Switzerland

March 16 2023

Mailänderli – Swiss sugar cookies

andrestover Bakes, Cookies Switzerland 0

A holiday treat and Christmas cookies from Switzerland, especially the Basel region, which are made from three basic ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour. Lemon zest is often used for flavor, and cookies are decorated by brushing with egg yolk. The making of these cookies is believed to date back to around the 18th century. Similar cookies are made in Germany, Austria, as well as in other countries.

Preparation time: about 1.5 hours
Level: Easy
Quantity: about 100 cookies

Ingredients:
250 g room temperature butter
250 g of sugar
500 g wheat flour
0.25 teaspoons of sea salt
Grated zest of two lemons
2 large eggs

About 3 egg yolks for brushing the cookies

Preparation:

Beat butter with sugar until foamy. Grate the lemons and add grated zest to the batter.
Add eggs, salt, and flour and mix into a smooth dough.
Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it stand at +4 degrees C for at least 30 minutes before shaping.
Sprinkle flour on the work surface, divide the dough into four and roll ¼ of the dough to a thickness of about 3 mm, and cut shapes out of the dough in the shape you like and place them on a baking pan sprinkled with flour.
Similarly prepare other cookies, collect excess of the batter, mix with the existing cookie mixture and keepi at +4 degrees C.
Separate 3 egg yolks, mix evenly and brush the surface of the cookies with this mixture.
Bake the cookies at 180 degrees C for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned.
Put the cookies on a wire rack and let them cool. Store in an airtight container.
Ready!!

June 12 2022

Cordon bleu

andrestover Bird meat, National dishes cheese, chicken, ham, Switzerland 0

Once upon a time, the name cordon bleu referred to a wide blue ribbon worn by members of the Knights of the order of de Saint-Esprit. Today, this name is used by several high-level cooking schools.
However, food is also known by this name to mean meat that is wrapped around cheese or stuffed with cheese. Often the filling is also ham. The meat that is prepared for this food can be various, veal, pork fillet, chicken fillet is also very common.
I made this food from a chicken fillet, used two types of cheese, and rolled the meat with the filling to get a more interesting shape to the food.
The beginning of this food dates back to the 1940s and probably originated in Switzerland. This food became more widely known in the 1960s.

Preparation time: 20 min preparation, 45 min baking
Level: Average
Quantity: for four

Ingredients:
Four chicken fillets, cut with butterflies
8 slices of Dutch-type cheese
8 slices of mozzarella or Swiss-type cheese
8 slices of ham
Salt and black pepper for seasoning
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
for breading flour
for breadcrumbs (I used Panko breadcrumbs)
For breading 3 eggs
Frying 50 ml of cooking oil

Preparation:
1. Cut the chicken fillet in half with the butterfly cut so that the halves remain together. Spread the fillet from the cling film on a tray, cover it with another sheet of cling film, and beat gently wide and thin.
2. Grease the chicken fillet with Dijon mustard and season with black pepper and salt. Place two slices of cheese on the fillet, and two slices of ham on them, and cover the ham slices with two other slices of cheese of another type.
3. Roll the chicken fillet tightly, try to close the ends of the roll so that the filling stays inside the roll. Wrap the roll tightly in cling film and place at a +4 degrees C for about 30 minutes or more. The roll can also be prepared the day before and baked later.
4. Beat 3 eggs as you make an omelet, and pour flour and breadcrumbs on separate plates.
5, Heat cooking oil to a higher than average heat, roll the cordon bleu in an egg, then in flour, again in an egg and finally in breadcrumbs. The use of Panko breadcrumbs creates a particularly pleasant and crunchy coating.
6. Brown the roll on all sides, including the ends, until golden brown and place in the baking tin.
7. Bake the rolls at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes in the oven. Let it rest for a 5-10 miutes before cut it for serving
Serve with bechamel sauce and, for example, baked potatoes.
Done !!!