My 200th Post! (And a German Osterkranz)

Today I am celebrating my 200th post!

I’ve been blogging for just over six months now, and it has sustained me through a difficult winter. (My Irish wolfhound – the love of my life – has been quite poorly, and we have been confined to the house and garden since November.)

Not only writing, but reading other blogs has brought me immense pleasure and has inspired me in so many ways. I am extremely grateful to all those who read my blog and to fellow bloggers too. Thanks for the comments and for all the wonderful posts!

To mark this occasion a recipe of course!

Osterkranz

I think the best translation for Osterkranz is “Easter Bread”. It is a very simple, light and only slightly sweet plaited bread with curd cheese (quark), but no yeast, in the dough. (If you have a really sweet tooth it can be sliced and spread with jam). It has slowly become a tradition for me to make it shortly before Easter, as a modest treat during Lent. And, as a good “Hausfrau”, I have to have something to offer my neighbours when they come for coffee on a Sunday afternoon! 😉

Osterkranz

• 400 g self-raising flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 200 g quark (curd cheese)
• 6 +1 tbsps milk
• 6 tbsps oil
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 80 g sugar
• 2 tbsps vanilla sugar
• Decoration if required (see picture)

Mix the quark with 6 tbsps milk, the oil, egg, sugar and vanilla sugar. Sieve the flour, baking powder and soda and stir half into quark mixture. Mix well. Add rest of flour and stir gently until thoroughly mixed. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a baking tray.

Divide the dough into three, and on a floured surface form each into a 50cm long roll. Place on the baking tray now, and plait the rolls on the baking tray (Easier than trying to transfer the whole thing later!) Form the plait into a ring. Mix the last tbsp milk with the egg yolk and brush over the bread.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Please help yourself to a piece… there’s enough for everyone!

Enjoy!