Recipe for the Famous Frankfurter Kranz

The Frankfurter Kranz was developed by an unknown master baker in 1735. It symbolizes a crown with the golden crocant around the outside and the jewel-like cherries as decoration. Frankfurt was seen as the crown city of the German Empire for many years.

Frankfurter Kranz is a bit of work to make, but is one of the easiest, beginner "Sahnetorten."

This recipe makes ten, small pieces, enough for a small party or a get-together for two.

See larger image

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 10, small pieces

Ingredients:

***Cake***
2 eggs, separated
1 T. cold water
1/2 c. sugar (100 g.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract or a few drops of rum or butter flavoring.
1/2 c. flour (60 g.)
1//3 c. cornstarch or potato starch (40 g.)
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Recipe for the Famous Frankfurter Kranz

Rye Pumpernickel with Sourdough

Pumpernickel has been mentioned in the literature as early as the 16th century. Originally made from soaked and simmered rye berries and rye flour without further leavening and baked in an oven for 24 hours, this bread is from the north west part of Germany, particularly the island of Soest, where the oldest, continuous pumpernickel bakery has been in operation since 1570 AD.

A newer recipe uses sourdough, wheat, and yeast to lighten the crumb, making a bread that can be baked in about 16 hours. The Maillard reaction in the bread turns it dark brown and adds layers of flavor. Sweet, toasty and even a little bacon fat aroma and taste can be detected in a pumpernickel bread which has no fat and very little, if any, added sugar.

Recipe adapted from "Bread" by Jeffery Hamelman

Makes 2, heavy loaves

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cook Time: 16 hours
Total Time: 17 hours, 30 minutes

Rye Pumpernickel with Sourdough

Kartoffelsuppe – German Potato Soup

This is a good, staple recipe for cool weather nights. The potato soup is not the creamy kind, but a thinner broth based soup.  You can add sour cream and hot dogs (Würstchen) to make it a bit heartier. This is also good with Wasa crisp bread on the side.

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6.

Ingredients:

• 7 – 8 medium potatoes
• 2 onions
• 1/2 liter vegetable broth
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 liter buttermilk
• salt, to taste
• white pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 2 tsp. marjoram, flakes
• Optional: parsley to garnish
• Optional: hot dogs, sliced

Preparation:

1. I do not peel the potatoes (the skins are healthy), but you can if you wish.  Cut potatoes into smaller chunks. No need to get precise, as these will be hand mashed later.  Place potatotes into a large pot or dutch oven.  Add water to cover, and lightly salt.  Boil for about 20 -30 minutes, covered.
2. While potatoes are boiling, dice onions, and saute in butter until golden.  Set aside.
3. Drain potatoes well.  Mash by hand (preferred), or if necessary, use a hand mixer.  Try to leave them lumpy for texture.  Pour in the onions and butter.
4. Add the broth to the pot and gently stir to blend the potatoes in.
5. Add in all of the seasonings, except parsley.  Bring to a boil, while stirring constantly.  If using, add in the sliced hot dogs at this point.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in buttermilk. (Milk may be used instead. Simply add a little more vinegar to punch up the flavor.)  Cook this way for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Reduce to simmer and cover, and cook for 15 minutes longer.
8. Serve with parsley for garnish.

**Due to the starchiness, you must remember to stir regularly to avoid burning the soup.  You have been warned. 

Kartoffelsuppe – German Potato Soup

Weinkraut – Baked Sauerkraut with Apples

A yummy variation of sauerkraut.  This is a perfect way to get rid of some not-so-fresh apples!

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation time:  1.25 hours
Servings: 4 – 6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 quart sauerkraut
• 1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. butter, bacon drippings, or margarine
• 2 – 3 medium sized apples
• 1 1/2 cups white wine
• 1/2 cup beef broth or bouillon
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. celery seeds

Preparation:

1. Drain some of the juice from the sauerkraut.
2. Cook onion in a sauce pan with fat (butter, drippings, etc.), until golden.
3. Add sauerkraut to the onion and stir. Cook on low heat.
4. Wash, peel, and core apples; dice the apples and add to the sauerkraut. Stir well.
5. Add the wine and enough stock or bouillon to cover.
6. Cook slowly, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
7. Add sugar and celery seeds. Cover and finish cooking in moderate 325° oven 30 minutes longer.

