A Season That Shines…with Holiday Traditions

Ask Chef Phyllis:

I want to have a holiday tradition that will make memories like the one I remember most from my grandmother. We only had her German goodies like Lebkuchen and Pfeffernusse at Christmas time, which made them special. But the thing I remember most of all was her gingerbread…it was the best, more like a dessert, moist and dense with lots of spice. This, along with brandied Stollen (that was hidden away for a month), was served on Christmas morning. Any suggestions for an authentic, really good gingerbread recipe like Oma used to make?
—Heidi Schneider from West Newton, Pennsylvania

There’s magic in the air. It’s the season that shines and makes us feel like children again, surrounded by twinkling lights, brightly wrapped packages, and of course, for many of us—the aroma of gingerbread.

Not surprisingly, gingerbread contains the quintessential spices most of us associate with Christmas: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. In medieval times, these same spices were so highly prized and expensive that they were reserved for special occasions like holiday baking.

It’s nice to know these spices have many health boosting properties as well.

Along with gingerbread, I’ve included a recipe for low sugar Spiced Apple Cider that uses the same spices. To make this simple cider even more festive, simmer in an open bright copper kettle. It will fill the room with an enticing aroma as your guests arrive.

I hope you’ll once again celebrate your childhood with Oma’s gingerbread recipe and make new holiday memories. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours!

Old World German Gingerbread 

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons hazelnut or walnut oil (in Germany they used unsalted duck or goose fat)
1 cup organic muscovado, coconut, or Sucanat sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup raw, unfiltered molasses
½ cup buttermilk
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½–¾ teaspoon ground cloves (cloves are a very strong spice, use the lesser amount if not sure)
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup warm honey
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 ounces (½ cup) sliced almonds, for decoration

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 13×9-inch pan.
2. Using a hand mixer, cream butter, hazelnut oil, sugar, eggs, molasses, and buttermilk in a large bowl until fluffy.
3. In another bowl, mix the flours, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt together. In a small saucepan, dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water. Set aside.
4. Alternately add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture a little at a time, using the baking soda water to keep the mixture soft until all the ingredients are completely incorporated. Mix well.
5. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (do not over bake).
6. Mix the warm honey with the lemon juice and spread it over the gingerbread. Decorate with sliced almonds.

Sweet Spiced Apple Cider

Yields ½ gallon of cider. Hostess tip: keep an additional batch of cider on hand, with the fruits and spices waiting in the refrigerator. Have guests serve themselves.

Ingredients
1½ quarts unsweetened apple cider
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
8 slices fresh ginger root, about 1x⅛ inch
6 thin slices lemons or oranges (your choice)
9 cinnamon sticks (reserve 8 for garnish)
6 whole cloves
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
Fresh whole nutmeg for garnish

Special equipment: Gallon-sized open copper kettle, ceramic crock pot, or stainless steel vessel. (Never use an aluminum pot for cooking cider.)

Instructions

1. Heat the cider, orange juice, ginger root, lemon or orange slices, 1 of the cinnamon sticks, and cloves over medium-low heat 15–20 minutes. Lower to a simmer, then add vanilla.
2. To serve, insert a cinnamon stick in each of the 8 glass punch bowl cups. Arrange cups near the kettle for your guests to serve themselves. Place a ladle in the kettle, and keep a spare ladle nearby.
3. For garnishing the cider, provide a whole nutmeg and a grinder.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

To choose your organically grown and fresh ingredients wisely, use the following criteria:

• chemical- and hormone-free meat
• wild-caught fish
• pasture-raised, organic eggs
• whole, unrefined grains
• virgin, unrefined, first-press organic oils
• whole-food, unrefined sweeteners
• pure, clean, spring water
• sea salt
• raw and/or cultured milk and cream products

Photo by Phyllis Quinn

Phyllis Quinn

Phyllis Quinn is a chef, food writer, and founder of Udderly Cultured, a class that teaches how to make homemade fresh mozzarella, butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, and other cultured products. Private lessons are available. For a reservation, call Phyllis at 970-221-5556 or email her at phyllisquinn2@gmail.com. Rediscover nearly lost cooking methods and get one-of-a-kind recipes in her books The Slow Cook Gourmet and Udderly Cultured: The Art of Milk Fermentation.

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