Arriving in New York 1959

Pregnant with Baby # 2 and Walter one year old, we arrived at LaGuardia Airport in the middle of a huge rainstorm, and so many people. I said to my husband Marcus “lets go back to Germany.”

New York was an experience I will never forget. Many years later I actually lived in New York City. Marc was from Iowa so of course we moved to Iowa where this venture of cooking started. In Newton, Red Oak and Ottumwa Iowa I started a Kaffee Klatsch once

every month or so. My female friends loved these Kaffee’s. They were afternoons where we relaxed and gossiped and just had fun, away from the children.

I am not fond of baking but I did, mostly German Torts and Coffee Cakes. Cooking was and still is my thing.

In Ottumwa I started a Gourmet Dinner Club made up of 4 couples, with an invitation extended to an additional couple at times. It was slightly competitive and I tell you everyone really put themselves out and we had some wonderful menus with great food and a great time together.

My Version of the Schwarzwelder Kirsch Torte

Biscuit Roll:   Preheat Oven to 350*

8 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup flour minus 2 tablespoons instead uses 2 tablespoons of cocoa.

Separate eggs; beat the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, add the flour and cocoa incorporate until mixed well.

In a separate bowl or electric mixer beat the egg whites until firm. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the egg whites and gently incorporate to keep the volume.

Butter a parchment/foil lined cookie sheet about 12 by 16 inches. Spread the cake mixture on the paper and make sure it is even all over.

Bake about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven it will shrink slightly as it cools. Take a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle with sugar; roll the cake up in the towel, cool.

Filling:

1 to 1 ½ cups heavy cream with ¼ cup of sugar, whipped firm

1 cup black cherries, drained and pitted

1 to 2 tablespoons cherry brandy (optional)

Dark semisweet chocolate bar for shaving

Unroll the cake from the towel; spread the cherry brandy evenly over the cake, add a thin layer of the whipped cream, add the cherries roll the cake up and top with the rest of the whipped cream. With a potato peeler shave the chocolate all over the cake.

 Slice and serve, make 8 to 10 servings

Note: You can substitute cool whip for the whipping cream

Have fun with this it is a great dessert for birthdays, holidays and whatever.