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As Europe's largest economy and
most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's
economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles
immersed the country in two devastating World Wars in the first half
of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious
Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945.
With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in
1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern
German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself
in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC, which
became the EU, and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front
line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the
end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since
then Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity
and wages up to western standards. In January 2002, Germany and 11
other EU countries introduced a common European currency, the euro.
Germany is slightly smaller than Montana. The climate is temperate
and cool with cloudy, wet winters and summers.
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| Spaetzle - Starter
Ingredients:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c flour, sifted
1/2 c milk
1 ts salt
1/4 ts baking powder
Directions
Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, reduce the heat,
andmaintain a simmer. In a bowl, stir all the ingredients
together.
Place a colander over the pan, pour about 1/4 of the batter
into the colander, and press through the holes with a plastic
spatula into the hot water.
When the spaetzle starts to float to float to the surface,
cover the pan and keep covered until the spaetzle appears
to swell and is fluffy.
Remove the dumplings and repeat the procedure with the remaining
batter.
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Black Forest
Cake - Dessert
Ingredients:
6 eggs, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Beat eggs in mixing bowl until frothy.
Gradually add sugar beating until light colored and thick. Sift
flour and cocoa over batter 1/2 at a time. Gently fold in after
each addition.Fold butter and vanilla in gradually. Divide batter
among 3 greased round 8 inch pans. Bake in oven for about 20 to
30 minutes until and inserted wooden pick comes out clean. Let stand
for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn onto racks to cool.
Ingredients:
2 14-oz cans cherries, drained, reserve juice and a few whole cherries
1/4 cup Kirsch liqueur or sherry
reserved cherry juice
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup prepared coffee
1 semisweet baking chocolate square
Directions
After draining cherries remove the whole cherries for garnish and
cut the rest in half, removing stones. Reserve 15 to 20 halves to
press into icing rims. Sprinkle kirsch over cake layers. Use more
if you like. Put cherry juice, cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice
into small saucepan. Whisk together over medium heat until it boils
and thickens. Cool. Stir in cherry halves. Beat cream in mixing
bowl until fairly thick. Add cocoa, sugar and vanilla. Beat until
stiff.
Mix all ingredients together well adding small amounts of icing
sugar or coffee as needed to make proper consistency for piping.
Now pipe a rim of icing around outside edge of 1 cake layer on serving
plate.
Spoon 1/2 thickened cherries in center. Press a few cherry halves
down slightly in icing rim. Spoon about 1/3 whipped cream over top.
Repeat with second layer. Spread remaining icing on third layer
and place on top. Cover with remaining 1/3 whipped cream. Garnish
with whole cherries arranged in a circle. Warm chocolate square
slightly. Using vegetable peeler, peel chocolate forming curls.
Put these in center of cherries.
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