Welcome to My Kitchen

School has started in most of the Inland Northwest, but area fairs and festivals are still scheduled throughout September and October. Many festivals include a fundraising bake sale and Brownie Mallow Bars, a recipe submitted by Kelena Martinez, would be a welcome addition to any bakesale table. Kelena got the recipe from Merleen Smith. Both are Odessa residents.

Brownie Mallow Bars

1 package, family size fudge brownie mix (13 x 9 inch pan)

Eggs and vegetable oil listed in brownie mix directions

1 package (10 1/2 ounces) miniature marshmallows

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

1 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and set aside.

Prepare brownies according to package directions for fudge-like brownies. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes. Top with marshmallows. Bake 3 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cereal. Spread mixture over cooled brownies. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until firm before cutting into bars. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen bars.

Note: if making for a bake sale, use two 8 inch square foil baking pans and divide the mixtures evenly between each. This will make an appealing presentation and will be easy to wrap and transport.

Kraut Ranza is a dish unique to German cuisine. The following recipe is the base for the Kraut Ranza sold during Odessa’s Deutschesfest. The recipe is doubled several time to make the large quantities needed for the festival. As presented here, the recipe makes dough and filling for 18 ranza.

Kraut Ranza

2 cups warm water

1 Tbsp dry active yeast

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

5 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading

3 Tbsp margarine, melted and cooled

Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar and salt. Then ad the flour and margarine. Mix with a spoon until smooth.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth. Place in a large greased bowl. Turn dough with greased side up. Cover with a clean dishcloth or paper towel and let rise until double in bulk.

Filling:

1 pound lean ground beef

3/4 pound cabbage, chopped

1/2 pound onion, chopped

1 can (about 2 cups) sauerkraut

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic salt

Ground black pepper to taste

1 to 2 drops liquid smoke

Simmer sauerkraut in a small saucepan for 30 minutes. Drain off excess juice.

Meanwhile, crumble ground beef into a skillet and cook until browned. Drain off excess fat.

In a large skillet, sauté cabbage and onion in a little margarine, butter or cooking oil until softened and golden. Remove from heat.

Stir in ground beef and sauerkraut, seasonings and liquid smoke.

Punch down dough and divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each piece into a 12 inch square and cut into 9 four inch squares. Portion filling onto squares, about 1/2 cup each.

Bring opposite corners of squares together and pinch the edges closed over filling. Shape into rounded oval and place seam side down on a greased baking sheet, leaving several inches space between. Let rise.

When ready to bake preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes until nicely browned. Remove from oven to cooling rack and brush with melted butter. Yield: 18 ranza.

Note: these freeze well and are great to have on hand for a quick meal. Also, the basic dough may be used for other fillings such as taco, sloppy joe or pizza.

Blena, German hotcakes, are more like a crepe, than a traditional pancake. The thin tender cakes are delicious with syrup or jam, or alongside sausage and eggs.

Blena or Blini, depending on the area or origin, have as many recipe variations as there are German heritage families. The common thread is they are yeast raised. The following recipe comes from the 1987 Staff of Life II Odessa Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Cookbook. Attributed to the late Mrs. George Schafer, this makes a lot, so you may want to cut the recipe in half.

Blena

1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast

2 quarts warm water

6-8 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, well beaten

In a very large mixing bowl, combine yeast and warm water. Stir in enough of the flour to make a soft sponge, (just thick enough if you set a raisin on it it won’t sink) set in a warm place overnight or at least 4 to 5 hours, until mixture is double in bulk.

Add baking soda, salt, sugar and eggs and stir until smooth. Batter should be thin. If too thick, add warm water a little at a time until desired consistency.

Heat a large round frying pan until hot and grease with a teaspoon of shortening. Add a soup ladle of batter, tipping the pan so batter covers completely. Cook until bubbles form, then turn pancake to cook other side.

Share your favorite ethnic recipes, German, French, Italian, Asian or other with your fellow readers. Be watching for Scottish Fly Bars and other recipes from my little bit of Scottish heritage throughout the fall months. Send recipes to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record Times, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159. Email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record Office. Cool night can slow the setting of fruit on tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squash. If possible switch to early morning watering to allow the ground to warm again before nightfall. Additionally the residual water will draw pollinators.