Recipe: Oktoberfest Appetizers and Party Snacks for Beverly

OKTOBERFEST APPETIZERS AND PARTY SNACKS

SOFT PRETZELS WITH HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE
"Pretzels not only taste good, they also look good especially when you decorate your Oktoberfest table with them. For something a little different shape pretzels into rings before baking them to form a novel napkin ring for your Oktoberfest guests.

You can also attach blue and white ribbon to regular shaped pretzels and hang them in windows or from the ceiling."

1 package of active dry yeast
1/8-cup warm water (105 degrees)
1 1/3 cups warm water
1/3 cup of sugar
5 cups flour
Water, baking soda
Sea salt

Dissolve yeast in 1/8-cup warm water. Stir in 1 1/3 cups warm water, 1/3-cup brown sugar and flour. Beat until smooth. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Heat oven to 475 degrees. In a saucepan, measure 2 tablespoons baking soda to each cup of water. Place enough to fill the saucepan. Boil soda and water.

Tear off some dough and roll a pencil shape with your hands. Pick up both ends, cross to form rabbit ears and then twist the ends and pull them back to the rest of the loop.

Place twisted pretzels in water/baking soda mixture for 15 seconds until the pretzel dough is golden or yellow in color. Then remove the pretzels from boiling water and place onto a salted cookie sheet.

Salt the top of pretzels with course ground sea salt. Place cookie sheet with pretzels into the oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until pretzel is golden brown.

Variations:
For meat lovers: Add cubed bacon while kneading the dough and bake together until pretzel is golden brown.

For cheese lovers: Do not salt the pretzels, but place a layer of German butter cheese or Bavarian Emmental on top and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cheese will turn golden brown.

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As an accompaniment to your pretzels try this creamy dip.

HONEY MUSTARD DIP

5 oz Cr me Fraiche
3 tablespoons German honey
2 tablespoons German mustard
Salt and sugar to taste

Stir Cr me Fraiche, honey and mustard until creamy. Add sugar and salt to taste.

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COLD CANAPES:

Pumpernickel rounds with Matjes herring flakes, thinly sliced onion, cooked shrimp, mayonnaise and dill garnish

Toasted light rye bread with lettuce shreds, smoked salmon with horseradish cream and caviar
Rye bread with Emmentaler cheese and chopped black grapes

Pumpernickel rounds with Emmentaler cheese, cucumber, Quark, topped with fresh herbs and thin red onion slices

Cocktail pretzels with thinly sliced Bavarian blue cheese

Rounds of toast with folded and rolled slices of Black Forest ham, topped with green asparagus tips

Cherry tomato shells filled with piped Quark and topped with finely chopped chives and tiny herb sprigs

HOT CANAPES:

Prepare these ahead but don't heat until your guests are about to arrive. Otherwise, they will dry out if kept warm for too long

Thin fresh apple slices (brushed with lemon juice), deep-fried Camembert wedges, topped with cranberry relish

Baby potato pancakes (or Rosti) with hot pan-fried salmon filet

Toasted triangles baked with shredded Black Forest han, pitted red grapes and grated Emmentaler cheese

Source:Roz Denny, Modern German Cooking.

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GERMAN GRILLED CHEESE AND CREVETTES SANDWICH
Created exclusively for GermanFoods.org by renowned German Chef Hans Rockenwagner
Makes 1 sandwich

2 slices German bread, such as pretzel baguette or sunflower bread
1-2 ounces soft, semi-ripened German cheese with green peppercorns (depending on size of bread)
1 tablespoon minced and saut ed white onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-10 crevettes, or cocktail shrimp (depending on size of bread)

Place thin slices of cheese on both sides of bread. Thinly layer one side with saut ed onions and crevettes. Fold together the two slices of bread with all ingredients sandwiched between. Brush outside with olive oil and place on panini press to grill. Cheese will melt quickly. Do not overheat.

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SAUERKRAUT AND PROSCIUTTO/SALAMI TRAY PIZZA
"Discover the versatility of sauerkraut and add a healthy touch to your pizza with the following tasty supper treat. Perfect for those cool fall evenings! We suggest using German imported prosciutto or Black Forest Ham but salami may be substituted."

1 lb package bread mix
1 onion, sliced thinly in rings
1/2 lb German Sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
4 oz German imported prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, sliced thinly
3 oz Bavarian Emmental cheese, coarsely grated
Dried oregano or marjoram
Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the bread mix according to package instructions. Roll out on a lightly floured board to a think rectangle large enough to fit a shallow lightly oiled baking tray (10 x 12 inches). Lightly grease the tray or line base with parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Scatter the onion rings and Sauerkraut evenly on top of the dough making sure they spread right to the edges.

Add toppings and sprinkle with herbs and seasonings.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. The bread base should be perfectly baked. Let the pizza stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Source: Roz Denny, Modern German Cooking.

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BAVARIA BLUE CHEESE MOUSSE WITH GOOSEBERRY CHUTNEY
Yield: 10 servings, 4 pieces each

10 slices Pumpernickel
1 lb Bavaria Blue Cheese
5 oz Cream Cheese
12 oz Gooseberries, drained and roughly chopped
2 each Plums, finely diced
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 cup White Wine
as needed Sugar
1 cup Hazelnuts, chopped

Cut each slice of pumpernickel in quarters.

In a blender mix Bavaria Blue cheese and cream cheese until soft. Fill cheese in piping bag.

In a small sauce pan, caramelize 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Add plums and deglaze with white wine.

Add gooseberries and lemon juice and simmer at low heat until all liquid is evaporated.

In a medium size saute pan melt sugar, add hazelnuts and caramelize. Pour sugar and nuts on silt pat mat and allow to cool. Break brittle in small pieces.

Pipe cheese mixture on each piece of pumpernickel, top with gooseberry chutney and garnish with a piece of hazelnut brittle.

Recipe courtesy of Uta Schepers, Special Projects Chef, Johnson and Wales University

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MINI ONION TARTS (KLEINE ZWIEBELFLADEN)

1 lb bread mix package (such as Seitenbacher sour dough mix)
2 large onions, sliced thinly
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons canola oil
7 oz Black Forest ham, chopped
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons sour cream
a pinch grated nutmeg
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make up the bread dough according to instructions on the package. Divide dough into six balls and roll out to the size of a salad plate on a lightly floured board. Place on two non-stick baking sheets and press down in the center to form slight hollows. ( This is so the egg yolk mix doesn't run off the topping).

Prick the bases. Set aside to rise slightly while you make the toppings. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F / Gas Mark 6

Saut the onions and garlic in the oil for about 15 minutes until softened and golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, seasoning lightly.

Add the Black Forest ham to the pan and fry until slightly crisp. Don't over-crisp as it will be baked later.

Spread the onion between the six bread rounds and scatter over the ham. Beat the egg yolks with sour cream and seasoning plus a pinch of nutmeg.

Spoon over the six rounds. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 degrees F / Gas Mark 4 and bake for another 10 minutes until the dough is cooked. Remove onto a wire rack and cool. Serve warm.

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RYE BREAD CROSTINI
"Quick and easy yet sophisticated, this recipe is a twist on traditional crostini."

6 slices German rye bread or sunflower seed bread
2 large garlic cloves, halved
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
31/2 ounces German soft, spreadable cheese
2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 basil leaves, sliced very thinly lengthwise
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut bread slices in half. Rub one side of each piece with the cut side of garlic. Brush with oil and place on a baking sheet; bake 10 minutes. Let bread cool, slightly, and spread toasted bread with cheese. Gently stir together tomato and basil spoon on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.