**To make this dish vegetarian friendly, simply use margarine (Smart Balance is a good butter substitute) or vegetable oil, and vegetable broth or bouillion.

Weinkraut – Baked Sauerkraut with Apples

Gurkensalat – Cucumber Salad

German restaurants typically serve various salads with a meal.  It could be as simple as Weisskraut and Mohrrüben, but there is always some colorful arrangement of vegetables to accompany the dish.  One such salad is cucumber salad.  This is a nice salad anytime of year, but would be especially nice on a warm, Spring day.

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes.
Portions: 3 – 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 large salad cucumbers (English cucumbers would work nicely)
• 1 red onion
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 2 tbs. white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbs. sugar
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• fresh parsley
• tarragon
• fresh dill

Preparation:

1. Peel and thinly slice cucumber. Salt slices lightly and let stand for an hour.
2. Mix finely diced onion, sugar, vinegar, seasonings and all herbs (except parsley) together in a separate bowl.  Add mixture into the cucumbers and mix well, covering all cucumber slices.
3. Chill for at least a half hour, but no more than an hour.  Drain off excess liquid.
4. Toss with cream, top with chopped parsley, and serve.

Gurkensalat – Cucumber Salad

Rotkohl – Red Cabbage

Rotkohl is a staple in Germany. While there are good German red cabbage products at places like ShopRite, making it from scratch can be very satisfying. Here is a great recipe that will remind you of Oma’s home cooking.

Difficulty: Moderate.
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minute.
Portions: 6.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head red cabbage, cored and sliced
• 2 large tart apples, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium sweet onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 whole peppercorns
• 2 whole allspice
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cold water

Preparation:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, toss cabbage, apples and onion. Add water, vinegar, sugar, butter and salt. Place the peppercorns, allspice, cloves and bay leaf on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and stir with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours.
2. Discard spice bag. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir in cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Rotkohl – Red Cabbage

Apfel-Rotkohl – German Red Cabbage and Apple

I am a huge fan of red cabbage. This is a great way to make it really special. This is best if prepared a day in advance.

Difficulty: Moderate.
Preparation Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Portions: 6.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 to 3-pound red cabbage
• 2 tbsp. butter, or minced bacon
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 small yellow onions, diced
• 1/2 c. red wine vinegar (in a pinch, apple cider vinegar will also work)
• 2 c. broth (beef, vegetable, or chicken stock)
• 2 c. red wine
• 6 whole cloves (make a small cheesecloth bag containing the cloves, to be removed after cooking)
• 6 whole peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• Thickener: 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. flour

Preparation:

1. Remove blotchy or ragged leaves from the cabbage, cut cabbage into quarters, wash and drain thoroughly. Shred the cabbage and discard the core and tough ribs.
2. Heat butter (or bacon, if using) in a dutch oven. If using the bacon, do not let it brown, and remove the bacon when enough fat has collected in pan.
3. Add sugar to hot fat and saute until golden.
4. Add onion and apple to the sugar mixture, then cover pot and braise over very low heat for 2 minutes.
5. Add the shredded cabbage and toss until it is coated with the fat.
6. Pour the vinegar over the cabbage and mix thoroughly.
7. Cover pot and braise slowly over low heat about 10 minutes, or until cabbage has turned purple.
8. Add the broth, wine and cheesecloth bag  into the mix and stir. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.
9. After about 40 minutes, check for seasoning. If more saltiness is desired, add salt now.
10. Once cooked, knead together butter and flour for thickening, and cut into the cabbage pot. Simmer for 3 – 4 minutes while gently stirring, until thickened.
11. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can also be canned for much later use. Warm before serving.

Apfel-Rotkohl – German Red Cabbage and Apple

Apfel-Maultaschen – Apple Filled Ravioli

Maultaschen are loosely equivalent to ravioli in Germany, and can contain any number of fillings, sweet and savory.  In Bavaria, it is common to have a sweet filling such as apple. There are also several ways of creating the dough. Some recipes call for a potato dough (which is the traditional way) or a typical flour dough.

This recipe is an adaptation of a Bavarian recipe I came across online which uses a potato dough. Enjoy!

