5 baking recipes for the Christmas season
When temperatures drop outside and the light fades earlier, the coziest time of the year moves in: Christmas baking. These five recipes not only bring delicious classics to the table, but also a few more unusual ideas. For example, our bread roll recipe, which is not only simple and always turns out perfectly, but is also a real treat for the Christmas holidays when most bakeries are closed. Have fun trying them out!
1. Walnut and pear cake with buckwheat flour
Ingredients
For a loaf pan measuring 25 – 27 x 11 cm
Poached pears
3-4 pears, depending on size; I would prepare 4.
1 vanilla bean
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon sugar (mix beforehand)
Dough
100g soft butter
120 g sugar
3 organic eggs, at room temperature
100 g walnuts, coarsely grated
100 g buckwheat flour
1/2 packet of baking powder
1 pear, peeled and coarsely grated
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons of sugar
additionally
6-8 beautiful walnuts
Icing sugar (if needed)
Light sugar beet syrup
40 g butter
To serve, if required: 1/2 liter whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Preparation
Poached pear
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and bring both to a boil in a saucepan along with the sugar and 200 ml of water. Add the peeled pears and simmer gently over low heat for about 25 minutes, turning the fruit several times and adding a little more water if necessary. Allow to cool completely and then sprinkle with the spices.
Dough
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C top/bottom heat.
Cream the softened butter with half the sugar until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs and gradually beat the yolks into the butter mixture. - Roughly chop the walnuts in a food processor by briefly switching it on and off repeatedly – they should still have some bite. Then briefly fold them into the butter and egg mixture.
- Mix the flour and baking powder and stir in only until just combined. Then add the grated apple or pear and mix briefly.
- Beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the batter using a rubber spatula. Pour the mixture into a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Arrange the poached pears closely together in the batter and press them in lightly.
- Bake the cake for 30–40 minutes. Since every oven is different, check the cake with a toothpick every 5 minutes starting around 30 minutes. If the pears fall over in the still-soft batter, carefully right them after a few minutes in the oven until they stand upright.
Complete - While the cake is baking, prepare the caramelized walnuts:
- Roast walnuts in a pan without oil.
- Heat the beet syrup in a small saucepan, briefly simmer the nuts in it, then stir in the butter. Quickly spread the nuts onto baking paper and reserve the remaining caramel.
- Place the nuts in the oven with the cake for about 10 minutes, then remove them and let them cool.
- Remove the baked cake from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack. Fill the indentations around the pears with the warm caramel – whatever runs into them will add extra flavor.
- Finally, spread the caramelized nuts on the cake and lightly dust the edges with powdered sugar.
A simple yet impressive cake – perfect when you want something special!
2. Cinnamon Roll Wreath
Ingredients
Ingredients for one large or two small braids
Dough
800g white flour 405
120g sugar
1 heaped teaspoon of salt
4 eggs (+ 1 egg for brushing)
1 yeast
1 Citroback
220ml milk
180g margarine
Prepare all ingredients the night before so that they are at the same temperature.
cinnamon filling
130 g butter (soft)
100 g sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
Coat
30 g butter (liquid)
Preparation
- Heat the milk and margarine in a pot – until lukewarm.
- Dissolve the yeast in a little water, ensuring the cube remains intact.
- Make two wells in the flour – in one the milk-margarine mixture and the yeast, in the other the eggs, citric acid, sugar and salt.
- Now mix all the ingredients together and beat the dough firmly by hand until a homogeneous mass is formed.
- Then cover with foil and let rise in the oven at 50°C for about 45 minutes.
- Grease the baking sheet.
- Remove the dough from the oven and then change the oven to 180°C CO/U.
- Take about 1 tablespoon of butter and grease a square (37 x 27 cm) or round (28 cm) enamel baking dish or cake tin with it. Roll out the yeast dough on a floured work surface into a large rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle it over the butter. Roll the dough up into an even roll.
- Cut the roll into even spirals. Use a piece of string for this; the string cut ensures that the dough roll is not crushed, allowing you to form perfectly round spirals.
- Place the snails in the baking tin and brush them with the melted butter.
- Let the cinnamon rolls rest, covered, for about 30-60 minutes so they can rise.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for about 30-35 minutes, until they are golden brown.
The snails turn out airy and delicious and are a real alternative to Christmas cookies, as they are not too sweet!
3. Walnut macaroons
Ingredients
Yields approximately 50 pieces
200g walnut halves, quartered Alternatively, you can use other types of nuts or coarsely chopped whole almonds.
