German Eierschecke

Ingredients

Shortcrust Base (Mürbeteig) 

• All-purpose flour: 200g 
• Unsalted butter (cold): 100g 
• Sugar: 60g 
• Egg: 1 large 
• Baking powder: 1 tsp 
• Salt: 1 pinch

Quark Filling (Middle Layer) 

• Quark (or drained Greek yogurt): 500g 
• Sugar: 80g 
• Vanilla pudding powder: 1 packet (approx. 37g–40g) 
• Milk: 100ml 
• Egg: 1 large 
• Lemon zest: 1 tsp

"Schecke" Topping (Upper Layer) 

• Eggs: 4 large (separated) 
• Sugar: 100g 
• Unsalted butter (melted and cooled): 100g 
• Vanilla pudding powder: 1 packet (approx. 37g–40g) 
• Milk: 300ml

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Base Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter until crumbly, then add the egg and knead into a smooth dough. Press into the bottom of your 24cm ring (greased or lined with parchment) and create a 2-3cm rim up the sides. Chill for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the Quark Layer Whisk the quark with sugar, egg, milk, lemon zest, and pudding powder until smooth. Pour this mixture onto the chilled dough base and smooth the surface.

Step 3: Prepare the Fluffy Topping Custard Base: Mix the milk and pudding powder in a saucepan. Bring to a boil while whisking until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the melted butter and egg yolks.

• Egg Whites: In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with 100g sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Folding: Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the warm custard until uniform and airy. Pour the mixture over the quark layer. It should fill the ring near the top.

Step 4: Baking Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 60–70 minutes. Cover with foil if the top browns too quickly. Crucial: Turn off the oven and let the cake cool inside with the door slightly ajar for 30 minutes to prevent collapse. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) before removing the ring to ensure the layers are set.

 CAKE DONUTS (~24 donuts)

Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1¼ cups buttermilk
¼ cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat oil to 350–355°F.

2. Whisk all dry ingredients.

3. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, butter, vanilla.

4. Combine wet + dry → thick dough.

5. Rest 10 minutes.

6. Roll ½" thick, cut donuts.

7. Fry 90 sec per side. (Donut should float within 3-5 seconds)

8. Drain, then glaze or coat in cinnamon sugar.

Simple Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2–3 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla
Mix smooth, dip warm donuts.

Ingredients

• 1 head of green cabbage
• Avocado oil
• Butter
• 1/2 Onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• A sprig or two of thyme
• 1/2 cup of shredded fontina cheese
• 1/4 cup of grated parmesan

Instructions

• Cut into eighths, trim stem
• Season with kosher salt
• Heat a large cast iron, with a bit of olive oil (or avocado oil)
• Sear the cabbage wedges until brown (with a touch of black)
• Flip and sear the wedges
• Remove wedges from pan, then add some butter and the thin sliced onion (less than half an onion)
• Once the onion is almost done, add the minced garlic
• Add some black pepper
• Add cabbage wedges back to the pan
• Add 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• Add <2 cups heavy cream
• Add a sprig or two of thyme
• Add 1/2 cup of shredded fontina cheese
• Add 1/4 cup of grated parmesan
• 400 Degree oven for 20 minutes

 

 (9×13 Pan)

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1½ cups sugar

• 4 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

• 1 cup milk

• 2 eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla

Pecan Crumb Topping

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 4 Tbsp flour

• 4 tsp cinnamon

• 6 Tbsp butter, softened

• ¾–1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 pan.

2. Make the cake batter
   In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
   Stir in melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla just until combined.
   Spread evenly in the pan.

3. Make the topping
   Mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and pecans.
   Cut in butter with a fork until crumbly.
   Sprinkle evenly over the batter.

