March 30th
2006
The cold winter months seem to have finally come to an end, making room for warmer weather. Thank god. The flip side of the coin is that many of my favorite wintry dishes will -naturally- be superseded by spring/summer recipes. And they indeed are lurking behind the corner, waiting to boot perfect comfort food such as Käsespätzle aka Kasspatzn (would literally translate to: little cheese sparrows...now, how tempting is that?).
Like a whole array of hot soups, Käsespätzle have been providing great comfort during the snow-plagued months. If you have traveled to the more southern regions of Germany before and deliberately been exposing yourself to German food *grin*, chances are you have had these. Based on how Spätzle are made I guess the term micro dumplings would do them justice. They can be bought ready-made at pretty much any German supermarket, but once you prepared them yourself, there's no way you'll ever buy them again.
Topped with butter-browned onions and a good deal of cheese (Emmenthaler, Mountain Cheese, Gruyère, Appenzeller or Sbrinz - whatever floats your boat) they are super yummy and will leave you happy AND stuffed...
We've made them so many times throughout the past months, that making the dough has become a piece of cake - the ratio between the flour, eggs and water now seems ideal. The upside is, that -of course- you can have Spätzle as a side to other dishes such as medallions of venison with saucy cranberries. So it's not quite Goodbye, at the most, a brief time out.
Since the dough should rest for about 20 to 30 minutes, start with combining flour, eggs (and egg yolk) and a good-sized pinch of salt. Blend well with your kitchen machine and add - if necessary - water spoon by spoon. The dough should not be runny, but soft enough to gradually follow gravitation. Then set aside and allow to rest.
Note: If you think you added a bit too much salt, you're probably just about right. The cooking process will equalize the saltiness.
Meanwhile heat butter in frying pan over low to medium heat, add onions, and let them slowly gain a golden brown color. Don't let them get too dark, as they tend to become bitter. Drain on a paper towel, then set aside.
Bring a large pot of water briefly to a boil, add a pinch of salt, then reduce heat. The water should simmer throughout the whole process, but not boil strongly. You can either cut and shape the Spätzle by hand, or, which makes things a 1000 times easier, use a Spätzle maker (a colander may work, too!?). Cook Spätzle for about 2-3 minutes 'till they float back to the surface, then remove them with a slotted spoon. Aim for two or more runs to avoid a big sticky something as opposed to cute little Spätzle.
When done, drain the water, melt 1-2 tbsp of butter and return Spätzle to the pot. Shake the pot a few times to evenly distribute the butter, then add the grated cheese and mix well.
Now simply add the browned onions and chopped chives on top and serve immediately - preferably with a big bowl of mixed greens!
Käsespätzle
Recipe source: own creation
Prep time: 30min.
.
Ingredients (serves 2):
250g flour
5 eggs + 1 egg yolk
a good pinch of salt
2-3 tbsp water (if necessary)
2 tbsp butter
150-200g cheese, grated (Emmenthaler, Mountain cheese, Gruyère...)
.
for the onions:
75g butter
2 mid-sized onions, cut in rings
.
for decoration:
2 tbsp chives, chopped
Thanks for the recipe! I just got back from six months studying abroad in southern Germany (Tübingen), and was wondering where I was ever going to find good Spätzle again. Looks like I'll be doing some cooking soon...
Hermoso, tus fotos siempre me dejan con la boca abierta, me dan gana de cocinas.
Muchos saludos desde México.
Oh, those look great. Spätzle are also made in my area in France and I agree, they are something special. For some odd reason, my mum always made them when we had rabbit in a dark sauce. I love the pic with the machine! Snif snif, yes bye bye hearty foods!
Looks DELICIOUS! Your site is absolutely LOVELY!
Delicious and simple! Love your red mixing bowl, where is it from?
Thanks for sharing your recipe :-) I agree spätzli are heavenly!
I like to add finely chopped wild garlic to the spätzli batter and to crispen them up in olive oil after simmering.
Mmmmhh, I love Spätzle (Spätzli) and yours look very yummylicious!!!
Ich lieeeeebe Kasspatzn! Superlieben Dank für das Rezept, wird auf jeden Fall ausprobiert, auch wenn der Winter jetzt hoffentlich endgültig vorbei ist. Wieder tolle Bilder, sogar Kasspatzn und der Teig sehen bei euch fotogen aus!!!
well things here in the southern hemisphere are heading in the other direction and we're starting to put away our salad recipes and delve into more hearty fare. so mabey the kasespatzle will have a nice holiday in Australia over your summer.....thanks
i had this once when i visited a German restaurant for a dish called tenderloin of veal rolled with bacon. Served with roquefort cream sauce and spatzli...now that i am reminded of the delish spatzli and with ur recipe....i might cook them at home again. thanx for the delish recipe..
