Hobelspäne Im Schmalz Gebacken

This recipe comes from the celebrated 'Augsburgisches Kochbuch', first published in 1788 in Augsburg, Germany, by Sophie Juliane Weiler. It reflects the diverse, opulent baking culture of late 18th-century southern Germany, a region steeped in baroque culinary traditions. Fried pastries such as these 'Hobelspäne' were prestigious treats, often served during festive occasions or at well-laid tea tables, showcasing both wealth and the influences of luxury ingredients like almonds, imported sugar, and exotic rosewater. The book is a testament to the sophistication and cosmopolitan flair of Augsburg's culinary scene in the late Enlightenment, providing a window into both the flavors and the kitchen techniques of a well-to-do household. Ingredients like fine wheat, fragrant rosewater, and almonds would have distinguished such pastries from the more modest fare of the era.

In the late 18th century, cooks would have used a large wooden mortar and pestle to pound the almonds and rosewater together. The dough was likely mixed by hand in an earthenware or wooden bowl. A rolling pin helped to spread out the enriched dough, and a hand-held pastry wheel (Küchlein-Rädlein), often ornately crafted, was used to cut the distinctive strips. Frying took place in a heavy iron or copper pan filled with rendered pork lard, heated over a hearth or wood stove. For dusting, a fine sieve might be employed to scatter the sugar and cinnamon evenly over the finished pastries.