pa dutch

This old German treat is well known in Pennsylvania and loved by kids of all ages.

Clear Toy Candy

Olive oil

sugar

water

corn syrup

Clear toy candy colorant, if desired

Lay molds on flat surface.

Lubricate lightly by brushing with olive oil.

Use clamps or heavy rubber bands to secure mold halves together.

Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in a sauce pan large enough to allow boiling of the syrup.

Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, without touching the pan's bottom. Stir to get sugar dissolved and to prevent scorching stopping the stirring once the mixture comes to a boil.

DO NOT STIR and bring the mixture up to 260F degrees.

At this point, add several drops of candy colorant, if desired. Still DO NOT STIR. Boiling will distribute the colorant naturally. (Stirring at any point in the process can cloud the candy.)  Adding no color will make yellow candy.

Bring up to 300F degrees.

Remove from heat.  - CAUTION - The mixture is EXTREMELY HOT!  Handle with utmost care!!

CAREFULLY pour into molds that have been prepared ahead.  TIP: Sit the molds on a baking sheet with low sides to catch and drips, spills, or overflow of the hot syrup..

Remove from molds when the candy gets hard by removing the bands holding the mold pieces together and using the tip of a knife to loosen the candy if necessary. it does not take long for the candy to harden; from a few minutes up depending on the size of the mold.

Wipe off any excess olive oil with a lint free cotton kitchen towel..

Trim any sharp edges with a rasp or knife.

German-style old-fashioned soft pretzel; golden brown and delicious with an outer, salted crust and soft interior.

Old-fashioned Soft Pretzels (Bavarian Style)

water, 105 to 110F degrees

instant or active dry yeast (1 packet)

Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

flour bread flour flour

table salt

Tablespoon butter, room temperature

baking soda

salt

butter

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a mixing bowl to make by hand, add the warm water, the softened butter, the brown sugar, and the yeast. Stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes.  The mixture will get foamy.  If it doesn't, your yeast is dead, get new yeast.

Add 2 cups bread flour, if using, or 2 cups all-purpose flour, along with the salt to the yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or on low for 1 to 2 minutes to blend.   With the dough hook or by hand, incorporate enough remaining flour, adjusting as needed, to obtain a soft, smooth dough that remains tacky, but does not come away on your fingers when tapped.  Kneading takes between 5 to 10 minutes depending on whether you use the mixer or do it by hand.

Spray a clean bowl with cooking spray or lightly oil and turn out the ball of dough into the dish, turning the dough to coat with oil. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a clean towel.  Set in a warm place to double in size; 30 to 60 minutes depending on whether you used instant/fast-rise yeast or dry active yeast.

When doubled, preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment and spray with cooking spray.

In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Very gently add the baking soda; it will foam violently then subside.  Keep the water at a rapid simmer/low boil.

Divide the dough into eight equal portions and use your hands to roll each into a 24 to 26 inch rope.  If the dough resists, allow it to rest during the rolling.  You may lightly flour the board, but this should not be necessary.

Form into a U-shape on the table, take the two "tails", twist them around each other, then bring down to the bottom of the "U" to form into a traditional pretzel shape.  Press the tails into the dough gently..  Place each shaped pretzel on the parchment lined pans to await the baking soda dip.

Using a slotted spatula or kitchen spider, lower one pretzel at a time into the water. Boil about 15 seconds, flip and boil 15 seconds on the other side.  Remove to a clean cotton kitchen towel or paper towel for a minute to drain. Sprinkle the parchment lined baking sheets lightly with coarse salt and place 4 pretzels on each trays.  Sprinkle the tops as desired with coarse salt.  If the pretzels are mis-shapen, gently stretch back into place on the baking sheets.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until deep golden brown, rotate and turn the baking sheets half way through baking.

Remove from oven and brush with melted butter, if desired.  Best served fresh and warm.

Luscious &quot;wet&quot; bottom layer of molasses topped with crumbs makes this traditional Pennsylvania Dutch treat a favorite of all ages.

Pennsylvania Dutch Wet-Bottom Shoo Fly Pie I

all-purpose flour

shortening

ice cold water

all purpose flour

dark brown sugar

tsp baking powder

cinnamon

nutmeg

unsulphured baking molasses (not blackstrap molasses)

egg, room temperature

vanilla

In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening using pastry blender, until mixture forms pea-size chunks. Sprinkle with water, one tablespoon at a time. Toss lightly with fork until dough forms ball.

Wrap in plastic wrap, flatten slightly into a disk, and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Roll out onto a lightly flour surface into a circle about 2 inches wider than pie pan; place crust into a 9 inch deep-dish pie pan, crimp edges as desired.  If using a regular depth pie pan, build your crust edges up high when crimping.

Line un-baked pie crust with heavy-duty foil. Bake at 350 F degrees for 10 minutes. Remove foil, brush crust with beaten egg yolk. Bake 5 minutes longer, cool on wire rack.

Pie Crust

In a mixing bowl, place the 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; combine well with fork or spoon to eliminate lumps.

Add the 2 Tablespoons butter and 2 Tablespoons shortening to the bowl (or the 1/4 cup fat of your choice) and, using a fork, pastry blender, or your fingers, combine to make fairly fine crumbs.

Crumbs

In another mixing bowl or 4 cup glass measuring cup, place the 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and  1 1/2 teaspoons all purpose flour listed for the liquid filling.  Blend the dry ingredients together with a fork or spoon to help eliminate clumps.

Next, add the 1/2 cup unsulphured baking molasses, the beaten egg, and the 1 teaspoon vanilla to the dry mixture; blend together well, using a spoon or whisk making sure the dry ingredients are mixed in.

