Two recipes today: Italian Crescent Roll Squares and Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins!

 

This morning as I opened the editor to decide on a recipe I thought to myself "I wonder what recipes I posted on this day in the past?"  So I quickly just opened up an old random page and found a post from May 10th.  It just happened to be 2007 which is kind of neat considering it's now 2017.

So todays post is a blast from the past archives - originally posted on this day in 2007.  Re-posting 10 years later for 2017.  A hot Italian Sandwich made with crescent rolls - and a recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins!


Italian Squares


2 pkg. crescent rolls

14 oz jar roasted red peppers (drain)
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
4 T Italian dressing, prepared
1/4 lb. pepperoni
1/4 lb. ham, sliced thin
1/4 lb. Genoa or Hard Salami, sliced thin
1 small can sliced black olives
1/4 lb. Provolone Cheese
1/4 lb Swiss cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs


Spread 1 roll of crescent rolls into the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan and seal the edges to make a crust. Layer the Ham, artichokes, Swiss cheese, Salami, Provolone, olives and Pepperoni over crescent roll bottom. Spread well drained peppers over top of the meats and sprinkle with black olives. Beat the eggs and cheese together pour over the top of the olives.

Use the 2nd container of crescent rolls to lay out on a piece of plastic, seal the edges and then lay it over the top, pressing seams to seal. Cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before cutting.




Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins


2 cs (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1 T poppy seeds
1/2 t (3.5 grams) salt
1/2 t (2.5 grams) baking soda
1/2 c (113 grams) unsalted butter
1 c (200 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 c (240 ml) plain yogurt (do not use non fat yogurt)
1 t (5 grams) pure vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or else spray with a vegetable spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, poppy seeds, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the yogurt, vanilla, and lemon zest and beat until well blended.

By hand, stir in flour mixture until just moistened. Do not overmix. Spoon batter using either two spoons or an ice cream scoop into greased or paper lined muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool muffins on wire rack for 5 minutes before removing from pan and serving.


For The Glaze:
1/2 c (60 grams) powdered sugar
1 T fresh lemon juice

Stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. The mixture will be runny. Once the muffins are removed from the oven, wait five minutes, and then drizzle the glaze over the muffins with a spoon.

A Schneeballen Hunt... Before I mess all the recipes together and try my own!

Rothenburg Schneeballen

My oldest daughter just returned from a 3 week trip to Europe with a school group.  They visited Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France and England.  Of the many wonderful things she brought home, one of the most intriguing was a delicious not-too-sweet pastry.  Actually, she brought home FOUR of them!  A crumbly, flaky crust center rolled in or drizzled with anything from powdered sugar to glaze to candied flavorings, they are just...  delicious!

Even though I am German and Swedish I had never had one of these pastries that are a specialty of Rothenburg, Germany.  But enjoying a sliver of each this morning (Caramel, Chocolate, Lemon and Vanilla) with my coffee, I started a quest on the internet to find some recipes that looked promising and that I could 'play with' to concoct my own copycat recipe of this wonderful German treat.

Here is one that I found that has a bit more ingredients than some of the more basic versions;

Schneeballen

4 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 c sugar
3 lg eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp rum, spiced (captain morgan)
1 Tbsp cream sherry
2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 c sour cream
1 tsp nutmeg
cooking oil
powder sugar

Cream sugar and eggs together then add remaining ingredients except flour add it in gradually...cut with pastry cutter knife or hands.... cut rum and cream sherry, and sour cream gradually into mixture to make dough; adding flour from board as necessary; knead about 15 to 10 minutes till dough is stiff and shiny and pliable, cover and chill in fridge at least 1 hour.

Roll out dough...about 1/4 inch thick and cut into strip...make strips into ball by wrapping them around each other....fry in hot oil till golden brown on one side then turn over and fry other side till golden brown all over...drain on paper towel and cool sprinkle powder sugar on top you may also dip them into dipping chocolate...

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This one is a bit more basic but still embellishes the dough a little more than the most popular version I found.  I do like that this one went into a bit more explanation about the cooking process and the ball shape;

3 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cloves
1 pt. sour cream
4-5 cups Flour or as much as needed to make a medium stiff dough


Mix the eggs and sugar together then mix in the remaining ingredients, adding the flour last in small amounts till you have a medium stiff dough.

Pinch a walnut size piece of dough and roll out into a 4 by 4 inch circle. cut with a fluted pastry wheel or a knife. Lift weaving inbetween each slit with a small rod.


Make a ball in your hand and then deep fry till brown on one side. Flip it over and then brown on the other side. Push sides in to make a ball or use an ice cream scoop.   Lift out onto a plate with a paper towel and press into a ball shape while still warm. Dust with powdered sugar.

