I haven't baked along with the rest of the Tuesdays with Dorie since...November, I think. I bowed out for the month of December because I knew I wouldn't have time to do everything, and so participation in TWD would have to wait.
I didn't even think about it last week, but yesterday it occurred to me that hey, it's almost Tuesday again, and I wondered what people were baking this week. I clicked on the TWD site and saw the P & Q for Mrs. Vogel's Scherben.
Mrs Who's What?
I had no clue what "Scherben" might be. So I decided to read the comments. Hmmm..."deep fryer"..."fried food"..."version of funnel cakes"...???
I still didn't know what Scherben was, but I was in.
You see, I actually love to deep fry foods. I know - all that oil, all that splatter, all that potential for the house to burn down. I know all the negatives. But I figure as long as I maintain a healthy respect for those negatives, why not fry? It's fun! It's exciting! It makes things crispy! It cooks things really quickly! And the results are usually yummy!
Time to fry.
I pulled my copy of Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours off its shelf, apologized for the month or so of neglect, and found the recipe. I had everything called for! Yay! I could make it today! Well, yesterday. So I started combining ingredients.
First the butter and sugar and salt...and the egg...
Then the combined flour and baking powder...yes, it looks shaggy, just like it's supposed to...
But it comes together with a little hot water added in...
I shaped it into a ball and wrapped it in plastic, then put it in the fridge for an hour or so.
Time to roll out the dough and slice it up. I use this little crimped-edge wheel for pasta, too.
I cut the dough in half...
And rolled out one half very thin. Dorie's recipe suggested about 8 x 12. Mine was longer and narrower. But with this sort of treat, precision isn't critical. And besides, Dorie said it was okay if they weren't perfect. So there.
I placed the cut pieces on a plastic-lined sheet pan, two layers of them, and put everything in the fridge.
I'd thought I would cook some of them after dinner, but plans changed.
So I fried them this morning. Early, before anyone had to leave for work or school.
I heated the oil to 350 degrees F and put the first few in.
Lots of bubbly excitement!
And look at them. So golden. So crispy. So desperate for sugar and cinnamon. And more sugar.
Light and crispy and sweet and addictive.
Very addictive.
Very, very addictive.
And so I must thank Teanna of Spork or Foon? for picking this week's recipe and - without even realizing she was doing it - yanking me back into the TWD fold. You can read the recipe on Teanna's blog or find it in the well-thumbed pages of BFMHTY.
Speaking of the fold, if you want to check out how the rest of the gang did with the whole frying thing, check out everyone on the TWD blogroll.
And do not fear the frying!
And the rest of the family got a look it with how many? Or is that how few??
Posted by: twitter.com/josordoni | January 12, 2010 at 02:14 PM
Everyone - not just me - had as many as they wanted. Honest.
Posted by: Jayne | January 12, 2010 at 02:20 PM
Love them spilling out of the bag.
LOve all your photos. Very 'expressive'.
Posted by: Margaret | January 12, 2010 at 02:41 PM
Love your presentation of these! Welcome back! :)
Posted by: Karen | January 12, 2010 at 02:55 PM
I am SO GLAD this got you back into the TWD fold! We've missed you! And I am so glad that you loved them! I love your presentation, I love it all! Welcome back and thanks for frying along with me this week!
Posted by: Teanna | January 12, 2010 at 03:10 PM
So glad you're back! I LOVE the display (in the bag), looks great! I baked half of mine (then threw them away) and fried the rest (way better). Wish I had one of those nifty pasta wheels! Yours look gorgeous :)
Posted by: Amanda | January 12, 2010 at 03:19 PM
I'm so glad your back.
I thought that you had forgotten all about us.
Posted by: chocolatechic | January 12, 2010 at 03:28 PM
Hello! I'm new to TWD (this was my second recipe), and I just wanted to say how fantastic these look. I need one of those wavy wheels, i think!
Posted by: Mary | January 12, 2010 at 08:14 PM
Yes, these were super addictive weren't they? I couldn't control myself. Yours look fabulous!
Posted by: Tracey | January 12, 2010 at 10:34 PM
First of all: I love your blog and especially your photos.I'm always waiting for a new recipe and your food always looks so delicious!Simply wonderful!
'Mrs. Vogel' is like 'Mrs.Bird' and 'Scherben' means usually broken pieces of glass or porcelain.
Greetings from Germany
Posted by: Katharina | January 13, 2010 at 10:28 AM
Your photos make me want to dig in.
Have a PA Dutch background and want to do a funnel cake comparison.
I googled Scherben and came up with an unhappy baker.
http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2010/01/twdscherben-shmerben.html
Wonder what went wrong for her?
Posted by: Ruth Ann Ryan | January 13, 2010 at 02:35 PM
I agree - people 'shouldn't fear the frying!' Such fun. And I found them to be extremely addictive, too.
Posted by: shortbreadsouth | January 13, 2010 at 10:18 PM
This supposed "cookies" are the same thing that the "Buñuelos" (a Mexican desert)
Posted by: Buh! | January 17, 2010 at 01:27 PM
Ive noticed that many different countries have versions of this cookie/pastry/dessert, all, of course, called different things. I love that there are all these food similarities between cultures!
Posted by: Jayne | January 18, 2010 at 07:46 AM