TWD: Mrs. Vogel's Scherben

 
Let me start off this post by saying I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for picking a recipe that worried so many people this week.  

People were scared. Look at the P&Q for this week on the Tuesdays with Dorie web page. You'll find words like "scared", "concerned", "nervous", "I'm-not-cool-with-grease-fires".

I felt bad.  I knew I should have went with the Hidden Berry Torte!  I needed a crowd pleaser! Not something that will scare people away! Actually, when I chose this recipe, I wrote, "I hope people don't hate me!"

But I wanted something different!  I wanted to choose that little recipe that probably gets passed over day after day in home kitchens across the world! I know this may not be something simple.  I know we don't want fires in our kitchens.  But It's FRIED DOUGH. What's not to like?  What's a better way than to break your post holiday detox with FRIED DOUGH?  We all knew it was going to happen sooner or later.  It's just that this time, it's sooner. (Sorry to anyone doing the Ten in 10 challenge! You can take one little bite!)

When it comes down to it, I chose this recipe for six reasons:

1.  FRIED DOUGH. 

2. I felt like it may have been the lone recipe that would not have been chosen until week 360.  I felt bad for it. 

3.  It actually is very simple to throw together.  The only ingredients are flour, butter, baking powder, water, sugar, and salt.  Every member of TWD already has those ingredients stocked en masse. 

4. One bowl. No appliances. 

5.  When you Google the word "Scherben", not much comes up besides an IMDB link to a movie from 1921.  We can change the world, TWDers. We can introduce "schreben" to the masses.

6.  FRIED DOUGH. 

So thanks to everyone who hunkered down and baked fried along with me this week.  And special thanks to Caitlin of Engineer Baker for helping to quell some baker's fears about frying the scherben by finding an appropriate baking solution that gets great results!  

These cookies are crispy, delicious, and fun to eat.  They are different, and I like that.  For being fried, they are surprisingly light and not greasy at all.  They remind me more of sweet versions of those wonton crackers you get at Chinese food restaurants that you sprinkle over the soup rather than a heavy zeppole (the big, Italian fried dough balls of my youth).  I both baked and fried them.  The fried ones puffed up more, but the baked ones were equally crispy and delicious. And they are completely addictive.  You have a scherben one minute, the next thing you know, you've eaten 12 more and you're like, "Oh man, I just ate 12 fried cookies."

Keep on eating (healthy.  After you try these Schreben, that is. GOOGLE IT!).

Mrs. Vogel's Scherben

Combine 1 tbsp. butter with a big pinch of sugar and a little pinch of salt. 

 

Cream them together until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

 

Add the egg and beat.

Gah! It's curdled! 

Just kidding, that's totally cool. Keep going.

 

Add the flour.

 

...and mix until most of the dough is moistened.

 

Add some water...

 ... and stir until the dough comes together.

Gather the dough and lightly knead until the dough is just smooth can comes together (this dough is very sticky. You may need to add more flour to work with it).

Refrigerate for one hour.

Remove dough from refrigerator and cut in half. 

 On a well-floured surface, roll the dough out to a rectangle shape, roughly 12 x 8".

My dough kind of looks like a tooth.

Slice dough in 1-inch segments.

Cut strips in half.

Cut a 1 1'2" slit lengthwise in each piece.

 

Layer in a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap (single layers, plastic wrap between each layer).

 
Refrigerate for 1 hour.

 
Fry the dough in 4" of hot oil (350F) until nicely golden brown on each side.

Or you can bake the dough at 400F for 12 minutes until golden brown and crisp (thanks, Caitlin!)

Drain on a paper towel and dust with cinnamon sugar.

Dust the scherben with confectioners' sugar and enjoy fried...

 

...or baked!

 
 

Mrs. Vogel's Scherben from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Big pinch of sugar

Little pinch of salt

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3-4 tablespoons hot water

Cinnamon sugar and confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Flavorless oil, such as canola or sunflower, for deep frying

Working in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon or a large rubber spatula, beat the butter, sugar and salt until smooth and creamy.  Add the egg and beat - the mixture will look curdled, but that's ok.  Mix the flour and baking powder together and pour them into the bowl, then stir until most of the flour is moistened.  The dough will look like coarse, clumpy meal.  Add 3 tablespoons hot water and continue to stir until the dough comes together.  If you've still got dry portions, sprinkle over a little more water.  Keep stirring - you'll have a moist dough that might be a bit shaggy. 

Reach into the bowl and knead the dough just until it smooths out and comes together. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour. (The dough can be kept in the refrigerator overnight if it's more convenient.)

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Cut the dough in half.  Working with one half at a time, on a well-floured surface, and keeping both sides of the dough floured, roll the dough into a very thin rectangle - try to make it about 12 x 8 inches, but don't worry if it's not the right size or if it's lopsided; scherben can be any size, and shape.  If you keep the work surface well floured and turn the dough so it's not sticking and so you're rolling on both sides, you'll find that it is very easy to roll and that you can roll it paper thin.  Mark off 1-inch strips with a ruler and cut the strips with a pastry wheel or pizza cutter - using a zigzag pastry wheel makes pretty cookies.  Cut the strips crosswise in half, then, using a small knife, cut a lengthwise slit about 1 1/2 inches long in each strip. Place the strips on the lined baking sheet and cover them with another piece of plastic wrap.  Roll and cut the other half of the dough and lay those cookies over the first batch.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (If it's more convenient, these can stay in the fridge for a day.)

