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justaprogressive

(5,705 posts)
Wed Oct 15, 2025, 01:05 PM Wednesday

3 German Entrees and an Easy German Apple Cake 🌞

Last edited Wed Oct 15, 2025, 02:59 PM - Edit history (1)


Himmel und Erde (Heaven & Earth - Apples + Potatoes)

Fruit from the heavens (apples) and fruit from the earth
(potatoes) describe what Himmel und Erde (Heaven and
Earth) are. When these two are mixed together, they create
a rather unusual dish that is a wonderful side to many
meats. This comfort food can be served chunky or mashed.
If you want it chunky, you’ll need to cook each separately
and then mix them together. Mashed is easier. Cooking the
apples and potatoes together in one pot and mashing makes
this super quick. Traditionally, Himmel und Erde is served
with fried blood sausage; however, it is really good
alongside any grilled sausage or pork dishes.

Serves 4

4 tbsp (60 g) butter, divided
4 oz (112 g) bacon, diced (see Oma’s Ecke)
2 large onions, thickly sliced
1½ lbs (680 g) peeled russet potatoes, cubed
1 lb (454 g) Cortland or Granny Smith apples, peeled and
thickly sliced (see Oma’s Ecke)
1 tsp salt
¾ cup (175 ml) hot milk, or as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Freshly grated nutmeg, as needed

Melt 1 tablespoon (15 g) of the butter in a large skillet over medium
heat. Add the bacon and fry for about 8 minutes, until the fat is
rendered and the bacon is crispy. Transfer the bacon to paper towels
to absorb the grease. Add the onions to the bacon fat in the skillet
with 1 tablespoon (15 g) of the butter. Sauté until the onions are
caramelized, about 10 minutes, reducing the heat if they brown too
quickly.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes and apples in a large saucepan, cover
them with water, add the salt and bring them to a boil over high
heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the saucepan and
simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and apples are
tender.

Drain and add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the
butter. Using a potato masher and adding as much milk as
necessary, mash the potatoes and apples until they are smooth and
creamy. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Serve the Himmel und Erde topped with the crispy bacon and
caramelized onions.


Oma’s Ecke(Grandma's Corner)

If you prefer, stir the bacon into the potato mixture. Don’t
want the bacon? Leave it out completely. For an interesting
variation, use a mixture of apples and pears cooked together
with the potatoes.

This method of mixing fruit with the potatoes can be
changed to include vegetables instead. Cooked kale is a
common addition. It’s a great way to get kids to eat their
greens. Cooked carrots are another favorite veggie that’s
frequently mashed in with the potatoes, resulting in a pretty
orange color. These could all be classified as “baby food”
but are really just delicious renditions of plain mashed
potatoes.

From "German Meals at Oma's"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41487174-german-meals-at-oma-s

*******************************************************************************


Falscher Hase (Meatloaf)

As a child, I was glad my mutti cooked a falscher hase (false
hare), because I could not imagine eating a real bunny. I
never really knew what it was I was eating, other than it
was really good. With the hard-boiled eggs hidden inside
and covered with bacon, Mutti had a winner. It wasn’t until
I was older that I found out it was meatloaf, a classic food in
many parts of the world.

Comfort food like this is what German cooking is all about.
Extend this idea of nostalgia by having Bäckerkartoffeln
(Scalloped Potatoes) on the side. Serve this at Easter and
watch your children’s eyes pop as you slice this at the table
and they see the hidden eggs for the first time. (Adults’ eyes
open wide too!) If you wish, you can omit the hard-boiled
eggs, but do not omit the bacon. The flavor it adds makes
this meatloaf stand out from the ordinary.

Serves 4 to 6

6 large eggs, divided
1 tbsp (15 g) butter
1 cup (150 g) diced onions
1 stale kaiser roll, sliced (see Oma’s Ecke)
¾ cup (175 ml) warm milk
2 lbs (908 g) lean ground beef or equal parts beef and pork
1½ tsp (8 g) salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp paprika
Breadcrumbs, if needed
6 slices bacon

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease the bottom of a large
baking dish and set aside.

Place 3 of the eggs in a small pot and cover them with cold water.

Bring the water to a boil over high heat and cook the eggs for 7
minutes. Drain the eggs and put them in a bowl of cold water to
cool. Peel the cooled eggs and set them aside.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions
and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are
tender but not browned. Set the onions aside to cool.

Place the kaiser roll in a small bowl. Pour the milk over it and let it
sit for 5 minutes. Drain the milk, squeeze the moisture out of the
roll, crumble it and set aside.

To make the meatloaf, put the beef, the remaining 3 raw eggs, salt,
pepper, paprika, sautéed onions and the crumbled kaiser roll into a
large bowl. Mix the ingredients together with your hands. If the
mixture is too moist to hold together, add some breadcrumbs.

Take half the meat mixture and form the bottom half of the loaf
shape, about 9 x 4 inches (23 x 10 cm), down the middle of the
baking dish. Lay the peeled hard-boiled eggs down the center and
cover them with the remaining meat mixture. Gently press into a
meatloaf shape.

Cover the meatloaf with the bacon strips and place the dish in the
oven. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the meatloaf reaches an
internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C). Check in several
places to make sure you are not just poking into the hidden eggs.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes
before slicing and serving.

Oma’s Ecke(Grandma's Corner)

Using the soaked kaiser roll will produce a less dense
meatloaf, a method used throughout Germany for almost
any kind of meatloaf, hamburger or meatballs. If you do not
have rolls to use, then bread will work as well, but avoid
slices from a soft sandwich-style loaf. You can also replace
this with ½ cup (60 g) of breadcrumbs.


