Chocolate Kugelhopf

This beautiful Chocolate Kugelhofp, filled with golden raisins, chocolate and brown sugar was made following this recipe from Martha Stewart Living.

What's a Kugelhofp? The Internet, being the wide and wonderful place that it is, describes endless variations and origins. A yeast-risen cake from France (especially Alsace) or Austria or Germany, it is baked in a round fluted pan, filled with raisins and sometimes almonds and dusted with powdered sugar before serving. The legends abound... One story says that the sweet bread was a gift from the three Magis returning from Bethlehem. Another, says that the recipe was brought to France by Marie Antoinette from Austria upon her marriage to Louis XIV. Another still, says it was a victory cake, baked in the shape of the sultan's turban after the Turks were defeated at the gates of Vienna in the 15th century.

This one had the consistency of a sweet bread not unlike a buttery brioche. Typically served with coffee, or at breakfast, I completely concur with the recipe that it's best toasted with a bit of butter. (But that didn't stop us from eating slice after slice just as it was. That's right. WAS. This delicious loaf disappeared quickly...)

I followed the recipe precisely, because I'm not crazy enough to think I can overrule the laws of chemistry, especially after past disasters with breads involving yeast. So, just diving into this project felt risky enough for me. But as always, variations are possible...I think any mix of dried fruit and nuts would work. Cranberries for Christmas would look pretty. This recipe added chocolate, so why not cinnamon?

It took the better part of a day, with all the rising and punching and waiting, but it was a lot of fun. And I learned a few tricks along the way. Like when you have to add a lot of flour to a batter, you should use the attachments on your beater called "dough hooks" (see the second picture below....I was on the verge of a giant mess when I figured this out....)

Here are the delicious results in pictures. I think it turned out perfectly and would highly recommend it. Enjoy!

 

French Toast

Dessert in the morning…

When I was a teenager I worked at a bakery café that served breakfast. The French toast was delicious – always made with freshly baked challah, also known as egg bread. While I won’t be baking my own, I do think it’s the perfect bread for this simple recipe.

The next trick is to find the right ratio of eggs to milk…you don’t want your French toast too eggy, or too soggy. One egg and 1/4 cup of milk for every three slices of bread (of regular thickness) works well.

French Toast for Two

2 eggs
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
6 slices of egg bread
your choice of fruit and maple syrup to serve
2 teaspoons of unsalted butter for grilling

Blend eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a medium sized skillet. Dip the bread in the egg mixture, coating each side. Grill 3 slices of bread at a time on medium heat about 2-3 minutes per side. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and repeat for last three slices. Garnish with fruit and maple syrup.

Enjoy with a cup of tea and then dream about French toast for the next week…