Northwest Arkansas German-American Club      
 

Willkommen

This webpage address is http://www.quartershopping.com/NWAGC.htm

Gingerbread from Germany
This can make gingerbread boys or girls, fat hearts, or small Hansel-and-Gretel houses.
2 1/2 tablespoons of golden syrup
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
egg yolk
2 cups of plain flour
level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, free of lumps
3 level teaspoons of ground ginger
dash on cinnamon, optional
extra flour for rolling pastry
currants, peel, cherries and a little icing
Stand container of golden syrup in hot water to soften.
Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, then beat the egg yolk.
Beat in the syrup. Slowly add flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and an optional dash of cinnamon.
With floury hands kneed into a dough. Wrap in plactic and place in fridge for 1 hour, making it easier to roll out.
Brush flour on the rolling pin and under the dough. Roll to an even 10 mm (1/3 inch) thick and cut out shapes.
Place on a greased tray about 2 cms (3/4 inch) apart and bake in a moderately slow oven (180 degrees celcius/ 350 degrees farenheit) for about 12 minutes.
Leave for a few minutes and remove with a spatula.
Decorate with icing, pee, cherries etc.

Christmas in Germany

• Christmas preparations often begin on the eve of December 6th. People often set aside special evenings for baking spiced cakes and cookies, and making gifts and decorations. Little dolls of fruit are traditional Christmas toys.
• Children leave letters on their window sills for Christkind, a winged figure dressed in white robes and a golden crown who distributes gifts. Sometimes the letters are decorated with glue and sprinkled with sugar to make them sparkle.
• Germans make beautiful gingerbread houses and cookies. The German Christmas tree pastry, Christbaumgeback, is a white dough that can be moulded into shapes and baked for tree decorations.
• In parts of Germany, people believe that the Christ Child sends a messenger in Christmas Eve. He appears as an angel in a white robe and crown, bearing gifts. The angel is called Christkind There is also a Christmas Eve figure called Weihnachtsmann or Christmas Man He looks like Santa Claus and also brings gifts.
• Some homes in Germany have several Christmas trees, and in all towns across Germany, they can be seen glittering and glowing.