The Christmas Cookie Chronicles
I must confess that I don’t really care much for biscuits and cookies. They just don’t give as much satisfaction as a slice of cake does. But when Christmas comes along, one can’t help but crave for those crumbly bites laced with exquisite vanilla, warming spices or rich, dark chocolate. Shaped in bells, stars and snowflakes, they are usually topped with colourful icing or dusted with vanilla-scented sugar. Those tiny drops of dough would disappear as soon as they are baked.
The baking of these goodies usually begins on the first weekend of Advent. Families in Germany, young and old, would gather in their kitchen to create these seasonal sweets. Imagine dough all over the countertops and trays of golden brown cookies coming out of the oven, it’s as though every house has transformed into a bakery.
If you dive into the catalogue of German Christmas cookies, you’ll be spoiled for choice. From the intricate anise-flavoured Springerle to the marzipan pastry called Bethmännchen, the biggest problem is probably deciding on which to actually bake. They all just sound so inviting and delicious. I’ve narrowed down to the classic Vanillekipferl, unassuming Pfeffernüsse and beautiful Zimtsterne, gingery chocolate-coated Lebkuchen and jewel-like Linzer cookies.
Another confession: I’ve never baked Christmas cookies in my life. It was eye-opening to learn new techniques and experiment with flavours such as mace, aniseed and allspice. It was exciting and illuminating to delve into the history of regional specialities and discover a culture that is so different from mine. Also, who knew the spotless white ‘icing’ on the Zimtsterne was actually meringue? And what on earth is baker’s ammonia?
I followed most of the recipes from Classic German Baking by Luisa Weiss and Michelle Polzine’s Baking at the 20th Century Café for the Linzer cookies. These two books were my guardians, making sure that every cookie came out as perfect as they can be.
And as a Christmas cookie virgin, here are some personal notes I’ve gathered:
Christmas baking actually starts in October and depending on how many types of cookies you are making, it will take a few days.
Having just one cooling wire rack and baking sheet is operational hell.
Make sure you have more than enough flour, sugar and butter in your pantry.
When baking Zimtsterne, place the baking sheet at the bottom of the oven or they might brown quickly.
The food processor is your best friend.
You’ll be peeling and grinding almonds 90% of the time.
If things can go wrong, it will go wrong. It’s alright though, there will always be someone thrilled to gobble them down anyway.
In der Weihnachtsbäckerei is a great song to bake to.
Although I might not be the biggest fan of cookies and Christmas is eleven months away, I’m actually looking forward to another bash out tray after tray of those goodies. After all, I’ve technically got some experience now and I’m sure I should be able to face any baking problems head-on.
The only dilemma left: which cookies to bake?