Bismarck Recipes

BIG-BATCH BISMARKS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 4 teaspoons sugar in warm water. Add the milk, eggs, oil, salt, remaining sugar and 8 cups flour until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Divide dough in half. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in two greased bowls, turning once to a grease tops. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch the dough down. Turn on a floured surface; roll out to 1/2-in. thickness. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes., In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry bismarks, a few at a time, for 1 minute on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Cool for 2-3 minutes. Cut a small slit with a sharp knife in one side of each bismark; fill with about 1 teaspoon jelly. Decorate with frosting and sprinkles if desired.

JELLY-FILLED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Place flour in a large bowl. Form a well in the center; add eggs, yeast mixture, remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the butter, nutmeg, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a sticky dough forms. Turn out dough onto a well-floured work surface; knead until dough is smooth, soft, and bounces back when poked with a finger, about 8 minutes (add more flour if necessary). Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out 20 rounds, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 20 minutes.
• Whisk together confectioners' sugar and milk in a medium, shallow bowl until smooth. Cover glaze with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to fill doughnuts.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 370 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, carefully slip 4 dough rounds into the oil. Fry until golden, turning once, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat process with remaining dough rounds.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and small bismark pastry tip for filling (such as #230) with the jam. Using a chopstick or a wooden skewer, make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Fit the pastry tip into the hole, and pipe about 2 teaspoons jam into doughnut. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and jam.
• Dip tops of doughnuts in the glaze to cover. Let stand, glaze-side up, until set.

FILLED BERLIN DOUGHNUTS (BISMARKS)

Steps:

• Soften the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes or until it "blooms" or proofs.
• Put a half cup of sugar, the salt, butter, orange juice and rum extract in a large bowl.
• Pour the scalded milk over the ingredients in the bowl.
• Stir until the butter is melted.
• Cool to lukewarm.
• When cool, blend in 1 cup of the unbleached flour and beat until smooth.
• Stir in the yeast and add about half of the remaining flour, beating until smooth.
• Beat in the eggs.
• Then beat in enough of the remaining flour to make a SOFT (should be slightly sticky and light in weight).
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes).
• Form into a ball and put into a greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the ball of dough.
• Cover and let rise in a warm draft free place until doubled in bulk.
• Punch the dough down, kneading lightly to remove all of the air pockets, and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll to 1/2-inch thickness.
• Cut the dough into rounds using a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter.
• Cover with waxed paper and let rise on the rolling surface away from drafts and direct heat, until double in bulk, (30 to 45 minutes).
• About 20 minutes before frying, heat the fat.
• Fry the doughnuts in the heated fat.
• Put only as many doughnuts at one time as will float uncrowded in a single layer deep in the fat.
• Fry 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned; turn the doughnuts with a fork or tongs, being careful not to pierce the doughnut, when they rise to the surface.
• Do this several times during the cooking.
• Lift from the fat, draining for a few seconds over the fat before removing to absorbent paper toweling.
• Cool.
• Cut a slit through the center in the side of each doughnut.
• Force about 1/2 ts of jam or jelly into the center and press lightly to close the slit. (A pastry bag and tube may be used to force the jelly or jam into the slit.) Shake 2 or 3 bismarks at one time in a bag containing granulated or powdered sugar. (Your choice.) Shake lightly to remove the excess sugar.

SUNDAY MORNING BISMARCKS

Steps:

• Put butter in a heavy frying pan or a shallow casserole.
• Place in an oven set at 475*.
• Meanwhile, mix milk, flour and eggs lightly to make a batter.
• When the butter has melted, add batter to the pan and bake for 12 minutes.
• Remove from oven and place bismarck on a plate.
• Pour a little of the melted butter on the pancake, and squeeze on a little lemon juice to taste.
• Roll it up like a loose jelly roll and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
• Variations: Sprinkle with brown sugar.
• Forget the sugar and use a fruit or maple flavored syrup.
• Spread with a favorite fruit preserve or fresh berries.
• Lightly sprinkle with Grand Marnier.
• Fill with chestnut cream.

RASPBERRY AND PASTRY CREAM FILLED PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• To make pastry cream:
• Split a vanilla bean lengthwise, using a back of knife to scrape the seeds. In a medium saucepan, combine milk with the vanilla bean and seeds and lemon rind. Bring to a boil, then remove the lemon rind and vanilla bean.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Add the sugar and flour and whisk well. Before adding the egg yolk mixture to milk, temper it by whisking in some of the milk to the yolk mixture. Pour it all back into the milk saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook at a boil for 2 to 3 minutes then remove from stove top and cool.
• Cut the puff pastry into 3 by 3-inch squares. You should have 24 pastry squares in total. Bake according to package directions until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and cool.
• Place 1 square of puff pastry on a plate. Top with a layer of pastry cream. Top with raspberries and a small dollop of pastry cream. Repeat to make 1 more layer, ending with a puff pastry square on top. There should be 3 layers of puff pastry and 2 layers of pastry cream and raspberries in each stack.
• Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

BEEFSTEAK BISMARCK

Steps:

• Mix together beef, butter, green onions, salt and pepper. Form into 4 cakes and broil.
• Serve each hamburger cake topped with a hot soft-fried egg.
• For accompaniments, have plain boiled potatoes liberally dressed with butter and chopped parsley, tomatoes broiled with a seasoning of chopped garlic and basil, and plenty of cold ale. A fitting dessert would be fresh strawberries flavored with orange juice, port wine and Grand Marnier and folded into whipped cream at the last moment. Serve black Italia coffee at the end of this hearty meal.

BISMARCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in a cast iron skillet and place in oven to melt. In a large mixing bowl (or blender), combine eggs with the milk until the mixture is light yellow and not stringy, about 1 minute. Add the flour, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt, and whisk vigorously to remove lumps, about 30 seconds. Remove hot pan from oven. Butter should be melted. Swirl butter around the pan to coat completely, and then pour remaining butter into the batter and whisk to blend. Pour the batter into the hot plan and return pan to oven. Cook the pancake for about 20 mins, or until the pancake is puffed in the center, and golden brown along the edges. Using a spatula, remove the entire Bismarck from the pan and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes to allow steam to escape without condensing along the bottom (otherwise bottom becomes soggy). Slice the pancake into wedges on a serving platter or cutting board and serve with syrup, preserves or cinnamon sugar.