These are the two ways we make them at home. Depending on who's making
them and why.
This is how The Amazing Kid started doing them. Then I bought a spaetzle
maker. She still does it this way when she's at other people's homes.
This dough is denser than the one below.
Spaetzle from a plate
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 to 3/4 cup water
Put at least two quarts of water with a tablespoon of salt on to boil.
Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add egg; mix. Add water
gradually until batter is stiff but smooth. Press dough flat on a plate
or floured board. With a sharp knife, scrape small pieces of dough off
(the size of an olive pit) and drop into boiling salted water. There
should be only one layer at a time of spaetzle cooking. Boil gently for
5 to 8 minutes. Scoop up with perforated spoon and drain. Serve as a
side dish with meat with gravy or sauté the finished spaetzle in butter
until golden and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
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Now that we have a spaetzle maker, this is the way we do it most often.
Slightly different texture, more fluffy.
Spaetzle from a colander or spaetzle maker
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c flour, sifted
1/2 c milk
1 ts salt
1/4 ts baking powder
Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, reduce the heat, and
maintain a simmer. Stir all the ingredients together. Place a colander
or spaetzle maker over the pan, pour about 1/4 of the batter into the
it, and press through the holes with a plastic spatula into the hot
water or push the slide back and forth of the spaetzle maker. Cook and
finish as above.
Pastorio