Difficulty: Moderate.
Preparation Time: 1 hour 20 minutes.
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds potatoes (slightly ‘stale’ works well)
• 150 grams flour (approximately 5 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbs ghee (melted butter)
• 5 apples
• butter
• sugar
• 10 ounces milk
• 150 grams sugar (approximately 5 ounces)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, or 200 degrees C.
2. Peel potatoes and boil in salted water until soft. While still hot, press the potatoes until pulverized. Let cool.
3. Add eggs, flour, and salt.  Blend together and knead well. If dough sticks, add more flour gradually until it no longer does.
4. Shape into a roll about 2 inches thick. Cut the roll every 2 inches to create about 6 or 7 pieces.
5. Knead each piece down to about 1/4 inch thickness to create the wraps.  Spread butter on each dough wrap.
6. Peel and slice apples thinly. You may chose to chop them instead to get a better fit. This is also fine.
7. Fold each wrap in half over the apple. Gently press the edges together to get a good seal.
8. Place the Maultaschen in a large baking dish and coat both sides with the melted butter. Bake for 40 minutes. (See next step for interim steps in baking process).
9. In a small saucepan, place milk and sugar.  While stirring constantly, allow to boil.  Then bring mixture to simmer until sugar is completely dissolved.
10. Add the thickened, blended milk mixture into the dish with the ravioli after about 10 minutes of baking time has elapsed.
11. Serve with some vanilla sugar sprinkled (optional) on the Maultaschen.

Apfel-Maultaschen – Apple Filled Ravioli

Rumtopf – Preserving Seasonal Fruits Pt. 3

This is the final installation of our Rumtopf series. The recipe is very easy, it’s the wait that is difficult!

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes.
Total Time: 42 days
Portions: 10.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs fruit (strawberries, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, currants, blueberries, gooseberries, …)
• 1 lb sugar
• 3 cups rum

Preparation:

1. The traditional way of making a Rumtopf started with the first ripe fruit available and ended in autumn (November) with last fresh fruit (often pears). The general rule for making is: for 2 parts fruit you need 1 part sugar and approximately 3 cups Rum.
2. Be sure that your Rumtopf pot is clean and thoroughly dry. Wash and clean fruit (remove stems, seeds, and pits), pat dry and cut into bite sized pieces, if necessary. Measure them.
3. Add sugar, mix and let stand for about 1 hour. Place the sugared fruit into your Rumtopf and fill with rum to completely cover fruit.
4. Place a piece of plastic wrap tightly over the pot top, then set the lid on top. Set aside in a cool place, away from sunlight. If desired, you could even refrigerate the pot.
5. Repeat these steps with other fruit once a month until your Rumtopf is completely filled or fresh fruit season is over.
6. Take care of your Rumtopf. Fill up with Rum if necessary. It is important that the fruits are always completely covered.
7. After you have added the last layer of fruit, sugar and rum, let stand for about 6 weeks. Enjoy.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve the Rumtopf fruits with its syrup (hot or cold) over ice-cream, cake, flan, puddings, or cheese cake.
• Serve topped with whipped cream or crème frâiche.
• Serve as a side dish with any game meat.
• Serve the strained liquid as an after-dinner cordial.
• Add two tablespoons of the strained liquid to Champagne.
• Lay some of the warmed fruit onto a crepe and roll up. Add whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Rumtopf – Preserving Seasonal Fruits Pt. 3

Buttergebäck – German Butter Cookie

One thing you will always find at any German bakery are butter cookies. Kids love them, and Omas always have a stash for the kiddies. They are a great staple for sweet trays around the holidays too, and can be cut into any shape you like. They are definitely one of my guilty pleasures this time of year! 

Difficulty: Moderate.

Preparation Time: *See recipe.

Portions: 3 + dozen.

Ingredients:

• 6 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 pound butter, softened
• 2 1/4 c. sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 c. fruity wine, such as Riesling

Preparation:

1. Sift together flour, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl.
2. Beat butter with electric mixer, while gradually adding 2 cups of sugar, and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then alternately beat in the dry ingredients and wine, about a third at a time. Dough will be very soft.
4. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts, flatten, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough about 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. (Placing a piece of wax paper over the dough while rolling will help prevent sticking, without adding too much extra flour to the dough.)
6. Cut with cookie cutters, transfer to greased cookie sheets. Scraps may be gathered, rechilled, and rolled one additional time.
7. Brush cookies with lightly beaten egg, sprinkle with a little of the remaining sugar. Bake in batches until golden, about 20 minutes.
8. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Decorate or glaze as desired. Cookies taste best after sitting for 1 week.

