Make the decadent German desserts of your dreams with this incredible collection from Audrey Leonard, the baker and photographer behind the popular Red Currant Bakery blog.

An homage to Audrey’s German heritage and her oma’s baking, every delectable recipe in this book adds a modern flair to beloved, traditional German flavours.

From cherished classic cakes and streusels to delightful sweet breads and festive holiday cookies, each recipe is sure to leave you with a new appreciation for the sweeter things in life.

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Poppy Seed Snails | Mohnschnecken

Named “snails” because of their shape, these poppyseed pastries are hard to beat with the subtle, nutty flavour of poppyseeds—and a touch of lemon, because what are poppyseeds without lemon, especially when they’re all wrapped up in flaky, buttery pastry dough? These make the perfect addition to any weekend brunch.

If you’re new to the actual flavor of poppyseed and not just a few mixed into a lemon poppyseed muffin, these are another great recipe to get to know what poppyseeds really taste like. They’re a little nutty and earthy in flavor and add so much depth to any sweet! If you can, I recommend buying poppyseeds in bulk rather than in spice containers, as it tends to be much more cost-effective. 

 

Servings: 11 to 12

Active Time: 45 minutes 

Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes 

1 batch of Laminated Dough

150 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) poppyseeds

75 g (1⁄3 cup+ 2 tsp) granulated sugar

150 ml (½ cup + 2 tbsp) milk 

1 lemon, zested 

45 g (3 tbsp) butter 

200 g (1-2⁄3 cups) powdered sugar 

45 ml (3 tbsp) lemon juice, more as needed 

During the second to last chilling of the laminated dough, prepare the poppyseed filling. In a medium-sized sauce pot, add in the poppy- seeds, sugar and milk. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for 10 minutes, until the mixture has thickened and most of the milk has evaporated. Cooking the poppyseeds first enhances the flavour; if you prefer, you can also grind the poppyseeds in a spice grinder before cooking them.

Once cooked, remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and butter until melted. Transfer to a shallow dish and set it aside to cool to room temperature. This should take 30 minutes if stirred occasionally.

Once the laminated dough has chilled fully for the last time, it is time to assemble. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough out to 12 x 24 inches (30 x 60 cm). Spread the poppyseed filling over the dough leaving a 3⁄4-inch (2-cm) border on one short side.

Roll the dough up from the short side with no border to the opposite side with the 3⁄4-inch (2-cm) border. With the roll seam side down, mark the roll every inch (2.5 cm). Use a thin, sharp knife to cut the roll into 11 to 12 slices. Place six slices on each lined baking sheet, laying the end slices with the pretty cut side facing up. Tuck about 3⁄4 inch (2 cm) of the end from each roll underneath the roll. Drape a piece of plastic wrap over each baking sheet. Leave them to proof until they are puffy and a little jiggly, about an hour or two. Preheat the oven in the meantime.

Arrange two racks in the oven so they split the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Once proofed, bake the pastries for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, swap and rotate the baking sheets 180 degrees. Bake for another 7 to 12 minutes, until they are deep golden brown.

While baking, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to make the glaze.

Once baked, take the pastries out of the oven and place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool. Brush or drizzle with the lemon glaze until they are fully coated. Leave them to cool until they are just warm.

Note

These can be assembled the night before, stored in the refrigerator overnight and baked in the morning. Just be sure to give them enough time outside of the refrigerator to come to room temperature and become puffy. 

Reprinted with permission from Süss by Audrey Leonard. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. Photo credit: Audrey Leonard.