste of Germany: Traditional German Cooking Made Easy with Authentic German Recipes.”

Pretzels

You can’t have a proper selection of German foods without the beloved pretzel. Crisp on the outside, deliciously moist and chewy inside, these are excellent with a beer and cheddar sauce or mustard.

Serves 24 | Prep. time 20 min. | Rest time 1 hour | Cooking time 20 min.

Ingredients

• ½ cup lukewarm water
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• ¾ cup milk, lukewarm
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ¼ cup baking soda
• Coarse salt for sprinkling

Directions

1. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes to bloom.
3. Add the milk and oil.
4. Mix the salt into the whole wheat flour and add it to the bowl, together with 2 cups of the all-purpose flour. Mix until it is well combined, adding add more flour if it’s needed to make the dough form a ball.
5. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.
6. When the dough has almost finished rising, combine the baking soda with 2 quarts of water in a large pot. Bring it to a boil and keep it hot.
7. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
8. Split the dough in half and separate each half into 12 equal pieces.
9. Roll each piece into a rope about 16 inches long. Form circles with the ends overlapping, twist the ends, and fold the tips down to join with the circle. Repeat until all the pretzels are formed. Place them back on the sheets to rise for 10 more minutes.
10. In small batches, lower the pretzels into the simmering soda water and remove them when they rise to the top. Place them back on the sheets and sprinkle them with salt.
11. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

Spaetzle

This popular side dish makes a great alternative to rice, potato, or dry pasta – and it’s surprisingly easy to make!

Serves 6 | Prep. time 5 min. | Cooking time 7 min.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter (or bacon fat)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add them to the flour alternately with the milk. Mix until a smooth dough forms.
3. Press the dough through the larger holes in a strainer.
4. Boil water sufficient to cook the noodles, about 8 cups.
5. Add the spaetzle in small batches and boil for 5–7 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, melt the butter or bacon fat in a skillet. Fry the cooked spaetzle until they take on some nice color, and serve with a sprinkle of parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

Black Forest Chicken Cordon Bleu

Germany and France are close neighbors. Try the German version of this classic dish, made with Black Forest ham and Limburger cheese.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 min.  | Cooking time 30 min.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 slices German Black Forest ham
• 4 ounces German Limburger cheese, sliced, rind removed
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
• Olive oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Butterfly the chicken breasts and season them with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper on both sides.
3. On each piece of chicken, layer two slices of ham and one ounce of cheese. Fold the breasts closed and secure the edges with a toothpick or two.
4. Arrange a dipping station with the flour in one bowl, the eggs in another, and the breadcrumbs in a third.
5. Dredge the chicken in the flour, egg, and then breadcrumbs. (Repeat the coatings if desired.)
6. Arrange them in the baking pan and spray them with olive oil cooking spray.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until they are 175°F internally.

 

 

Pork Schnitzel

German schnitzel (Schweineschnitzel) is made with pork, as opposed to the Austrian version, Weinerschnitzel, which is made with veal. These delicious cutlets are often accompanied by a side of Spaetzle. You can serve them plain with a splash of lemon and parsley, as shown, or with a thick mushroom sauce (and then you would call it Jäegerschnitzel.)

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 min. | Cooking time 15 min.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
• Canola oil for frying

Mushroom gravy

• 2 tablespoons bacon grease (or butter)
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups condensed beef broth
• Dash balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Start by preparing the gravy, if using. (If not, skip to step 7.)
2. In a skillet, melt the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until golden.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1–2 more minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are browned and the liquid has evaporated.
5. Add the butter and sprinkle on the flour, stirring to coat everything. Let it cook another minute or two.
6. Add the broth, vinegar, thyme, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Cover and let it simmer on low while you cook the pork, stirring occasionally.
7. One at a time, place the pork chops between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound them to a thickness of ¼ inch. Season them on both sides, using 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper.
8. Arrange a dipping station. In one bowl, combine the flour with the remaining salt. In a second bowl, beat the eggs. Place the breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
9. Heat the oil to 335°F. It should be deep enough to immerse the meat.
10. Dip the pork to coat both sides and the edges in flour, egg, and then breadcrumbs. Do not press the breadcrumbs onto the meat.
11. Immediately after coating the chops, slide them into the oil. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden.

 

 

Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)

The Black Forest Region of Germany is famous for its beauty, its cuckoo clocks, its dense evergreen forests, and the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. There, newlywed couples traditionally plant a cherry tree, and from these, we get the delicious, rich Black Forest cake everyone loves.

Serves 8–12 | Prep. time 60 min. | Cooking time 30 min.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh cherries, pitted
• ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
• ½ cup icing sugar
• 1 ounce kirsh or cherry brandy
• 2 ounces chocolate shavings
• Candied cherries, to garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter an 8- or 9-inch high-sided cake pan.
2. Place the cherries in a saucepan with a few tablespoons of water and stir in ¼ cup of sugar. Cook them over low heat for about 15 minutes, and using a slotted spoon, remove the cherries to a separate bowl.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together and set them aside.
4. Beat the eggs with the remaining ½ cup of sugar and the vanilla until they are light and frothy. Fold in the flour mixture and spread the batter in the cake pan.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Meanwhile, heat the cherry liquid and add the cornstarch. Cook to thicken, and then pour it back over the cooked cherries. Let the mixture cool.
7. Beat the heavy cream with the cherry brandy and icing sugar until thick.
8. When the cake has baked and is cool, slice it into three equal discs. Arrange one disk on a cake plate.
9. Spread a layer of cherry compote and some whipped cream on the layer, and repeat for all three layers.
10. Use the remaining cream to frost the sides of the cake and cover with chocolate shavings. Garnish with candied cherries.

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s A Taste of Germany: Traditional German Cooking Made Easy with Authentic German Recipes. To get your copy, click on the cover or click here.

To download a copy of the featured recipes, click here.