Of the two months I spent in Germany on a 2006 fellowship, some of my most vivid memories revolve around baked goods. Most mornings, I'd wander around the corner from my Berlin apartment to the local bakery, where I'd join the neighbors in line for a fresh seeded roll. And I spent some glorious afternoons observing the German ritual of kaffee und kuchen: coffee and cake.
All of that came rushing back once I stepped into Heidi's Finest German bakery, which recently opened in Ridgewood. Here were the chewy rolls topped with pumpkin seeds and whole-grain "croissants," the crumble cakes and squares of spongecake layered with frothy cream.
The pastries aren't the glistening French fruit tarts you'll find down the street at Sook Pastry Shop or the dense, rich concoctions we so adore in American bakeries. They tend to be very light and not very sweet, and incorporate ingredients such as marzipan, nougat and quark (a fresh cheese). Black Forest cake is made the authentic way: soaked in kirsch (cherry brandy); small soft pretzels are popular with children
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