Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Blitz Kuchen




Blitz Kuchen is German for "lightning cake".  And according to my extensive research (I googled it), blitz kuchen looks like it can mean pretty much anything in the "quick cake" category. 

My mom's side of the family is German and  this recipe was our family's version of blitz kuchen.  It's actually more of a cookie.  

And it is, indeed, lightning fast.  With 5 ingredients and a bake time of 8-10 minutes, these babies can go from being an idea in your head to a treat in your mouth in 15 minutes flat.

These cookies were the go-to choice when I was a kid and announced to my mom at 7pm that I needed to bring a treat to school tomorrow.  I remember this happening with surprising frequency.  We always had all the ingredients on hand, by about 4th grade I could make these myself, and they were done fast.

So carve 15 minutes out of your busy schedule and whip up a batch.  They go great with coffee, all my kids love them, and they are perfect when you need a last-minute treat.  Another bonus, you can
use cinnamon-sugar to top them like in the original recipe, or substitute colored sprinkles for holidays.  Instantly festive.

The Step-By-Step

Make the Batter

 
First, let's preheat the oven.  400F (200C).
Now you mix a cup of melted butter and a cup of sugar.  (I know, I know, this photo just looks like a heart attack, doesn't it?  Don't worry, the cookies come out VERY thin.  You are hardly eating any ingredients at all.)  ;-)



Now take 4 eggs and beat them into the heart attack mixture, one at a time.  

P.S.  Anyone know of a camera that can take good action shots of a mixer?  Me neither.



Or I guess I could turn the mixer off while taking the picture. 



 Now add 2 cups of flour and beat that in.



And here's your batter.  It's not very thick, you can definitely pour it.  Pretty close to a regular pancake batter.

Spread into Pans and Bake

Now we need some baking sheets.  Mine are on the small-ish size (9x13 inches / 22 x 32 cm) and this recipe makes 3 of those pans' worth.  If your pans are larger, it'll work out differently.

Grease the pans.  



Now spread the batter REALLY thinly.  You should be able to see the pan a little bit through the batter, at least in the thin spots.  

Too thick and the cookies will be cake-y and they are supposed to be more on the crunchy side.  But fear not -- if you do not spread it thinly enough it will still be yummy.  Some in your family may prefer it that way (I did, as a kid).



Sprinkle a nice layer of cinnamon-sugar on the top.



Or colored sprinkles, if you're feelin' sassy.



Bake 8 - 10 minutes, just until the edges start to brown a bit.  You don't want the top to get brown.



Cut into squares (or you know, some other shape if you want to get fancy) and remove from pans immediately.  Don't ignore me on this one.  Leave 'em in the pans and you'll need a chisel later.





There you go.  Great little treat.  Fast as lightning.


The Recipe

MAKES 60 SMALL COOKIES

1 cup sugar
1 cup melted butter
4 eggs
2 cups flour
cinnamon-sugar or colored sprinkles

Preheat oven 400F (200C).  Grease 3 cookie sheets (with sides) sized 9x13 inches or 22x32 cm.

Mix butter and sugar.   Beat in eggs one at a time.  Beat in flour.

Pour the batter into the pans, spreading with a rubber spatula very thinly, until you can almost see the pan through the batter.

Bake 8-10 minutes until the edges start to brown but the top isn't brown yet.

Cut into squares and remove from pan immediately.  Cool and serve or store in an airtight container.