There’s only a few days officially left in Oktoberfest. This yearly German festival started back in 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwwig (who later became King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen organized a horse race to celebrate their marriage. But, just because Oktoberfest is almost over doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yummy German recipes such as this one!
For this recipe, you will need milk, granulated sugar, cream of wheat, unsalted butter, almond paste, eggs, honey, cinnamon, poppy seeds, all purpose flour, vanilla extract, and apricot jam or preserves.
To make the dough, place 2 1/4 cups of flour in a bowl and make a hole in the center. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Place 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon of butter around the edges of the hole. Starting in the middle, knead the dough until it begins to get smooth. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring 4 cups of milk, 1 1/3 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon of butter, 7 1/4 ounces of almond paste, two eggs, one tablespoon of honey, and one teaspoon of cinnamon to a boil, stirring constantly.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add one cup and one tablespoon of Cream of Wheat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add 2 1/2 cups of poppy seeds. Mix well and set aside.
Roll out 3/4 of the dough into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Smooth up the edges and prick lightly with a fork. Place in the oven and bake until done, but not brown. Remove the baking dish from the oven and add the poppy seed mixture on top.
Roll out the remaining 1/4 of the dough and cut into strips. Make a lattice on top of the poppy seed mixture. Beat an egg yolk in a small bowl and brush the yolk over the lattice. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes, and then brush the lattice with warmed apricot jam or preserves. Serve warm!