I had them once on a skiing trip to Garmisch and they tasted heavenly! Being a cheese lover with all my heart I'm going to try them, thanks for reminding me of something so yummy :)
Wow - this looks incredible. I love the look of the brown-butter onions. I can almost smell them cooking!
Nicky your spätzle look so cute! You have almost convinced me of the ease of making them. But I still think I'll rather have them when you make them, be it next winter!
PS: I love the T-Shirt. Where did you get it?
Ha, Ihr gehört also auch zur "Hobel-Fraktion"! Kässpätzle sind was Feines, ich hatte zuletzt ja die überbackene Variante http://peho.typepad.com/chili_und_ciabatta/2006/03/ksesptzle_mit_r.html gemacht.
hey this is like that variety of Bhujiya, and Indian snacks.. The indian name is Chakri or something, and bhujiya are tiny (thickness wise) version of the same.
I have seen those snacks vendors prepare it in the open. they usually prepare in full view of the customers, but the version this thick is only available in a select places..
haven't been back to munich since we left nine months ago, but this post has my mouth watering and i am ready to book a flight.
ps i never tried to make them - might do this weekend. thanks for the inpsiration.
love the t-shirt!
out of all the recipes, this one I think I might be able to make. I just need a spatzle maker now.
It goes like this...
I like to read. I like to write. But I just read and read and read... and then its time to make dinner. Dinner is good.......
My German husband from Hannover will love you *so* much more now.
Thank you for taking the time to post this.
I may not make them as yummy at his oma does, but I'll certainly give it a shot!
Do you have a recipe for a German dish that is Turkey with sliced peaches on top with a curry sauce? I had that at a restaurant in Hannover that specialized in Southern German cusine. Have you heard of this?
Beautiful blog.
Holly
Hello!
First of all ... yummy yummy yummy. You have made me wish that I live in Germany ... and I live in cold Canada!
Secondly ... I HAVE THE SAME MIXING BOWL!
Oh yeah! That's probably, like, a million times better than mac'n cheese!
I love the t-shirt too! Where can I get one?
You guys are amazing! You can make down-to-earth food look indeed exceptional. No need for top-notch food creations on my end, Kaesespaetzle will do the job perfectly ;) Great job!
Kaesespaetzle sind eine super Idee ! San Francisco hat gerade den Regenrekord von 1904 (!!) gebrochen, da kann ich so ein Comfort Food gut gebrauchen. Tolle Fotos, wie immer ;-)
Thank for sharing this recipe! I love kasespatzle but have yet to try making my own.
I simply must must must must must make this!
I am drooling now :)
hi,
u r recipe looks interesting.
I want to know about Spätzle maker.Can i use it for any batter as a sieve .Thank u
Vineela
That would be a great dish for our winter here like jules said. Thanks for the recipe :)
Wie immer tolle Fotos! Das T-Shirt ist cool. ;-)
Ich kann "Spätzli" oder "Knöpfli", wie wir Schweizer sagen, das ganze Jahr durch essen. Ich gebe dem Teig immer noch etwas Hartweizengriess zu. Macht sich auch gut.
Als Eingeborener kann ich den Gebrauch von neuartigen Technologien zwar nicht gutheissen, es gibt zum Beispiel Menschen die den handgeschabten einen besseren Geschmack nachsagen oder die verunglückten Klumpen, landläufig Schwiegermütter genannt, bevorzugen( z.B meine Chefin...) aber es geht auch mit ner flotten Lotte aus dem Elsass mit verschiedenen Einsätzen. Man nehem das Sieb mit den grossen Löchern, den Teig etwas dünner, zwei mal rechts rum eine halbe Umdrehung zurück.. et voilá der schwäbischen Hausfrau fällt nichts auf...
GREAT job! I love them!
oh yum. i had this for the first time when my German friend invited me over for dinner and served it as a side dish. i basically ignored the rest of the meal. she gave me one of those little spatzle makers (she had two) and i have always been too intimidated to try it out without her coaching. but she lives far away now.
i think i will use your recipe and instructions and give it a go! she would be so proud of me ;)
Looks delicious. I love your blog and your recipes!
Ich sterbe für Kasspatzn! BIsher war ich immer zu faul sowas selbst zu machen, aber die Bilder machen Lust es auch mal auszuprobieren. Sehr schöner Blog, macht weiter so!!
That settles it! I am making Kässpätzle tonight. This is all your fault ...
looks fantastically wonderful and i couldn't help but think when i first saw the photo that it looks like a dantier mac and cheese type dish. will definitely try to make my own spaetzel sometime soon and cover it with cheese, onions and maybe a touch of crisp pancetta. looks lovely, tonnes of kudos. spring is in the air.
