Hey Dave,
Those Deutsche Pankuchen sound GREAT! I may have to buy some sparkly water
and give those a try today...thanks!
And, in the interest of sharing, here's a quick and dirty way to make gravy:
Parts list:
Butter
2-4 Tbs of white flour
Soy Sauce (2-3 drops)
Sugar (pinch)
1 cup of the broth of your choice (turkey, chicken or beef)
Milk (or Half & Half, if company's expected)
Coarse black pepper
Procedure:
In a heavy saucepan, over medium heat, melt a few tablespoons of butter.
Slowly add enough flour to make a stirrable paste.
Add the pinch of sugar, and the drops of soy sauce.
Stir and cook until slightly golden, then stir in the broth, and bring to a
boil.
The flour will swell up, and the gravy will thicken.
Thin as desired with milk, add pepper, salt if needed
Hints:
Instead of canned broth, I buy chicken and beef paste from a restaurant supply
(Smart & Final) in a jar. I use a fat tablespoon in a quarter to half a cup
of water (very rich), and use more milk for my liquid. Bullion cubes will
work just fine, too.
The trick is to get the flour/liquid ratio right. It's a lot easier to thin a
too-thick gravy, than thicken a too-thin one, but it can be done by adding a
thin flour/milk paste. If you mix the flour with the milk, and let it sit for
a while, the lumps seem to go away faster, especially if you use a little
whip. Pour some of the paste right into the thin gravy, and let it boil while
you stir it for a minute, to see if you need to add more thickener. In time,
you'll get a sense of the proper ratio, and won't have to fool with adding
thickener or thinner.
Cornstarch can be used instead of flour for a final thickener.
Old coffee can be used for the bullion liquid, instead of water (really!)
The milk can be eliminated entirely, if you prefer a clear sauce, rather than
a cream sauce, just use more broth instead.
And there you have it...quick and dirty homemade gravy for next to nothing.
Mark