From "German Meals at Oma's"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41487174-german-meals-at-oma-s

*****************************************************************************


Schupfnudeln (homemade potato noodles)

In Bavaria, there is a particularly delicious type of noodle
that, when pan-fried, elevates the plain potato into a dish
that’s often served by itself. It’s also the perfect
accompaniment for pork, lamb, duck or sauerkraut, and
when turned into dessert with cinnamon and applesauce,
it’s a fitting culmination of a traditional German meal.
Schupfen means “to push or throw.” In this case, little bits of
potato dough are rolled between the hands and thrown off
into finger-shaped noodles, creating the classic shape of the
ends narrower than the middle.

Serves 4

1½ lbs (680 g) peeled russet potatoes, quartered
2 tsp (10 g) salt, plus more as needed
4 tbsp (32 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling (see Oma’s
Ecke)
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp (19 g) potato starch or cornstarch
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Freshly ground nutmeg, as needed
2 tbsp (30 g) butter

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and set a 16 x 11–inch (40 x 28–
cm) baking sheet near your workspace for easy access.

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover them with water and
bring them to a boil over high heat. Cover the saucepan, reduce the
heat to medium-high and simmer until the potatoes are tender,
about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and spread them onto the
baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 3 minutes to
evaporate the moisture from the potatoes. Remove the baking sheet
from the oven and let the potatoes cool slightly. Turn the oven off.

Fill a large pot with water, add the salt and bring the water to a boil
over high heat. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and bring the
water to a simmer. Dust a large plate with flour. Set the plate aside.
Mash the potatoes or press them through a potato ricer into a large
bowl. Once they are cooled, add the egg yolks, flour and potato
starch. Mix the ingredients together using your hands. Season the
dough with additional salt, pepper and nutmeg. Transfer the dough
to a floured work surface. Gently knead until the dough holds
together and does not stick to your hands, adding extra flour as
needed.

Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a log about ½ inch (13
mm) thick. Cut each log into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces. Roll each piece
between your hands into finger-size noodles with tapered ends and
put them on the flour-dusted plate. Dust your hands with extra flour
to keep the dough from sticking.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and set aside. Place a large empty
bowl next to the bowl of water.

Drop half the noodles into the simmering salted water. When they
rise to the surface, use a slotted spoon to place the noodles in the
cold water to cool. Remove the noodles from the cold water and
place them in the empty bowl.

Repeat this process with the remaining noodles. When all the
noodles have been cooked, melt the butter in a large skillet over
medium-high heat. Add the noodles and sauté for about 5 minutes,
until they are golden brown, just before serving.

Oma’s Ecke (Grandma's Corner)

The exact amount of flour needed is impossible to predict. It
depends wholly on the moisture content of the potatoes.
Russets or other starchy potatoes, the best to use for this,
will have differing amounts of moisture depending on the
time of year. Add just enough flour to make a dough that
doesn’t stick to your hands.


From "German Meals at Oma's"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41487174-german-meals-at-oma-s

*******************************************************************


Versunkener Apfelkuchen (German Apple Cake)
By Julia Foerster

German Apple Cake is a traditional German dessert that is so easy to make even
if you aren’t totally kitchen confident! With a simple batter that rises up and bakes
around the apples this easy apple coffee cake is the perfect everyday dessert
that tastes best with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 12

Ingredients

4 small apples
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar, or vanilla extract
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups cake flour, (see instructions above)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
Powdered sugar


Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease the bottom of a 9- or 10-inch
springform or use parchment paper.

Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Thinly slice each quarter lengthwise
without cutting all the way through (like in the image above).

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter
until creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and mix until light and fluffy, about
2 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time and beat for 30 seconds on high speed after each addition.

Add vanilla sugar (or extract) and lemon juice. Beat until combined.

Combine cake flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer running on low
speed add half of the flour, then 1 tbsp milk, followed by the remaining flour,
and then the remaining milk. Beat until just combined. Don't overmix!

Transfer batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Distribute
the apples with the sliced side up on top (see image above).

Bake in the lower third of the oven for 45 minutes, until lightly browned and a
skewer comes out clean.

Transfer to a cooling rack and remove the springform ring. Let cake cool on the
bottom of the springform pan to room temperature.

Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cooled cake and serve with sweetened
whipped cream.

From https://platedcravings.com/german-apple-cake-recipe/

German cooking will keep you toasty, that's for sure! Enjoy!
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3 German Entrees and an Easy German Apple Cake 🌞 (Original Post) justaprogressive Wednesday OP
The Apple Cake? JustAnotherGen Wednesday #1
That sounds like a great addition! justaprogressive Wednesday #2
She always JustAnotherGen Wednesday #3
seen the others (oft-used in baked goods) not the mashed potatoes! justaprogressive Wednesday #4
Those "potato noodles" sound interesting ... surrealAmerican Wednesday #5

JustAnotherGen

(37,276 posts)
1. The Apple Cake?
Wed Oct 15, 2025, 01:52 PM
Wednesday

My mom always put a dollop or two of sour cream in it. Makes it a tad bit richer and creamier.

justaprogressive

(5,705 posts)
4. seen the others (oft-used in baked goods) not the mashed potatoes!
Wed Oct 15, 2025, 03:22 PM
Wednesday

Now horseradish and bacon...

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