Buttergebäck – German Butter Cookie

Pfeffernüsse I – Pepper Nut Cookie

These are traditional German Christmas cookies, but are wonderful anytime. The nice thing about these is that they are so well-known, you can find them sold through many brands right in your local grocery store. Of course, homemade is always nice – especially when giving the gift of cookies to family and friends.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Preparation Time: *See recipe.

Portions: 3 – 4 dozen.

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 c. blanched almonds or hazelnuts (about 1/2 pound)
• 4 c. unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. finely ground black or white pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. dry powdered mustard
• 1/4 tsp. ground mace
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 2 1/2 sticks butter (10 ounces), softened
• 1 1/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 c. honey
• 1/3 c. warm water
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Toast the nuts in a shallow pan on the middle rack for about 10 minutes, until they are only lightly toasted. Cool the nuts.
2. Using a food processor or blender on ‘Chop’, chop the nuts along with 1/4 cup of the flour until they are about the size of uncooked grains of rice.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamed. Add the sugar and beat until thoroughly mixed. Next, beat in the honey. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of water and place the the rest into the bowl, beating to mix. It will look curdled. In a small cup stir the reserved 2 tablespoons water with the baking soda until the soda is dissolved; add to the bowl and mix.
4. In another bowl, mix the sifted, dry ingredients. Add these into the butter bowl, blending in gradually. Finally, beat in the chopped nuts.
5. Spread out three large pieces of plastic wrap or paper, wrap, and then flatten each package to about a 1-inch thickness. Place the packages in the freezer for about 1 hour (no longer) or in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
6. To bake, adjust two racks to divide the oven in thirds and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with baking parchment or aluminum foil, shiny side up, and set aside.
7. Flour a pastry cloth and a rolling pin. Unwrap a piece of the dough. Cut it in half. Work with one half, rewrapping the other half and placing it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Place the dough on the floured cloth. If it is very firm pound it a bit with the rolling pin. Turn the dough upside down occasionally while you work with it, and re-flour the pastry cloth and the rolling pin as necessary. Roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a large, round cookie cutter (mine is 3 1/2 inches in diameter), start to cut the cookies on the outer edge (not in the middle) of the dough, and cut them touching each other.
8. Place the cookies about an inch apart on the lined sheets. It might be necessary to use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies from the pastry cloth to the sheets. Use a smaller cutter to cut cookies from any of the scraps that are large enough. Press any other scraps together, re-wrap, and re-chill. Bake for about 18 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking.
9. Bake until the cookies are golden. If the cookies on the lower rack start to darken too much around the edges, slide another cookie sheet under them – the double sheet will protect the bottoms. Cool briefly on the sheets until the cookies are firm enough to be moved. With a wide metal spatula transfer the cookies to racks to cool.
10. Dust each cooled cookie in confectioners sugar. If desired, cookies can be redusted the next day before serving, or gifting. Store in an airtight container.

Pfeffernüsse I – Pepper Nut Cookie

Streuselkuchen – Streusel (Crumb) Cake

This is a wonderful, easy to make crumb cake, in which you can prepare your own fruit for a filling, or use canned pie filling. Filling the cake with apple or cherry are my two favorite options, but I have also used peaches. This is as close to pie as Germans get, and honestly, this is much better with a strong cup of coffee than American pie. Enjoy!