My husband's from Muenster and spätzli are right up his alley! Last month we went to Kurt Gutenbrunner's amazing Austrian restaurant in the East Village, NYC. He added fresh herbs. Have you tried that? I would love to make some flavored with spinach...
P.S. My husband and I have a blast reading your blog and viewing the lovely fun photos.
I love sptazle, I make them at least once a week for my brother as he lives in a share house. We call them Halushky, we are from Czechoslovakia, living in Australia. It's coming up to winter now and I'm dieing to try out the cheese ones you made, looks great. we usually have them with a casserole or plain with fried bacon pieces for added fat flavour.
Your photography is amazing. Do you use special lighting? I look forward to each new post to your blog.
L, As much as we love to have them plain, there is little if anything that beats Käsespätzle, they are the real deal. And… it’s never to late to discover a new passion ;) The fork you are referring to is pretty old, I inherited some of the old kitchen stuff I own from both, my grandma and my great grandma.
Hi Bea, I think Spätzle are good which ever way you decide to have them. Especially in the event that you’re not up for an elaborate menu, this version is a quick way to appreciate them.
Hello Claudia, The red mixing bowl I bought at a small kitchen & appliances shop in Colorado Springs while we visited friends – and thus added to our overall luggage weight even more – but I’m glad I got it!
Hello Pamela, That sounds lovely, too. Never tried them with garlic in the batter/dough, but frying them in garlic infused olive oil sounds very tempting; food that doesn’t taste delicious after frying still has to be discovered!
Hi Jules, Jean,
Ok, they’re “allowed” to travel, but I do expect them back in time and let me know how you get along… ;)
foodcrazee, “Serverd with Roquefort and cream sauce” – yummm. O. actually likes them a lot with cranberries/cranberry jam…and can barely have enough of them on his plate. ;)
Hey Sorat, Marie, Let me know how they worked out!
Hi Hande, Mary,
The shirt I got at Benetton (Marienplatz, Munich) last year. For a T-shirt junkie like me, it was love at first sight! Not sure if they still sell them though…
Hallo Petra, Für die überbackene Version, obwohl super lecker, reicht oft nicht die Geduld… :)
Tony, Hm, I tried googling for them, but I’m not sure what you’re referring to?!
Hi Jane, Did you get to try them? Would love to hear how they turned out.
God's Child, They’re really not that expensive, and trust me, you’ll be using it a lot… ;)
Hi Holly, In fact I do recall a dish a friend from university taught me once, turkey with a sweet-spicy peach curry sauce and rice, I guess of Polish/Silesian origin?! Haven’t made it in years, let’s see, if I can still pull it off, if it works out, I’ll let you know.
Ivonne, Wouldn’t you agree that having the right home appliances makes cooking and baking so much more fun…’loving it, too!
Hi Ralph, you kidding me? My memories of San Francisco are warm and sunny (was I just lucky?) – one of the most wonderful cities I’ve ever been to. Rain doesn’t appear in my memories! But be assured, the amounts of rain you received, we got it in the form of snow this winter ;) Not good either!
Hi vineela, In principle, you could use it with any batter. However, the holes are relatively large, thinner dough/batter may just run through. What do you want to use it for?
Hallo zorra, Gute Idee mit dem Hartweizengriess – hab ich so noch nicht probiert.
Hallo vatel, Naja sooo high-tech ist’s ja auch wieder nicht – immer noch Handarbeit ;) Meine persönlichen Favoriten sind die richtig dicken Knöpfle, die lassen sich anders gar nicht herstellen, oder weiß ich’s nur nicht?
Hello Easily Pleased, I so hear you!! Give it a shot, I’m sure you’ll find it super easy!
Hi Elkit, Yes spring is in the air, indeed, we just got back from a walk through the park and found the first signs of it: little crocuses and other small flowers seeing the light of day...
SkinnyChef, Fresh herbs in the dough or to serve? Not tried them in the dough, but usually add some chive as a topping. Working spinach into the dough – as a stand-alone dish – sounds like a good idea, not only taste wise, but to also give it some color. Thanks for stopping by!
Lana, Fried bacon pieces – can’t go wrong with those…NEVER :)
Hi Debbie, No special lighting, just natural day light – not much of an issue on longer summer days, but during the winter season you don’t have much to work with…short and cold days.
those onions reminded me of anchovies. mmmm, love anchovies
You make it look so simple! I think I'm going to have to learn to make this myself since my friend Katja is probably getting sick of my constant badgering for her Spätzle. Yum yum...
I am so excited to learn how to make home-made spatzle! My sister-in-law is German-American and spatzle is her favorite meal. I can't wait to surprise her by making her this dish...thank you!
I love spatzle, and I too am a little remiss at the passing of "spatzle weather," but the bounty of spring always seems like compensation enough.
I haven't made spatzle in years. Thanks for a visually stunning reminder of what I've been missing.
