Our Little Bakery

melting the chocolate



Chocolate covered corn flakes!

  It's Christmas Eve so I'm just going to assume that everyone knows I'm referring the limitless supply of Christmas cookies and sweets that overwhelm the month of December. In the U.S.--at least in the Owens' home--the vast majority of baking is done in the two or three days prior to Christmas and the entire bar is always full, and often overflowing, with everything from triple berry pie and lemon bars to chocolate crinkle cookies and fudge. The 6'3" walking stomach ensures we never have to worry about making too much :-)



Sugar cookie dough, chocolate, and almonds!



In Germany, however, the Christmas baking season is conducted in an entirely different manner! It kicks off the first weekend of advent as the cookie cutters come out of hiding and the Christmas tins are hauled into the kitchen. Each week we added two or three new treats to the ever-growing accumulation of Christmas goodies and just today we finished the last batch--something that resembled peanut brittle but with almonds and pistachios :-)



sugar cookies with sprinkles!



In the last few weeks though I've had so much fun making dough, cutting cookies, and slicing little goodies into cute squares and pretty little triangles. Mama and I also experimented with my American Christmas CD as we baked....she's still convinced several songs are straight out of the movie "Enchanted" and way too "Disney" to be Christmas music. Selina, on the other hand, can't stop singing "All I want for Christmas is You" :-) All in all, the time we spent together in the kitchen was full of laughs, jokes, and...calories!



Lemon hearts!



So, as you can imagine, we have quite the stash of yummy little treats hidden away, but in keeping with tradition, once something is finished, it's careful stored away in a Christmas tin and taken to Mama and Papa's room for safe keeping. Then, with afternoon coffee, special occasion dinners, and the arrival of guests, Mama takes a plate into the bedroom, fills it up, and allows everyone only two or three special treats. Of course this results in a furious race to the most coveted types but it also makes the little cookies that much more special :)



A month's worth of Christmas goodies!



I'm sure many people reading this will get to sample a few of my favorite German Christmas treats next Christmas but for now, I'll make sure I sample enough for everyone :)