I EAT baked goods not MAKE them. Everybody knows this. And I stick to my principles.
But my resolve buckled on Saturday, when my friend Lorena asked if I wanted to come over to make Vanillekipferl with her. Those are one of the many kinds of traditional German Christmas biscuits referred to as Plätzchen, and it is every German female’s patriotic duty to churn out 100 trays of them between December 1st and Christmas Eve. If you fail to do this, and, God forbid, you are a mother, your children will be taken away from you.
Anyway, back to the story. I’ve never made Plätzchen in my life, except, of course, with my mother when I was little, and the irony of being roped into this quintessentially Teutonic seasonal pursuit by a Spanish friend wasn’t lost on me.
Now, just to show you what the finished article is meant to look like:
And this is how our long-laboured-over creations emerged from the oven:
Never mind aesthetics, on the taste front, they were a 10 out of 10 🙂
First Linda, then you? Are you trying to put Martha Stuart out of business? 🙂
They do look EXTREMELY appetizing, by the way.
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Aw, what a lovely blog buddy you are 🙂
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Isn’t she? They definitely looked better with the sugar on top 😉 But I guess the taste is the important thing – we can’t all be domestic goddesses first time round (except for me) 😉
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You nailed it, single handedly! I was merely an assistant…
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Maybe that was the problem! Don’t get a Spaniard to do a German woman’s work! 🙂
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I was going to say… I bet they still taste delish.
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They do 🙂
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Well I didn’t know until now that you didn’t bake.
I wonder if your friend will invite you back next year to try again?
I think she should. Maybe a tad less butter (just guessing cause I don’t bake either!)
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Less butter…. what sacrilege! Now go wash your fingertips and keyboard in carbolic acid, will you!
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I just thought….oh never mind! 😉
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That’s OK. I’ve just eaten a bar of chocolate to counteract the shock of your suggestion. You will find me suitably mellowed. For about 20 minutes 😉
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They still look tasty and thats what counts. You know what they say never judge a book by its cover 🙂
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Well, part of their job is to be decorative 😉 Personally, I don’t care all that much about that. Coz I’m too greedy.
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Food is not to be looked at – it is to be EATEN. So, no matter what your Vanillikipferl look like – all is ok if they taste like meant to. Mrs Z this year made them in S shape – just for fun – and they are tasting like heaven!
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Ha, I love the concept of a rebel kipferl baker!
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Mmm. I would definitely try those, smooshed slugs or not!
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Luckily, the texture is crunchy/crumbly and not slug-like at all 🙂
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I am so hungry right now!
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There’s one left. And it’s a bit burnt.
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Haha, doesn’t matter what it looks like really, does it? Also less butter = nicer shape? I’d have to think about that!
I’m not a baker either, but I made a Gritibänz on Friday that turned out despite the crap they sell for yeast here. Did you eat these as a kid?
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I had to look that up! I’ve scoffed quite a few “Lebkuchenmanderl” in my lifetime, but I think they are different, as they aren’t made with Hefeteig.
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It’s more like bread made out of Zopfteig. We traditionally eat it on Dec 6
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Ah yes, Zopf! It’s more of an Easter thing for us (though there is the Osterlamm as well, which is sponge cake). So complicated, this cake/Teig business!
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Osterlamm is a cake? The things you learn…
We often had lamb for Easter. lol
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Yes, there’s a cake version OF COURSE!!! I don’t think I’d ever eaten lamb before moving to the UK. Love it!
BTW, yours was my 7,000th comment 🙂
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Wheee! I feel special. Congrats!!
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You ARE special 😉
Exams all done now???
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Haha, if you say so.
Yup, all done. Now the big wait begins, won’t know anything until Feb.
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FEB????? That’s flippin’ ages!
You’ll have passed with flying colours, of course, so here’s a preemptive CONGRATS 🙂
Well, that’s all out of the way now, so you can focus on your Portuguese again.
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Haha thanks. I have a good feeling, but let’s wait and see. I’m kinda, sorta thinking of taking the CELTA course, but for now I’ll focus on Portuguese.
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The CELTA would also interest me…. been thinking about this for a while, and eventually, it’ll have to happen!
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Yeah, I think so too. It’s kinda pricey though, so hard to justify without a plan to use it
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That’s why I’m reticent, I think… I’d need to have a plan first to make good use of my investment. Keep me posted about your exploits in this direction.
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A Lady of the Cakes who doesn’t bake?? Guess work from the pastry chef in residence here (who just cannot restrain herself):
1. they were not cold enough when they went in or
2. the oven was not high enough and the dough wasn’t schocked into holding its shape but slowly “sat down”.
Will bake a batch and Fed Ed them over!
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Shocking them into shape – I quite like that concept 😉
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Taste trumps appearances every time!
There was a time when I baked and even prepared Xmas treats as gifts?! And now? Haven’t even had an oven in a decade!
So most amused to enjoy a little baking experimentation vicariously!
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They look amazing! Home baked Christmas goodies are just the best…although I am feeling slightly queazy at the sight of all that butter but I guess if the mixture made a shedload of biccies, each one would only contain a tiny bit of butter. Oh, who cares anyway – it’s Christmas!
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That’s right, Barb, it’s just a teensy weensy bit of butter… can’t do any harm, can it? Unless you’re like me and you eat them by the tray.
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What a fun post and comments! Learned a few tricks and more than a few words for German delicacies! I’m off to shock a few kipferl into submission in my own test kitchen…
Wish me luck!
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Oooooooh! Can’t wait to see the pics 🙂
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A friend of mine tried to make Vanillekipferl once… except he didn’t realise he was supposed to make SMALL crescents so he made this giant things. And he’s German… how could he not know what a Vanillkipferl is supposed to look like?!
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I didn’t realise either that they would expand as much as they did 😉
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His were already huge before they went in the oven though…
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That’s boys for ya 😉
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