Add the 1 cup boiling water to the molasses mixture, SLOWLY streaming it in while stirring or whisking to avoid curdling the raw egg,  Stir or whisk until well blended.  The mixture will appear "foamy" at this point.

Place pie pan with unbaked crust on a baking sheet large enough to catch any drips or spills, then pour all of the molasses mixture carefully into the pie shell.

Liquid filling

Using your fingers or a spoon, sprinkle the entire bowl of crumbs evenly on top of the liquid filling in the crust; pay attention to getting some crumbs right up to the edge of the pie crust as well.

Completing the filling

Place the tray with the filled crust carefully into the oven. Bake 375 F degrees about 35 to 40 minutes.  Pie will "puff" while baking, but will firm up and settle some as it cools.

Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled.  Pie can be stored on the counter for 3 days, refrigerate leftovers after that time.

Finishing the pie

A favored PA Dutch breakfast treat, apie cake is not too sweet, is denser than coffee cake, and lends itself to dunking in hot coffee

Apie Cake (aka AP, Apea, Apee, Apies, or Apeas Cake)

light brown sugar (1 cup very firmly packed)

vegetable shortening OR 1/4 cup butter, cold and cut in small cubes and 1/4 cup vegetable shortening

whole milk soured

cream of tartar

egg, beaten

vanilla extract

sugar cinnamon

Tablespoons butter

Pre-heat oven to 325F degrees.

Grease or spray a deep-dish 9 or 9-1/2 inch pie or cake pan.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, salt, and shortening or butter/shortening.  Using fingers or a pastry blender, work into fine crumbs.  Add the brown sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar  and blend well again; crumbs will "clump" if you squeeze some together in the palm of your hand.

Make a well in the middle and add the beaten egg, the soured milk, and the vanilla, if using. Stir with a wooden spoon until blended but not smooth, folding in the dry mix.

Scoop batter into the prepared pan; smooth top somewhat.  If using topping, cut the 2 Tablespoons butter into thin pats, place in scattered spots across the top of the dough, then sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mix to your taste.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or just until a cake tester comes out clean.

Remove from oven; cut in wedges, serve warm or room-temperature. Store leftovers covered.

Part pie, part cake, the fillings in this pie form layers as it bakes.

Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake

flour

cocoa

baking powder

Tablespoon shortening OR butter, melted

milk

In a bowl, blend flour, salt and shortening together with fingers until mealy, about the size of peas. Add enough ice water to form dough. Mix just enough to moisten. Over-mixing will result in a tough dough.  Press into disks,  cover with plastic and keep chilled in the fridge till you're ready. Chill at least 1 hour.  When ready, roll out on lightly floured surface and fit into pie pans. Flute edges as desired.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine eggs, shortening or butter, sugar, milk and vanilla; mix well. Slowly add in the dry ingredients until well incorporated. Pour cake batter into pie crust.

Cake layer

In another bowl, combine ingredients for chocolate layer. Gently pour chocolate layer over cake layer.

Chocolate layer

Bake at 350 F degrees until cake is done 45 to 55 minutes, checking at 45 minutes.  If center jiggles, bake a few more minutes until center is set.  You can cover the edges with foil for the first 40 minutes to keep the crusts from getting too brown if desired.

Baking

Schnitz und Knepp is quintessential Pennsylvania Dutch; an old recipe, the name translates to &quot;Apples and Buttons&quot;.  The dish consists of schnitz (dried apples), ham, and knepp (the dumplings or &quot;buttons&quot;). 

Schnitz un Knepp

apples

brown sugar (depending

onion

Tablespoon melted shortening

pepper

Place dried apples in a bowl and cover with enough water to cover. Set aside and soak for 3 hours.

Place ham piece in large pot that has a tight-fitting lid. Add enough water to just cover meat and simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hours covered.

When ham is tender, remove from pot, pull ham from the bone, and cut into cubes, return to pot and add the onion and dried apples along with the water in which the apples were soaked.

Add the brown sugar and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes OR until apples are tender.  When apples are tender, make the knepp.

For the knepp: In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper.

In another bowl, mix egg and milk well, then add to dry ingredients.  Drizzle in the melted shortening and mix just enough to dampen dry ingredients.

With the ham broth in the pot boiling, drop the dumpling batter (knepp) from a table spoon on to the boiling broth.  Cover tightly, reduce heat but keep the broth bubbling lightly and cook 18 to 20 minutes without lifting lid.

Serve hot with broth.

Traditional PA Dutch one-pot meal, this dish is full of flavor with potatoes, ham, and green beans. A super easy dinner for your family.

Ham and Green Beans with Potatoes

lb beans

washed,

Place ham in stock pot and cover completely...

Place ham in stock pot and cover completely with water.

Bring to a boil.

Turn heat down to simmer and cover with...

Turn heat down to simmer and cover with lid.

Cook for 2 hours 30 minutes.

Peel and quarter potatoes.

Add to pot along with green beans.

Cover and continue to simmer for 1 hour.

Break ham apart and serve a few pieces...

Break ham apart and serve a few pieces with beans and potatoes with a little broth.

Top 7 pa dutch recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Clear Toy Candy

Old-fashioned Soft Pretzels (Bavari...

Pennsylvania Dutch Wet-Bottom Shoo ...

Apie Cake (aka AP, Apea, Apee, Apie...

Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake

Schnitz un Knepp

Ham and Green Beans with Potatoes

Top 7 pa dutch recipes from across the web

The most viewed pa dutch recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Clear Toy Candy

Old-fashioned Soft Pretzels (Bavari...

Pennsylvania Dutch Wet-Bottom Shoo ...

Apie Cake (aka AP, Apea, Apee, Apie...

Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake

Schnitz un Knepp

Ham and Green Beans with Potatoes

The most viewed pa dutch recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine