American Baker in Germany

 This is a delicious Thanksgiving classic recipe. If you think sweet potato casserole with marshmallows sounds gross, then you really don't know what you're missing. But, you can make it in Germany from scratch. It's actually not even that difficult. Sweet Potato Casserole: 2 whole sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar 1/3 cup (80g) butter 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 tbsp vanilla sugar 3/4 cup (90g) chopped pecans (optional) dash cinnamon dash salt 2 cups (120g) mini marshmallows Peel potatoes and chop into chunks.  Boil sweet potatoes in a pot of boiling water for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.  Drain water and mash into puree.  Stir in brown sugar, butter, vanilla, pecans, cinnamon and salt.  Pour into a buttered baking dish.  Top with marshamallows.  Bake at 350°F or 180°C for 25 minutes or until the marshmallows are browned. This dish is a dessert and not really a side dish, so plan accordingly. You can also reduce the amo

 When I lived in France, one thing many people made for me, was beignets. So, beignets are really nostalgic for me. This is fried bread dough kind of like doughnut holes. Drop Beignets: 4 1/2 cups (550g) flour 2 1/2 cups (550mL) water 1 tbsp dry yeast 1 tsp salt 2/3 cup (130g) sugar oil for frying Stir together water, yeast and sugar.  Slowly add to flour and salt. Stir to combine. Dough will be quite sticky.  Allow to rise about an hour.  Using hands, pinch off a bit of dough and drop into hot oil, turning once to brown both sides. These beignets are not too sweet, but has a soft, crispy texture.  My daughter described them as light and fluffy. They do get a heavier feel after they have cooled, but maintain the lightly sweet, bready flavor. Watch me make these easy treats on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/ZHuZ7plwVbo Schaut zu wie ich diese leichte Treats auf meinem YouTube Kanal mache hier: https://youtu.be/CsgLl9il-KQ

 Obviously, there are no girl scouts in Germany, being an American organization, and as such there are no girl scout cookies. But, for those who miss them, here's a copycat recipe. Thin Mint Copycat: 1 1/4 cups (155g) flour 1/2 cup (50g) baking cocoa Dash salt 1/2 cup (125g) butter 1 cup (200g) sugar 1 egg 1/2 tsp mint extract 4 oz. (100g) dark chocolate 1/4 cup (65g) butter Cream 1/2 cup (125g) butter with sugar, egg, salt and mint extract.  Sift in flour and cocoa until mixture forms a thick dough.  Roll out the dough on a sheet of baking paper, using flour to keep it from sticking.  Cut out shapes, remove excess dough and place on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F or 180°C for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.  In a small bowl, melt dark chocolate and 1/4 cup or 65g of butter together.  Spread onto cookies using the back of a spoon, or pipe on for a neater look.  Allow the chocolate to set completely. Not having a box of purchased thin mints to compare them to, I can