Kaffee & Kuchen 101

My in-laws came over yesterday for afternoon kaffee & kuchen. I'm still getting used to this German tradition (the cake, not the in-laws!). It's a nice way to get together but the timing always throws me off. It's usually in the late afternoon around the time I start thinking about pouring a glass of wine or cracking a beer.

For a German, no conditions are too extreme for kaffee & kuchen. Case in point, I was on a road trip with my German family last year. It was August and we were somewhere between Pheonix and Joshua Tree when they pulled the RV over to the side of the highway. It was 105 degrees, we were the middle of the desert, and my father-in-law, god bless him, started boiling water for coffee! I just sat there sucking on a rapidly melting popsicle in disbelief.

At any rate, last time Ralf and Irmhild visited us in Zurich, I totally botched kaffee & kuchen. I hastily brewed a pot of coffee, forgot the sweets and proceeded to eat half the soft pretzel they'd picked up on the road for themselves. I was such a lame hostess, especially compared to my sisters-in-law who are always whipping up wonderful homemade cheese cakes and fruit tortes.

So I was determined to redeem myself yesterday. I set the table, lit the candles, had the coffee brewing and - the topper - I made Apfelchuechli. I had my first Apfelchuechli (ap-fell-kook-lee) a couple weeks ago on the farm, and they were divine.

They're basically fresh apples, peeled, sliced into rings, battered, fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The finishing touch is to serve them with whipped cream and jam. They're super simple to make, and they are sure to impress German and American friends and family alike. Click here for the recipie.