Cooking with Oma: Hirseauflauf

Let me tell you that it was no easy decision choosing what to write this week, having only one last recipe to share! There are so many more! We did however settle on a winner that is as delightful as it is easy to make. Before I get too far into it, however, I wanted to clarify our use of eggs in the past few recipes. I eat and promote plant based eating. The standard for plant based eating is 80% whole food from plants. As a family we do not consume foods from animals with two exceptions- honey and (on extremely rare occasions) eggs from true free range organically fed, humanely cared for hens. Over the past years while visiting Germany, we have certainly pushed the limits with my mother-in-law’s recipes. Omitting the flours, then all of the dairy products has been a true feat. This time we decided to give her a break and have been flexible when it comes to eggs, especially since she rides her bike to the next village and collects them from the small farmyard herself. So today’s recipe, like the Pfannkuchen, uses eggs. They can always be replaced with flax egg but the texture will change as it does depend on the egg whites.

So let’s get started!

What’s a Hirseauflauf you ask? Well it’s as simple! Hirse is millet in German and auflauf is a baked casserole. They can be sweet, as in this case, or savory. We happen to be a big fans of auflauf at our house and will share a series later in the fall.

Ingredients:
250 gram of millet
1 liter of water
1 cinnamon stick
Vanilla powder, or extract
3 separated eggs
700 grams of apples
150 g of finely chopped hazelnuts (almonds, walnuts or pecans are good substitutes)
150 g of honey or maple syrup
Grated peel from one lemon
(100-200 grams of golden raisins if desired )

Step One:
If you are Oma, this recipe starts with grabbing a ladder and heading down the garden to your 50 year old apple tree full of tart baking apples. If you aren’t Oma, I think it would be perfectly fine to select some delicious organic Braeburn or Granny Smith apples at the store.

Step Two:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put the water on to boil with the cinnamon stick and millet. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until grains are tender, 20-30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. This is best done ahead so the millet can be brought to room temperature before mixing with the eggs.

Step 3:
Cut apples in quarters, remove seeds, and chop finely. They can also be grated with your food processor. Mix with the chopped nuts, honey and lemon peel, and set aside.

Step 4:
Beat egg whites until stiff.

Step 5:
Blend by hand the room temperature millet with egg yolks first and then with apple mixture. Fold egg whites very carefully into the fruit, nut, and egg mix. Transfer into a casserole lightly greased with coconut oil.

Step 6:
Bake for 45 mins. Auflauf should be set and golden brown on top.

Can be served with a traditional vanilla sauce (thin pudding) made with cashew or coconut milk.

And I’m just saying- There was not one bite leftover!