Schnecken Food

SCHNECKEN (STICKY GERMAN CINNAMON BUNS)

Steps:

• Butter a 12-cup muffin pan.
• Line a roasting pan or baking pan with parchment paper (for turning the sticky buns onto later)large enough to cover muffin pan.
• Combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
• Melt butter in the milk over very low heat and beat in eggs.
• Stir milk/butter mixture into the dry ingredients to make the dough. Knead for 10 minutes or for 5 with dough hook. When it is springy and satiny, form a ball and put in a greased bowl. Turn to coat and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Syrup: Using an electric mixer cream butter until soft and smooth and add sugar. Beat in syrups and then divide mixture among the muffin cups and top with walnuts (about a tablespoonful in each sticky-based waiting cup.).
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Knock dough back, knead once or twice and then roll out to a large rectangle (apx 24X12) with the long side nearest you. Beat egg and add milk; glaze the dough using a pastry brush or your fingers.
• Mix the filling ingredients in a little bowl and sprinkle onto the dough. Now, roll up from the long side and away from you, carefully and firmly (not too tight) keeping a firm sausage shape.
• Cut into 12 even slices, and lie each slice spiral-swirly cut side up, on top of the nuts and syrup in the muffin cups.
• Leave to rise for about 20 minutes then put into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, by which time they should be golden and cooked: crisp in parts, voluptuously gooey in others. You may want to put a baking sheet under pan to catch any falling goo.
• Place roasting pan or baking sheet on top and turn the whole thing the other way up. Remove the muffin tray and dislodge any nuts that are still stuck in it, adding them, along with any residual syrup, to the upturned buns.
• Leave to cool, then stuff your face -- as if you needed encouragement.

SCHNECKEN

Steps:

• Soften yeast in cream.
• Soften butter; add egg yolks, then yeast mixture, salt and flour.
• Beat until dough leaves the bowl.
• Chill overnight.
• Roll out thinly on counter dredged with sugar and almonds.
• Roll up and cut into 1/2" slices.
• For the topping, melt butter in a loaf pan, cover with brown sugar and sprinkle pecans evenly.
• Brush rolls with butter; place close together cut side down on the pecans.
• Let rise until double and bake at 375F for about 30 minutes.
• Turn out of pan at once.

GERMAN SCHNECKEN

Steps:

• Soften yeast in the warm water.
• Pour the scalded milk over sugar and salt in a large bowl; stir until sugar is dissolved. Cool to lukewarm.
• Blend in 1 cup of the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in yeast. Add ABOUT HALF the remaining flour and beat until very smooth. Beat in the eggs. Vigorously beat in the 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time. Beat in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let REST 10 minutes.
• Knead until smooth and elastic ABOUT 10 MINUTES. Form into a ball and put into a greased deep bowl; turn dough to bring greased surface to top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down; pull edges of dough in to center and turn over completely in bowl. Cover; let rise again until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Lightly grease twenty- four 2 1/2 inch muffin pan wells. Put about 1 teaspoon of the melted butter into each well; reserve remaining butter.
• Mix the chopped nuts, brown sugar, currants, and cinnamon. Spoon 2 teaspoons into each well and gently press 3 or 4 pecan halves onto mixture.
• Again punch dough down; form into 2 balls. Roll ball into a rectangle 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick, 6 to 8 inches wide, and 12 inches long. Brush top surface of dough with half the remaining melted butter and sprinkle evenly with half the remaining brown sugar mixture. Beginning with longer side, roll dough tightly into a long roll. Cut roll into 12 slices. Place a slice, cut side down, in each well. Repeat with second ball. Cover; let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes. Invert muffing pans on wire racks, set on waxed paper or aluminum foil, leaving pans over Schnecken 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks, glazed side up. To store, wrap tightly in foil Reheat just before serving. 2 dozen Schnecken.
• CAI The Canadian Family Cookbook.