Christmas in Germany: Stollen, Nikolaustag and Gingerbread cakes

German Christmas Traditions

Christmas is called Weihnachten in Germany and officially begins on the first Sunday of Advent. Stollen and spicy biscuits to decorate the tree are often backed at this time. Christmas markets pop up in towns throughout Germany and region has its own speciality. The most famous and largest Christmas market is the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt, which is known for its gold foil angels and locally produced gingerbread cakes. At least 375 years old, it is also one of the oldest Weihnachtsmärkte in Germany.

The market at Aachen is known for its gingerbread men. The regions around the Erzgebirge mountain range are famous for their handmade wooden crafts. Augsburg has a life-sized Advent calendar and starts the season with the "Angel Play." At the Frankfurt Christmas Market, visitors will find Quetschenmännchen (little prune men) and Brenten (almond cookies).

The night before December 6^th which is Nikolaustag, (St. Nicholas Day); children leave their shoes or boots outside the front door.

That night, St. Nikolaus, visits and fills them with chocolates, oranges and nuts if the children have been been good. Nikolaus’ sidekick, his servant Knecht Ruprecht, will leave bundles of twigs in the shoes for the children who have been naughty and have had their names written in his ‘black book’.

STOLLEN

This traditional German Christmas fruit bread may seem to have a lot of ingredients but it does make a large bread, which will be enough for around 15 helpings. Offer it to guests as an alternative to mince pies.

WHAT YOU NEED

1kg plain flour

1 teaspoon lukewarm milk

Half teaspoon caster sugar

80g fresh yeast or 25g dried active baking yeast

200g caster sugar

350ml lukewarm milk

200g sultanas

250g blanched almonds, coarsely chopped

200g cut mixed peel

1/2 tablespoon salt

250g butter

2 egg yolks

Plus, to decorate

2 tablespoons melted butter

Icing sugar for dusting

What to do:

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Extra time: 2 hours, proofing

1. Crumble yeast over the flour in a bowl. Sprinkle with caster sugar and pour milk over. Cover and prove in a warm place for 1 hour.

2. Heat together remaining milk and butter in a pan over low heat.

3. Mix all the remaining ingredients together, except the sultanas. Work into the risen dough. Finally, add the sultanas.

4. Cover bowl and prove in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.

5. Remove dough and shape into an rectangular loaf tin. Transfer to a baking parchment lined baking tray. Bake in a preheated 180 C / Gas 4 oven for 30-35 minutes.

7. Immediately after baking, brush Stollen with melted butter and dust liberally with icing sugar.