Paulchens FoodBlog?!

Tomorrow is palm sunday and next week there is already eastersunday – time is flying these days.

When Johanna announced the new theme for “Waiter, there’s something in my…” I planned to post our Family Easter meal but only when she extended the deadline – thanks so much by the way Johanna!! - this week I realised that there was no time to do so.

So I had to think of a Plan B instead.

I found one and in the very moment I began to write up this post for WTISM I found out that Johanna and I are sharing the same childhood memories when it comes to grandmas and Easter: Grandma’s precious beloved Easter Lambs (and Rabbits).

Well, not the very same memories but quite similar so I could not post these as my entry. My family is not very traditional about Easter, but there are some traditions around Easter in Austria in general (and I trust there are similar in other countries… )

Palm Sunday introduces Holy Week – ‘Karwoche‘. Twigs of sallow are taken to church and blessed to commemorate the public appearance of Jesus in Jerusalem.

Easter fires are lit during the night before Easter Sunday. People meet around the fire to sing and dance. The more agile and adventurous actually jump over the fire.

On Easter Sunday fasting comes officially to an end. What an excellent excuse for a traditional Easter brunch with sweet bread – ‘Osterpinze‘, cold meat and coloured eggs.

As a tradition for kids, colourful Easter eggs, sweets and small presents are hidden in the house or – if the weather allows – in the garden by a mythological Easter bunny – ‘Osterhase‘. There’s also a delicious pastry in the form of a lamb – ‘Osterlamm‘, which is traditionally given to the kids by their godfather or godmother.

Let’s talk about Easter eggs!

There are two kinds, both of them colourful: decorative and yummy Easter eggs. For decorative Easter eggs we paint, colour or glitter eggs, which we have carefully blown out before. Afterwards, we hang them into the window, on plants or foliating twigs of sallow – ‘Palmkatzerln‘.

Yummy Easter eggs are boiled before colouring. In Austria it is very common to use ferns and small flowers as patterns: Take an old silk stocking to attach the ferns to the egg and remove after colouring.

So I decided to overcome my fear of yeast dough – me and yeast, that seems to be a very troubled relationship whereas my mother is a goddess in baking “Striezel” and all those things… – and bake a sweet bread called “Osterpinze” done in two ways for Easter in my family.

Make sure that all ingredients are nearly the same temperature.

Add all ingredients to the bowl of your food processor and mix until you get a smooth compact dough.

Now the dough should have time to rise for about 1-2 hours at a warm place or place the bowl into your sink with warm water.

Then divide the dough into 3 parts and form balls.
Cut the surface of the balls with a knife three times symmetrically. Brush with egg yolk.
Bake at 170°C for about 35-45 minutes.

Alternatively you can also divide the dough into two parts and braid each part and form a wreath. Place a cooked colored egg(s) in the middle, brush with egg yolk and then bake as above.

larger pics: (1) | (2) | (3) | (4)