4. Bake for 25–35 minutes, checking at 25.
   A toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

5. Cool slightly and serve warm.

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Optional (but excellent)

• Add ½ tsp nutmeg or ¼ tsp salt to the topping for depth

• Drizzle with a simple glaze (powdered sugar + milk) if serving as a brunch dessert

Yield: About 10–12 doughnuts + holes

Dry ingredients

• 2 ⅔ cups (about 320 g) all-purpose flour

• 2 Tbsp cornstarch (helps keep them tender – optional but nice)

• 2 ½ tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp fine salt

• ½ tsp ground nutmeg (classic old-fashioned flavor)

Fat & wet ingredients

• 4 Tbsp (½ stick) cold butter, cut into small cubes

• ¾ cup sugar

• 2 large egg yolks

• ¾ cup sour cream (full fat)

• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

For frying

• Neutral oil (canola/veg/peanut) – enough for 2–3" depth in your pot

Simple glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 3–4 Tbsp milk (or half-and-half)

• 1 tsp vanilla

• Pinch of salt

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Instructions

1. Mix the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together:

• Flour

• Cornstarch

• Baking powder

• Salt

• Nutmeg

Set aside.

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2. Cut in the cold butter (biscuit-style)

Add the cold butter cubes to the dry mixture.

• Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour until you have small pea-sized bits.

• It shouldn’t be fully sandy; a few bigger bits are fine — those help with flaky, craggy texture.

You’re basically making the start of a biscuit dough here.

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3. Mix the wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together:

• Sugar

• Egg yolks

• Sour cream

• Vanilla

It’ll be thick and creamy.

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4. Bring it together (shaggy dough, not smooth)

Pour the wet mixture into the flour/butter mixture.

• Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold and press the dough together.

• Stop as soon as it comes together into a thick, shaggy mass.

If it seems too dry and won’t come together at all, you can sprinkle in 1–2 tsp milk — but be conservative. The dough should be thick and slightly sticky, not dry.

Important: Don’t knead it like bread. Think “gently persuading it to stick together.”

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5. Chill the dough

Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap:

• Pat into a thick disk (about 1–1½" thick).

• Wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30–45 minutes (up to a few hours).

This:

• Firms the butter

• Makes it easier to handle

• Gives you better splits/edges when frying

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6. Roll, fold (optional), and cut

Lightly flour your counter.

1. Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on the flour.

2. Sprinkle a little flour on top and gently pat/roll to about ¾ inch thick.

3. For extra “biscuit” cragginess, you can do one gentle letter fold:

   • Lift the bottom third up toward the center,

   • Lift the top third down over that (like folding a letter),

   • Turn 90°, pat back out to ¾ inch.

4. Use a lightly floured doughnut cutter (or a 3" cutter + 1" cutter for the hole) to cut doughnuts.

   • Do not twist the cutter; just press straight down and lift.

   • Twisting seals edges and makes them smoother.

Place cut doughnuts and holes on a lightly floured parchment or baking sheet.

Try not to re-roll scraps more than once; those will be a bit tougher and less craggy.

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7. Rest the cut doughnuts

Let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes while you heat the oil.

This little “drying” time:

• Lets the surface firm slightly

• Encourages those classic cracks and ridges when they hit the oil

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8. Heat the oil

In a heavy pot or Dutch oven:

• Heat oil to 325°F (use a thermometer if you can).

Old-fashioned doughnuts like it a bit cooler than yeast doughnuts:

• Too hot (350–365°F) = smooth outside, undercooked inside

• Around 325°F = slow puffing, cracked tops, crispy ridges

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9. Fry the doughnuts

Work in small batches (2–3 at a time):

1. Carefully lower doughnuts into the oil.

2. Fry about 1½–2 minutes per side, until:

   • Deep golden brown

   • Cracks and ridges are visible

Let the oil return to ~325°F between batches.

Optional “extra craggy” move:

• Do a light par-fry: 45–60 seconds per side until pale.

• Pull them out for 5 minutes.

• Return to oil and fry another ~30–45 seconds per side until golden.
  This is extra work but gives you serious texture.

Move fried doughnuts to a cooling rack set over paper towels or a sheet pan.

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10. Make the glaze

In a bowl, whisk together:

• Powdered sugar

• Vanilla

• Pinch of salt

• Milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you get a thick but pourable glaze.

You want it to cling but still run into the cracks.

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11. Glaze while warm

When doughnuts are warm but not screaming hot:

• Dip the top (or the whole thing) into the glaze.

• Let excess drip off, then place back on the rack.

The glaze will seep into the craggy edges and set into that classic old-fashioned shell.