Chirstmas foods from around the world - Germany

Pfeffernusse. An expensive audio system? The name of Volkswagons new mini van? A European vacation destination? No, it's the name of the German Christmas cookie we baked today. And as if that wasn't exciting enough, we also made a tradional German Christmas drink called Gluhwein. It would be made with wine, but since minors don't drink in America, we used grape juice.

Pfeffernusse - Germany

2 C. brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp hot water

1 C chopped nut - ground very fine

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

3 C. flour

1 C. powdered sugar for rolling cookies in

Beat the eggs well and mix with the sugar. Dissolve the soda in hot water and add. Sift together the spices, flour and nuts. It need to make a dough that can be rolled. If it is too wet add more flour, to dry add a bit more water. Roll out the dough about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into tiny rounds about as large as a quarter. Bake at 400 degrees about 10 minutes. Do not over bake or they are very hard. Take out and roll in powdered sugar at once.

Beating the eggs until they were fluffy. The dough rolls out really easy.

Rolling the powdered sugar.

Gluhwein (non alcholic) - Germany



1 orange
1 1/2 tsp. whole cloves
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 quart unsweetened pure grape juice
1/4 C. honey
2 cinnamon sticks


Cut the orange in half and put the cloves into the skin of one half. Pour the grape juice into a pan. DO NOT use an unlined metal pan or a metal spoon or it will ruin the taste. Use a nonstick pan. Add the orange with cloves, lemon juice, honey and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Slice the other half of the orange into thin slices and serve in the mugs.

Boiling in the pan. Our only nonstick pan was a fry pan but it worked fine.