The Herman Journey

So after ten long days and nights, my love affair with Herman the German came to an end on Saturday night. You'll be pleased to know I managed to keep him alive and he was pretty tasty too. (Even my 97 year-old Nan would agree!)

I spent most of the last week worrying that I'd forget about little Herman, but every morning I came down and stirred him like I was told. I even conversed with my bubbling bowl of yeast, as it's said to make him even tastier! His bubbling continued and after feeding him on four he even spilled out of his bowl. That's when I knew he was going to survive!

I decided that when I sent him on his holidays - he likes it hot you know! - I added spiced apple, chopped figs and mixed dried fruit to him, with a sprinkling of ginger and mixed spice. A perfect Autumn cake if you ask me.

Now I need to choose my friends carefully and decide who's going to take good care of my little Herman babies. I best decide quickly though, because they're growing in their pots by the hour.

My Herman 'Spiced Apple and Fig' the German journey in pictures

Day 1 - Herman arrives at my house.

 

Day 2 & 3 - I kept him alive by giving him a stir! 

Day 4 - Time for food little Herman! 

Day 5, 6, 7 and 8 - To be honest I nearly gave up on Herman here, it was a bit boring just stirring. This is when I decided to start talking to the mixture to liven up my time with him! 

Day 9 - Right, now this is where he really grows, the little bloater. I added the same as Day Four and watched him expand - and give birth to three little Hermans.

Day 10 - Time to send Herman on his holidays. Along with the ingredients needed to keep Herman alive I added my own to create a 'Spiced Apple and Fig Herman' 

- 5 Chopped 'Juicy Dried Figs' 

- 2 teaspoons Mixed Spice

- 2 teaspoons Ginger 

- 2 cooking apples (pre softened in a pan)

- 200g dried mixed fruit 

Herman came back from his 35 minute holiday, nicely tanned with a sweet spicy smell. I sprinkled him in a special mix of cinnemon and caster sugar and served to family and friends...

He came out perfect (bar the fruit falling to the bottom, but this was actually really nice base to the cake!) He is event moist and soft two days later. Although, having spent nearly two weeks carefully seeing to my mixture I DID feel a little guilty eating him (I mean, it)

A successful Herman journey if I do say so myself. 

(You can find the instructions for your own Herman on my earlier post)

Meet Herman the German..

...the friendship cake.

So a couple of days ago my Mum passed me a portion of Herman. I remember getting Herman when I was younger and being fascinated by looking after him, so I was excited when I spotted the tea-towel-covered bowl on my Mum's kitchen side.

Herman is a sour dough 'chain cake' which 'lives' in your kitchen for 10 days, before you pass him on to three friends to keep the chain going and bake you're own cake.

Today I am entering into Day 4 as Herman's carer and need to remember to feed him. I couldn't deal with killing off a cake, plus, how could I let my friends miss out on raising their very own Herman?

Herman and his blanket!

Herman bubbling away in my kitchen - he's still alive!

Here are the instructions I received with my little pot of Herman...

Hello, my name is Herman.

I am a sourdough cake. I'm supposed to sit on your worktop for 10 days without a lid on.
You CANNOT put me in the fridge or I will die. If I stop bubbling, I am dead.

Day 1 -You get Herman and put him in a large mixing bowl and cover loosely with a tea towel.

Day 2 -Stir well
Day 3 - Stir well

Day 4 - Herman is hungry. Add 1 cup each of plain flour, sugar and milk. Stir well.
Day 5 - Stir well
Day 6 - Stir well
Day 7 - Stir well
Day 8- Stir well

Day 9 - He's Hungry again. Add the same as day 4 and stir well. Divide into 4 equal portions and give away to friends with a copy of these instructions. Keep the 4th one.

Day 10 -Herman is very hungry. Stir well and add the following:

1 cup sugar
half tsp (teaspoon) salt
2 cups plain flour
2/3 (two thirds) cup of cooking oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cooking apples cut into chunks
1 cup raisins
2 heaped tsp cinnamon
2 heaped tsp baking powder.

Mix everything together and put into a large greased baking tin. 

Sprinkle with a quarter of a cup of brown sugar and a quarter of a cup of melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes at 170-180C. When cold cut into finger pieces. Cake freezes well and is also delicious warm with cream or ice-cream.