Dutch Treats. William Woys Weaver

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СКАЧАТЬ the cookbooks printed in nineteenth-century Pennsylvania soon realizes that quince honey stands out as a common culinary theme, whether the book was published in Erie, Meadville, Greensburg, Lancaster or Easton. Through state fairs and multitudes of blue ribbons, the Pennsylvania Dutch love of quince honey spread all across Pennsylvania regardless of cultural boundaries; every fundraising cookbook before 1920 with a church connection seems to feature at least one version of this classic regional confection.

      For the record, quince honey is not literally honey and making it is not as simple as following a recipe for jam because the success of the endeavor hangs, not surprisingly, on the condition of the fresh fruit. Classic quince honey is quince jam (quince cooked in sugar) reduced to a smooth spread with a flavor that cannot be described easily because you must begin with tree-ripe fruit. You will know they are ripe if you can smell their perfume, which will fill an entire room with the fragrance of sweet peas, vanilla and orchids. It is that ethereal quality that must be captured in the jam. So, in order to make this recipe worthwhile, select at market only those quince that remind you of perfume. You can make quince water by boiling the cores and skins 30 minutes in spring water until gray and slimy. You can then use this “tea” as pectin for other preserve recipes. Meanwhile, I have tested quince honey several times and suggest making it this way (see note below):

       Yield: 8½ cups (2¼ liters)

       2 pounds (1 kg) cooked pureed quince

       2 cups (500ml) quince water (see note below)

       ¼ cup (65ml) fresh lemon juice

       1 box Sure-Jell

       5½ cups (1.375kg) sugar

      Put the pureed quince, quince water, lemon juice and Sure-Jell in a deep preserving pan and bring to a full boil over a high heat. Add the sugar. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and transfer to hot sanitized jars.

      Note: While I do not prefer Sure-Jell because of the overabundance of sugar it requires, nonetheless, the recipe will work as directed and it will not disappoint. I suggest doing it this way first, then once perfected, you may want to explore other pectin sources. That said, this jam will jell without Sure-Jell as long as you use the pectin tea, but cooking time will depend on the state of the fruit, a thing we cannot measure or predict in printed recipes, although 20 minutes of steady boiling should do it.

Christmas Fruit Loaf

       Hutzelbrod

      Hutzelbrod is one of the forgotten culinary classics of the Dutch Country. The name derives from Hutzle, a term for dried fruit but especially for dried plums or pears, one of the main ingredients. There was a time when you could find these wonderful fruit-filled breads in nearly every county town during the holiday season. Today, only a few families still make them. Part of the reason is that they require advance planning and two days of preparation.

      The earliest recorded Pennsylvania Dutch recipe for this Christmas treat appeared in Der Amerikanische Bauer [The American Farmer], a Harrisburg farm journal published in the 1850s. It is unusual to find any sort of recipes for Hutzelbrod, because the ingredients were quite variable and the bread part could consist of a wide variety of doughs, although basic sourdough bread was the predominant choice. In general, since the commercial loaves were large, often measuring 40 inches (100cm) in length, Hutzelbrod was considered a baker’s showpiece, much like New Year’s pretzels – not to mention that bakeries owned ovens large enough to accommodate breads that size. In farmhouse cookery, the loaves were prepared somewhat smaller, ranging from 12 to 20 inches (30cm to 50cm). The 1850s recipe I consulted did not provide suggestions for dough other than bread dough, but it was absolutely clear about the filling. For the dough, I suggest using yeast-raised butter crust (page 112) because it is easy to handle and bakes a beautiful golden color. If you choose to use the apple bread recipe (page 3), cut the quantity in half and start the dough the night before, since it takes longer to rise.

       Yield: One 20-inch (50cm) loaf, or two 10-inch (25cm) loaves

       ½ cup (50g) dried pears, chopped into pea-size pieces

       ½ cup (40g) apple schnitz, chopped into pea-size pieces

       ¼ cup (50g) candied citron, chopped

       ¼ cup (50g) whole golden raisins

       ⅓ cup (35g) slivered almonds

       ½ cup (125g) sugar

       ½ cup (125g) apple jack or pear brandy

       1 batch yeast-raised butter crust (page 112)

       Honey crumbs (see sidebar)

       Topping:

       1 egg yolk

       1 tablespoon (30ml) milk

       Candied angelica as decoration after baking

      The day before you plan to bake, combine the chopped dried fruit, citron, raisins, almonds, sugar and wine. Cover and set aside to marinate 24 hours. The next day, drain the fruit mixture of all excess liquid and set aside. The excess liquid can be added to mincemeat pies or used as basting liquid for your Christmas turkey or goose.

      Prepare the yeast-raised butter crust according to the directions on page 112. Cover and let the dough proof until double in bulk.

      While the dough is proofing, make the honey crumbs as directed in the sidebar.

      Once the dough has doubled in bulk, knock down and roll out in a rectangle 12 inches (30cm) wide and 20 inches (50cm) long. Trim off irregular edges for use as ornamentation. Spread the drained, reserved fruit mixture over the rectangle of dough, then scatter the crumbs evenly over this. Roll up as tightly as possible, taking care to fold under the ends and pinch the seams closed. Ornament the loaf with strips of dough reserved for that purpose and little rings for the candied angelica (refer to the photograph). Set the bread on a large greased baking sheet, preferably one with raised sides in case the loaf leaks liquid from the fruit during baking (this saves cleaning the oven).

      Cover and set aside in a warm place to rise (at least 40 minutes). While the bread is recovering, preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Brush the loaf with a mixture of 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of milk. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the bread taps hollow. Once the bread is cool, insert pieces of candied angelica in the small rings ornamenting the top.

       Honey Crumbs СКАЧАТЬ