50 g icing sugar
a pinch of salt
2 egg whites Size M or L
1 bottle of butter-vanilla baking flavoring (=2 ml) optional
Baking wafers
Set aside walnut halves for decoration.
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 125°C using convection.
- Then you crush the 200g of walnut halves by smashing them in a bag with a solid object.
- Then, using the beaters of a hand mixer, beat 2 egg whites (ideally chilled) and a pinch of salt until very stiff.
Now, add 50g of icing sugar and then the entire bottle of butter-vanilla baking flavoring (to taste) all at once and mix it into the egg white with a hand mixer until it is glossy – about 1 minute.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please make sure that the flavoring is added to the stiff egg whites after the powdered sugar.
You can easily recognize it when it starts to shine and you can form peaks from it. Its consistency is like meringue.
- Then you fold in your walnut pieces (or the alternative).
- Using two small teaspoons, form mounds of the mixture in any size you like and place them on the baking wafer. It's best to place the baking wafers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper beforehand, leaving about 1-2 cm between them.
- You can decorate the macarons with a walnut half.
- Then bake the macarons in a preheated oven for approximately 40-45 minutes at 125°C using convection.
TIP: The best way to store the walnut macaroons is in a Christmas tin/glass jar. They will keep for at least 14 days in it.
4. Lebkuchen (gingerbread)
Ingredients
100 g Oranginat
100 g citron
100 g sultanas
10 g ammonium carbonate
15 g gingerbread spice
10 eggs
380 g of brown sugar
70 g flour
800 g ground hazelnuts
optional dark chocolate coating
1. Prepare dried fruit
- Place the oregano, candied lemon peel and sultanas into the food processor.
- Chop until you have an almost puree-like, very fine mass. Set aside.
2. Prepare the egg mixture
- Place the eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl.
- Beat with a hand mixer or food processor for 5-7 minutes until very frothy and the mixture becomes noticeably lighter in color.
3. Incorporate spices and leavening agents
- Ammonium carbonate in 1–2 tablespoons of water dissolve (important so that it is well distributed).
- Stir the gingerbread spice into the egg and sugar mixture.
4. Add the dried fruit mix.
- Thoroughly stir in the chopped oregano-candied lemon peel-sultana mixture.
5. Incorporate flour and nuts
- Briefly fold in the flour.
- Add hazelnuts and mix everything into a smooth dough.
- The dough becomes tough and sticky – that's correct.
6. Let it rest
- The dough at least 1 hour, better leave to rest overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.
- This improves the taste and texture.
7. Bake
- Oven on 170 °C top/bottom heat preheat.
- Form small mounds using two spoons or slightly moistened hands and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Depending on the size 12-18 minutes Bake until the gingerbread is lightly browned but still appears moist.
8. Cool and decorate (optional)
- Allow the gingerbread to cool completely.
- Optional: coat with chocolate.
They taste just like Grandma's gingerbread!
5. Breakfast rolls
Ingredients
Let the dough rise overnight + 30 minutes before baking
Baking time: 20 min.
INGREDIENTS FOR 9 PIECES:
300g cold water (approx. 18°C)
1 g of fresh yeast
500 g spelled flour
10 g salt
20g olive oil
Preparation
1. Prepare the pre-dough
Pour some water into a mixing bowl and thoroughly stir in the yeast with a whisk until it has completely dissolved. Then add all the remaining ingredients and mix by hand until the flour is fully incorporated and no dry spots or lumps remain.
2. Let the dough rest
Cover the bowl with foil and let the dough rest at room temperature for 8–10 hours – ideally overnight.
3. Portion the dough
The next morning, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Using a scale, divide it into nine pieces of approximately 90 g each.
4. Shape the rolls
Gently fold the dough balls upwards from the bottom until they form round balls. On a floured work surface, roll them gently back and forth without pressing. Then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving enough space between them. Cover again with foil or a cloth and let rise for about 30 minutes. The rolls will spread out a little – this is perfectly normal.
5. Prepare the oven
Preheat the oven to 250 °C top/bottom heat.
6. Moisten the rolls with water and cut them open.
After the dough has risen, cut into the dough pieces and lightly moisten them with water using a spray bottle.
7. Bake
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack. Be sure to pour a shot glass of water into the oven. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes, until they are a rich golden brown. After about 10 minutes, briefly open the oven door to allow the excess steam to escape.
Tip: They taste best fresh and warm from the oven! They're really crispy and fluffy!
And here's a link to our section "Kitchen Whispers" with even more delicious recipes.
Photos: unsplash / Gaelle Marcel, Monika Assem, Pexels / Marta Dzedyshko, Judith Hehl
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