In SalzburgerLand, baking in the run-up to Christmas is inextricably linked to Advent in the same way that selecting a Christmas tree, visiting a Christmas market and buying gifts for loved ones are. When you bake Christmas biscuits and other festive delicacies at home, the whole place smells of cinnamon, vanilla, apple and chocolate. It’s an aroma that could get even the least festive person into the mood for Christmas right away.
Seasoned bakers get going with their favourite traditional biscuits as early as November. All sorts of Christmas creations from Grandmother’s recipe book can be kept safely stored away in a biscuit tin, ready to be brought out and enjoyed on the first Sunday in Advent. The lighting of the first candle on the Advent wreath coincides with the opening of the tins and the point when the festive treats start to land on the biscuit plate. Then it’s all about settling in with family or friends, nursing a glass of punch, Glühwein (mulled wine) or hot chocolate, listening to Christmas music and enjoying the rising anticipation for the big day.
The traditional Salzburg recipes for Christmas biscuits are typically easy to prepare. The recipes have been handed down over many generations and no Advent gathering is complete without these sweet temptations, which include wonderfully aromatic classic Vanillekipferl – vanilla biscuits, (to the recipe) or Zimtsterne – cinnamon stars (to the recipe). These tasty suggestions will see you through the cold weather.
