Golden Days in Heidelberg

After 34 years, I still have clear and vivid memories of my café life in Heidelberg, Germany. As the song in Romberg's The Student Prince goes, "Golden days, in the sunshine of my happy youth. Golden days, filled with gaiety and full of truth..."

I was there for the summer, playing bass in the inaugural Schloß-Spiele Heidelberg, a festival of opera and classical music staged in the ancient castle that loomed on the hill above the historic city and Neckar River.

Me, in 18th-century costume. photo credit: The Stars and Stripes, August 1980
I credit my college for the good fortune of this summer job. Someone at the Eastman School of Music negotiated a deal so the festival orchestra was comprised of Eastman students. There were 42 of us there that first summer, and I think I can say we all had a phenomenal time.

For many, it was the first time abroad; it was an incomparable adventure. Whenever possible, each of us took advantage of the opportunity to travel further.

Even then, my extracurricular travels were all about food. Paris, of course, for my 22nd birthday to visit Poilâne's renowned bread ovens. An overnight train to Vienna for just a few hours so I could have a pastry (okay, several pastries) at the world-famous café, Demel. And Strasbourg for a traditional choucroute garnie at Ami Fritz, a restaurant I remembered from my visit there as a 14-year old.

When I stayed put in Heidelberg, though, I could be found gabbing with students from Heidelberg University, or other international travelers, at one of five cafés near the center of the Altstadt: Café Knösel, Café Markt 7, Café Villa, Café Schafhautle, or - my favorite - Konditerei Scheu.

Of the five, only Café Markt 7 seems to have closed. Each of these cafés offered something special for me. At Café Markt 7, it was the Linzertorte. At Café Villa, it was their ice cream - apple cinnamon was my favorite. I was fond of Café Knösel’s marzipan rolled in cocoa powder, and it was at Café Schafheutle that I had my first of many Mozartkugeln (Mozart candies).

But Konditerei Scheu was extra special to me. It was there, standing in front of the glass case of pastries, that I realized I wanted to learn to speak German, because I needed a piece of cake. And, if I wanted to order that slice of cake, I had better learn how to do it politely, and in the native tongue. Pointing and speaking louder would not be my method.

Honestly, it was for that specific slice of cake that I learned to order in German. It was a Stachelbeerkuchen - a gooseberry cake - which combined the irrepressibly tart gooseberries with an almond-flavored topping. It was pure heaven. I couldn't get enough of it.

Yes, 34 years later, I am still thinking about it.

When I was last in IKEA, I found jars of gooseberry jam for sale. As actual gooseberries are difficult to find for sale here in the United States *, I thought, "I'll just make a tart using jam."

And that is what I did. No, it is nothing like the cake I had in Heidelberg. But it is really good and has a similar flavor combination.

We plan to go to Heidelberg next summer, and I plan to find that gooseberry cake and a recipe while I am there.

Me, without costume, on top of the Zugspitze, August 1980
For now, this tart will do just fine.

~ David

Stachelbeeretorte mit Mandel-streusel

 1 cup flour (125 grams)
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 egg yolk (from 1 large egg)
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup gooseberry jam
1/2 cup flour
3 1/2 ounces almond paste
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

 Start by making the tart pastry. Place the cup of flour, sugar and pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a couple of times to blend. Add the 6 tablespoons butter in 12 pieces. Pulse 10 times to make coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and cold water and pulse 5 times, then process until it forms a ball. The dough will be very soft.

 Press dough into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; it is easiest to do this by taking chunks of dough and doing a section at a time. Chill pastry in tart pan for 15 minutes.

 Preheat oven to 350°F.

Without cleaning the food processor, add the almond paste, crumbled, and the 1/2 cup flour. Pulse 5-10 times until you have coarse crumbs. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in 8 pieces. Pulse 5 times and look to see if the crumbs are about the size of large peas. Set aside.

 Take pastry from the fridge and spread the gooseberry jam evenly on the bottom. Top with crumbs. Bake for 35 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

 Note: if you cannot find gooseberry jam, or do not like it, this tart would also work well with peach, apricot, raspberry, cherry, and blueberry jams.

* Gooseberry plants are host to a tree virus called the White Pine Blister. It is illegal to grow gooseberries (or currants) in many of the United States because of this disease.

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