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Here is better directions from another source that was describing the Schneeballen but not making them and thus did not provide a recipe.  The description of watching them made in Rothenburg however, was so well done that I understood now what I was trying to accomplish;

Egg, flour and sugar pastry is rolled out quite thinly. The middle is cut into strips, but not all the way to the edges. Every other strip is lifted onto a wooden “broom handle”, then the baker slips his hand under these strips and expertly folds them all together into a ball, which is placed in a special long-handled tong-like tool. This is dipped into oil and deep fried. After cooling, the snowballs were traditionally sprinkled with icing sugar (hence the name), but today they can also be covered with chocolate and nuts and filled with all sorts of creme fillings.


And here is the most basic of recipes for them, but it's the version I found the most on the internet from 90% of the sources;


1 c all-purpose flour, minus 1 tbsp
2 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp butter
2 egg yolks
Dash of dark rum
Sauterne or white wine

Combine all ingredients. Mix with hands. Add rum and wine to make dough. Knead about 15 to 10 minutes, adding flour from board as necessary, until dough feels like velvet; cover and let rest in refrigerator at least 1 hour. Roll out thin on floured board and cut into squares. String on the handle end of a wooden spoon, and carefully place in preheated deep-fryer. Fry until golden. Drain on brown paper bag. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture of confectioners sugar.

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This one also promises to be a recipe for Schneeballen but I really don't know if it is, as the only German I speak is my maiden name, the only German I sing is Stile Nacht and the only German I read is... well, none.  I can't read German.  It could be a grocery list for all I know!


Zutaten für Portionen
7 Eiweiß, gut gekühlt
100 g Zucker
½ Zitrone(n), der Saft davon
Für die Sauce:
½ Pck. Vanillezucker
500 ml Milch
5 Eigelb
100 g Zucker
10 g Mehl


Zubereitung
Gut gekühltes Eiweiß steif schlagen und mit dem Zucker und Zitronensaft verrühren. Die Eiweißmasse formt man mit einem Löffel zu Bällchen, die man in kochendes Wasser gibt. Die "Schneebälle" werden 3-5 Min. gekocht, dann mit einem Schaumlöffel herausgenommen und in eine Schüssel gelegt.

Für die Soße das Eigelb mit dem Zucker verquirlen, die Milch und das Mehl unterrühren und alles im Wasserbad auf 80° Grad erhitzen.
Zuletzt den Vanillezucker hinzufügen und die Soße über die "Schneebälle" geben.

Turkey Piegga

At our local high school in addition to the regular lunches, ala carte menu where you can buy pizza or a sandwich and the typical fruit, granola bars and other food choices, they also offer a special lunch choice that is often menu items that would be found in a restaurant or even another country. One of those foods caught the attention of my oldest daughter last year and she would rave about the Turkey Piegga.

Always glad to make my own version of foods my kids rave about I decided to make a Turkey Piegga based on the ingredients my daughter remembered from her school lunch; spinach, some basil, bread, maybe some mayonnaise, and some cheese on a flat bread.

Looking through my cookbooks and files, I didn't find it. Looking on the internet I found that it seemed to be a sandwich that only 'schools' across the nation made and called a Piegga. I couldn't find a clear, concise version that was similar to what my daughter was describing.

Finally, giving up, I wrote to the head cook of the school and requested the information. She was more than happy to give it to me and to hear that one of the students loved it so much that they were trying to make it at home.

I added this recipe to my files and I hope you do too!

Turkey Piegga

Dough for (2) 16” pizzas
Olive oil – 1 oz.
Italian seasoning – ¼ oz.
Shredded Parmesan – 3 oz.

Turkey – 1 lb.
Provolone cheese – 8 oz.
Spinach – 6 oz.
Fresh basil – ½ oz.
Olive oil – 1 oz.
Kosher salt
Pepper –
Mayonnaise – 4 oz.


Mix together olive oil and Italian seasoning. Proof pizza crust to double in thickness, brush with olive oil/Italian seasoning mix. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 convection oven 5-8 minutes.

Place one of the baked crusts upside down – layer as follows;

Turkey
Provolone
Mayonnaise
Spinach
Basil
Salt, pepper, olive oil

Top with second crust.

Cut into 10 pieces. Sandwich can be prepackaged and served cold or grilled on a Panini grill for 3 minutes to serve hot.

Almond Biscuits (Cookies)

I am in such a cookie making mood today! I have no idea why but last night I had to force myself to go upstairs to bed and NOT make cookies at 10:30 at night. LOL.

This afternoon I'm surrounded by ideas and haven't a clue which one I want to make but I know I don't want to make 'bars' - only cookies, which of course are called 'biscuits' in Europe. And why is that important enough to mention here? Because my dears, I'm currently surrounded by a bunch of yummy European recipes... all of which look amazing but I think (???) this one might win out;

Almond Biscuits

75 g butter
25 g icing sugar
75 g flour
15 g flaked almonds

Preheat oven to 400 F (gas mark 6) - Line baking tray with parchment paper. Cream butter and icing sugar until fluffy and pale. Fold in the flour with a metal spoon. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm nozzle. Pipe 7 cm lengths and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake until pale golden brown and dust with more icing sugar.





Yes... I have to convert all the grams to ounces and then to cup portions... but they sound so heavenly right now I just might have to do that. It's a short recipe, t'won't be hard!