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

[Amber Marie]

Fried dough is fabulous! Thanks for the pick.

[Margot]

I love your reasons for choosing the scherben! Mine were quite a disaster, but I'm glad I tried, at least. I wish I was eating some that look like yours right now, they look awesome!

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

These look so nice & crispy! Yum!

[shortbreadsouth]

I totally agree with all your reasons for choosing this recipe, especially #3, but most definitely #1 & #6.
These really reminded me of Cinnamon Crispas from Taco Bell!

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

Looks amazing! I don't usually deep fry, but I have made an exception for cannoli, and I think maybe this would be another good reason to make an exception. I just have to make sure I have lots of people here to eat it all up!

[ingrid]

Teanna I gotta tell you this may truly be your funniest post! Even your photos were funny. I'm laughing now (& getting funny looks) thinking about the fridge photos! Oh, my goodness. Too too funny!

I'm with you on all those reasons, especially the fried dough part.
~ingrid

[Lora]

Great job and really funny post. btw Scherben meaning "pieces of broken glass" in German.

[Christina]

I had every intention of making these, but after two failed attempts at frying doughnuts just two days earlier, I was feeling a bit defeated with fried dough. But maybe this is just what I need to get my frying spirits back up.

[Carol Peterman]

Sorry I'm so late on my post. I actually made them on time, just didn't get it posted. Congratulations on your bold pick. I think you are right that it may have been the last recipe picked if you hadn't selected it. I rolled mine too thin and I think it really took away from the pleasure of them.

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