GETTING READY TO FRY:  Line a baking sheet with a triple thickness of paper towels and put it close to the stove. Fill one sugar duster or strainer with cinnamon sugar and another with confectioners' sugar.  Pour at least 4 inches of oil into a deep saucepan (or use an electric deep-fryer) and heat the oil to 350 degrees F, as measured on a deep-fat-frying thermometer.

Drop 4 to 6 strips into the pan (don't crowd the pan) and fry until the undersides are golden, then turn and fry the other sides;  each batch will take 2 to 3 minutes.  Lift the cookies out of the oil on a perforated skimmer, allowing excess oil to drip back into the pan, then turn the cookies out onto the baking sheet to drain.  Put in another batch to fry, and while they are frying, turn the cookies that are draining so the other sides can drain.  Then, while the cookies are still hot and slightly damp from the oil, dust both sides with cinnamon sugar.  Continue until all the dough is fried.

Just before serving, dust the scherben with confectioners' sugar. 

Comments

[Hornedfroggy of My Baking Heart]

Very nice, T - I have to admit that I was one worried about a grease fire. :) I baked mine and they were fabulous! Great pick!!

[Nancy (n.o.e.)]

The best part of reading the host's post is the reasons for choosing the recipe. Great choice, Teanna, even if I don't really feel the way you do about FRIED DOUGH. You gave me my first (and maybe last) experience with deep frying. Your scherben look pretty adorable.

[Rebecca]

Those look terrific. I often pass this recipe in reading the book, but now maybe I will try it. I am still getting over my last frying experience though, so thanks for the encouragement and the baking suggestion.

[Mary]

They reminded me of egg roll wrappers before I put the sugar on! After the sugar, well, I just started eating and stopped thinking:) Thanks for choosing this recipe--it was very easy to make and tasty. Easy to say now, even though I was one of the tentative fryers.

[Mike]

Wow, these look just like they should! Perfect! I obviously can't decipher written recipes on "shapes", but what the heck! I'm a "baker" and bypassed the fryer this time. Just as good - and THANKS for choosing this recipe! It was a refreshingly good choice!

[DailyChef]

Fabulous job! Really, FRIED DOUGH is all I needed to hear before becoming a fan ;) Yours look beautiful too - powdered sugar makes a dessert look so appealing!

[natalia]

Bellissime !! For us it was a great choice ! Lots of fun ! Grazie !

[Clivia Gardens]

As always, a very entertaining post! Thanks for being brave and choosing to fry.

[Jessica]

I'd never deep fried anything before, but I was really excited when I saw that you chose these. They were a great TWD choice and a big hit with my boyfriend. Your pictures are gorgeous!

[Romaine of Salad in a Jar]

What a funny post! Pictures of the refrigerator cracked me up. Very nice job throughout. Glad to make something a little different.

[steph (whisk/spoon)]

hey---thanks for a fun recipe! i'm not afraid of a little deep frying every now and again. they reminded me of fried wonton crunchies, too!

[Sabrina]

Okay, I wasn't able to do this one, even though I really wanted to. I am afraid of grease fires, but I'm willing to take the chance! Sometime next week i will make these and report back! I'm glad you picked this one! You are always such a great baker and it's so fun reading your blog!! Great Job!!!

[Jessie]

Hey now, I don't think people realize it's okay to have at least ONE cheat day of the week lol that is a fun recipe, I have to try that one sometime

[Ms K Majeed]

i will find the Scherben movie and i will watch it!!!

[prudy]

Loved your pic! Yum!

[Miranda]

This looks awesome!

I have another question....How do I get involved in Peter Reinharts baking challenge?

I just recieved both of his books and they rock!

[jayne]

I'm SO glad you picked these! Really. I hadn't baked anything with TWD in weeks, and yesterday - yes, just yesterday - I thought I'd check to see what the next few recipes were, and I saw the P&Q post...and when I realized these were FRIED DOUGH, I was BACK. I am, maybe, one of the odd people out here in that I actually enjoy deep frying. It's fun! Exciting! And...well...like you mentioned above...FRIED DOUGH! So thank you, Teanna, for bringing me back to TWD sooner than expected!! Oh - and nice job with your post and your photos, too! Now I need to post mine.

[Nicole]

I love your reasons for choosing this one, ha! Looks great and how cool that you have a fried and baked version.

[Jacque]

Aah, it's OK, everyone survived, I'm sure. I can relate. I picked the ill-fated cottage cheese pufflets for the same reasons, and it was a mini disaster. But hey, someone's gotta pick those tough recipes.

I've got my dough in the fridge for it's first rest. I'm looking forward to them. I'm sure they'll taste awesome... I need to time their completion for when the kids come home so I don't accidently eat 12, LOL. Yours look delish!

[Spike]

man I screwed these up somehow. Yours look amazing, makes me want to try again