International Holiday Food At Home

Here we are, December of 2020 and the pandemic is still raging with many months still ahead of us before vaccination of the masses occurs. While some opted to cancel plans for Thanksgiving, Christmas is a much more difficult pill to swallow, so if you’re one of us that is attempting to plan for an adapted holiday, read on.

Pre-Pandemic Holiday Plans

In the Autumn of 2019, my husband and I naively hatched a plan to skip Christmas stateside and instead venture off to the land from which it came. Germany, during December, is supposed to be what holiday dreams are made of and we (along with my mother-in-law) were set on capturing some of that magic for ourselves (in the context of how long this past year has been, it feels like we were just “kids” back then).

Alas, as the months went by and winter became spring, COVID19 became a reality and so did the logistical nightmare of attempting international travel. Not yet aware of the duration of the waking nightmare that has been the pandemic, we scaled back our travel aspirations for a much more modest trip to visit family in the southwest, however, that too was nixed as the months drew on and cases continued to rise.

Pandemic Holiday Comfort

One of my motivations for visiting Germany is to reconnect with my German heritage, being just a fourth-generation American, but with no tradition handed down due to German American sentiment at the time at which my family immigrated. I had grand plans to visiting German Christmas Markets and packing my bags with the traditional decor to fill my home for years to come, but that too will have to wait. Instead, I’ve turned my attention to making some traditional European holiday treats and Germany is at the top of my list!

Meet The Christstollen

I’ve seen these loaves of bread during the holidays, identifiable by their powder sugar-coated crusts, but never knew what they were until I started researching iconic German holiday foods. The Christollen comes in an array of flavors and traditionally varies from region to region across Germany. I, however, have set my sights on perfecting the variety that comes from Dresden because it's filled with dried berries, candied citrus peels, and almonds soaked in rum, as well as marzipan and again coated in the iconic powdered sugar.

I failed royally at documenting the process of making my first batch of this tasty treat, but because of the amount of time it took, start to finish, it was 11:30 PM and I was just trying to get to bed. Having failed to take a picture of the finished product before I had packaged up three of my four loaves, having already cut into the one remaining (you know, to check for poison like any self-respecting baker would do), I hope you'll forgive the after the fact nature of the photo I'm using for this post.

P.S. It was delicious.

Lessons Learned

1. It can take longer than stated on the recipe, so allow for more time.

2. The directions in the recipe I followed were confusing concerning incorporating the marzipan, so when in doubt, study the photos!

3. One batch is intended to divide in half, but if you quarter it, you get great mini loaves that are ideal as gifts!

To try the recipe I used (I will use it again) follow this link.

Questions or Comments? Leave me a note!