It just snowed here in New York, so it looks like it's not to late for us :)
I tried this recipe last night and loved it. Spatzle is delicious, but since it was my first time making it I have a question: how runny is the dough supposed to be after it has sat for a bit? I don't have spatzle maker, and I couldn't shape the dough, so I ended up just spooning it into boiling water which made for not-so-pretty pieces.
Hi NewYorkDely,
The shouldn't really be runny as such, more like gooey paste (in lack of a better analogy :) So when you take a spoon of it, it's almost like it clings to the bowl and it does take some effort to get it out into the Spätzle maker. If you don't have a Spätzle maker you can always make them by hand (takes some practice though, from what I hear - I have never actually tried it myself!): Dip a cutting board into the simmering water, add a spoon of dough on it and use a knife to slice and toss little "noodles" from it directly into the pot with simmering water.
Hi, thats a real Schwäbin speaking, I grew up eating Kässpätzle almost every week. Looks like a good recipe you got here. My suggestion for the summer months: Try a nice spinach-spätzle version. Put mashed cooked spinach into the dough (you won't need any water then) and a little bit of muskat (nutmeg?). Looks great and tastes even better. And about the onions: we use to add a very small amount of sugar to the onions which helps to get them very tasty and on the other hand very brown....All the best and keep on frizzling.
I've been making Spätzle for years. When we first came to America in the 60s, my dad insisted that my mom leave the Spaetzle press back in Germany, claiming that the hand-made ones were better. She snuck it into her luggage anyway and I expect she actually made them early on, but I only remember having had hand-made ones......made by my father. My mother never made Spätzle again. My sister and I both have a Spaetzle press with irregular shaped holes which makes the end result look like hand-made ones. Have you ever tried using seltzer water? I find it makes the Spaetzle just a touch lighter. By the way, this is a beautiful site. I am addicted already.
I tried your recipe last weekend and it was fantastic! We made the double amount of fried onions, because my husband loves them so much. Thanks for making me use my old Spätzle maker again, it was sooo yummy!!!
another Kässpätzle-Version
Having just returned from Frankfurt I was determined to discover the way to make the kasespaetzel I enjoyed SOOOO much at the Klosterhof restaurant. This site is fantastic. So helpful with the pictures showing the actual consistency of the dough. THANKS!!!! I can't wait to make my first batch.
[...] This was heavenly. The meat was tender (although not bloody enough for my taste), the sauerkraut were made from the famous and endangered Filder-cabbage which provided for very tender and aromatic sauerkraut, almost nothing to do with the regular sauerkraut made from round cabbages. The restaurant is right in the middle of the Filder region which has been almost totally urbanized and therefore lacking most of its traditional fields. This special cabbage is now under the protection of Slow Food’s Ark of Taste. The accompanying “Spätzle” that you see in the background were delicious but too much! “Spätzle” are a sort of pasta and if you would like to see some great pictures as well as a recipe, Nicky and Oliver over at delicious:days had a great post a couple of months ago. [...]
I finally got around to making this dish tonight and I must say out of all the recipes i have ever found online this one was SPOT on and needed no extras!
Lecker Lecker! ;)
To my recipe favorites book this treasure goes. :)
Hi Maureen, I'm glad you liked it! Although the weather is sunny and hot now, we already went through a pretty cold period - which I happily used as an excuse to prepare the rather wintery dish "Käsespätzle"...
Spaetzle have to be my favorite food memory about Germany! I haven't had them in years, so I think it's time to try your recipe!
Ich liebe Spätzle sehr, ist ja klar, ich bin ja schwäbisch.
Die Knöpfle, die du gemacht hast gab es bei uns so ähnlich zu dem Schwäbischen Nationalgericht schlechthin.
Normale, also lange Spätzle mache ich oft und man kann mit dem Mehl variieren, wie bereits angemerkt z.B. mit Hartweizen, damit werden sie kerniger.
Es gibt aber auch eine ungarndeutsche Variante mit Butter im Teig.
Übrigens, ich weiß, das schreibt so gut wie jeder, aber deine Bilder, überhaupt deine ganze Seite - einfach herrlich!
Ein ferner Gruß aus Singapur
Brigitte
Sorry Nicky - Der Link zu dem Schwäbischen Nationalgericht ist leider falsch gewesen.
Dear Brigitte, We seem to have a similar preference for traditional dishes, don't we? Thanks for sharing your recipes, especially the Wiener Schnitzel literally jumped at me! I think I know what we'll have on the weekend...
[...] include dishes from all over the world, from tamales, to curries to German favorites such as Käsespätzle (the picture is from her [...]
Wow. This looks fantastic. I've always loved spätzle, but I've always had it fairly plain... not with cheese. How could I have missed it all these years! This won't wait for next winter...
Gorgeous photos and I love the fork in the first shot!