Hotel Albris stories

200 cakes in two hours

There is a lot of confectionery in an Engadine cake. The right composition of shortcrust pastry bases and butter-Malmond-anilla cream. is crucial

Today is Engadiner Torten-Tag. A monotonous noise can be heard in the background, coming from a large whisk. This resembles a ship's anchor and winds through 40 liters of the finest butter-Mandel-anilla cream.

“This is our planetary mixer”, explains Susann Hool. “The whisk draws circles in it and rotates at the same time on its own axis.“ Engadin cakes are prepared four times a week. The creamy- crispy cake is the house specialty, which the grandfather of Stephanie and Claudio Kochendörfer prefers invented around 90 years. The young head confectioner thinks that the Engadin cake tasted the same back then as it does today. Because the Kochendörfers place great value on tradition and craftsmanship. At the same time, they are open to new ideas and are constantly developing their house. That likes Susann, who is hers can bring in your own ideas.

The 30--year-old pastry chef leads an eight-person team, which also includes three apprentices. She comes from Mammern in Thurgau, she came to the Engadin through her husband. She likes it in the high valley, because she is a winter type, likes the cold rather than the heat and goes likes to snowboard. But she misses her home on Lake Constance a little, especially in spring when the apple trees are in bloom. She has been working at the Hotel Albris for three and a half years, three of them as head confectioner.

The original Engadine cake

Shortcrust pastry bases, refined with hazelnut and baked the day before, lie on the chrome steel table. Now they get their filling. Susann and Fabio elegantly spread the freshly mixed cream onto the round crispy biscuits, while two apprentices put the second layer on top. Another layer of cream and the Florentine lid with almonds and pine nuts and currants complete the Engadiner Torte. At the end they are decorated with icing sugar, the curved K stands as a symbol for the original Engadin cake from Kochendörfer.. Susann. says that the recipe for the Engadiner Torte is not a well-kept secret the quality of the ingredients make the difference. "

Basically, Susann is a trained cook. During her apprenticeship, however, it quickly became clear to her that she wanted to become a confectioner afterwards. During the two-year additional apprenticeship, she met her current husband. After that she worked in various confectionery- and restaurants and came closer and closer to the Engadin. “In the hotel Albris I feel at home. I like the family atmosphere, the varied work, and that I am allowed to train apprentices. "

Apprentice dessert buffet

Susann and her team not only make sweet things like cakes, cream slices and vermicelles, but also salty things like canapés, pretzel rolls and vegetable flans. Susann is only less happy to prepare nut cakes because she suffers from gluten intolerance and should avoid flour dust as much as possible. “That's why I usually do it on Tuesdays free – our nut cake day. "

It is 13.30 o'clock. Filipa and the second Fabio enter the bakery. They are on evening duty and prepare the desserts for the restaurant – also a responsibility of Susann. Every Friday the hotel guests are spoiled with a fine dessert buffet that the apprentices prepare.

And where have the Engadine cakes gone? 200 pieces in several sizes were produced in just two hours. Some rest in the cold room, where they stay fresh for two weeks thanks to the cherry schnapps in the cream. Others are freshly packed in the store or already on the post. Because quite a few are purchased via the online- shop or by phone ordered.