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation Time: 70 minutes.
Portions: 10 slices.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/3 c. all-purpose flour (400 grams)
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)
• 1/4 tsp. double acting baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 whole eggs
• 14 Tbsp. butter or margarine (250 grams)
• one can of pie filling, or prepared fruit as for a pie

Preparation:

1. If making your own fruit filling, prepare ahead of time. Also, the best pan to use is a 9-inch springform. In a pinch, you could use a 9-inch flat bottomed brownie pan, etc. Either butter, or spray pan entirely on the inside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. To prepare the streusel, mix the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and baking powder together in a bowl. Add cold butter chunks and the eggs. Mix by either rubbing the ingredients with your hands, or use a mixer on low speed. Alternatively, you can use dough hooks if you have them. Mix until crumbs are formed.
3. Press 2/3 of the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Make the sides at least 1 inch tall. Make sure the dough is packed and no holes remain.
4. Spoon the fruit filling over the dough, leaving about 1/4 – 1/2 inch from the edge of dough to filling center. Do not overdo it with the liquid, or else the cake will turn soggy.
5. Using the remainder of the streusel dough, spread evenly over the entire top, and be sure to fill in the sides as well. The cake should generally be even across the top when you are finished.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 45 – 55 minutes, or until the top is a golden brown.
7. Allow to cool completely before serving, or else the cake may be runny. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

**If the cake will not be finished in the first 48 hours, I would recommend placing in the refrigerator, and lightly warming in a toaster or warm oven. Only lightly! Otherwise you will over bake the crust and it will become hard.

Streuselkuchen – Streusel (Crumb) Cake

Eierkuchen – German Pancakes

Eierkuchen is usually served as a midday meal in Germany, with applesauce spread on. It is a sweet dish, and is somewhat comparable to crepes – in shape, that is. This is usually a big hit with kids, and fairly easy to make.

Difficulty: very simple.
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Portions: 3.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. flour
• Butter, about 6 tbs.
• applesauce (Optional)

Preparation:

(While you can hand mix the ingredients, I recommend putting everything in a blender. If the ingredients are not mixed properly, the taste ends up a bit flat, and the texture is off.)

• Add into blender milk, eggs, salt, sugar and vanilla. Blend well. Add in flour. Blend for about 20 seconds. Scrape down any flour that hasn’t been blended in, then blend again for another 10 seconds or so.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. The goal is to make one pancake in the pan at a time. A saute pan is good for this. Each pancake made requires a new pat of butter in the pan.
• Poor in just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan, but not so little that you can see the pan bottom through the batter.
• When the pancake is no longer runny on top, carefully lift an edge to check for browning underneath. The color should be a dark golden color. When done, flip over. Finish to same color on the other side. Remove to a dish and cover to keep warm. When complete, the stack can be heated in the microwave if necessary for about 50 seconds.
• Serve with applesauce (traditionally) or fruit preserves.

Eierkuchen can also be frozen for later use. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Original recipe makes 5-6 pancakes, which are generally 3 servings.

Nutritional Facts are for fat-free (skim) milk.

Eierkuchen – German Pancakes

Armer Ritter – Poor Knights

This is a good way to use up old baguette style bread. Can be made as a breakfast, or indulgent snack.

Difficulty: Simple.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• 8 slices of slightly stale (within 1 – 2 days after initial serving) baguette
• Butter or margarine for frying

Preparation:

1. In a deep dish, whip eggs milk and salt together.
2. Place baguette slices in egg mixture, and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Then turn over.
3. In a large frying pan, melt butter. Fry slices until golden brown on both sides.

* Serve with sugar and cinnamon, or favorite preserves.

Armer Ritter – Poor Knights

Kartoffelpuffer – German Potato Pancakes

I LOVE these! There are a little bit of work, but well worth it.  Try them with some sugar sprinkled on top or applesauce (my personal favorite). Yum!

Difficulty: normal.
Preparation Time: over 1 hour
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 – 1 cup flour (if potatoes are dry, use less, wet, use more)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• vegetable oil or butter, or a mixture of both (for frying)

Preparation:

1. Either grate the potatoes and onion, or use a food processor (with coarse grating ability).  Squeeze and drain out some of the juices. Allow the starch to settle to the bottom, them pour out the water.  Reserve for later.
2. Add milk, then stir in flour, salt, and eggs.  Add starch back into the batter.  Mix well.
3. In a large, heavy skillet heat 1/2 inch of oil, or oil and butter, until hot.  Drop potato batter (1/4 cup per pancake) into the skillet and fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides.
4. To keep pancakes crisp, pat with paper towel to remove excess oil, and spread out over a cookie sheet in the oven, heated only to warm.  However, serving immediately is the best way to ensure they are at their peak.

Kartoffelpuffer – German Potato Pancakes