Christmas is not Christmas without Cookies

In which we indulge in some holiday sweets.

Cookies (Hadley)

We’ve been eating a lot of cookies lately.

That’s because it’s Christmas time, and therefore eating cookies is mandatory. Christmas is not Christmas without cookies.

The first one that I would like to talk about is my favourite (although it is hard to pick a favourite, they’re all so good!). My favourite is…*drum roll*...

These Chocolate-Dipped Butter People Cookies*! (*Not real name)

I think their name should explain why I love them. Even though that’s not actually the name. I mean, butter…chocolate…what’s not to love?

The best part is that they taste like butter. Not like a cookie that may or may not have butter in it. They taste like good, buttery butter. Like…crunchy butter in chocolate. And it’s not too heavily sweetened! It’s a light sweetness level. So it really showcases butter. And I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like butter.

The shapes that the butter cookies are in are fun too. They’re all little people! Most of the people look like regular people (except, like, cookie), but there are some that are creepy. The fact that they’re shaped like people means that the order you eat them in matters. If you don’t bite off the head first, the head is going to be staring at you as you eat it. I prefer my food to not have eyes.

I feel like everyone is going to disagree with me, but chocolate-coated cookies should not be dipped in tea. It just melts the chocolate and then makes a mess in your hands! And besides, with these cookies, the tea would overtake the butter flavour. The butter needs to be able to shine. (If I were talking to you all, I feel like now is when the shocked silence would happen. I’m sorry, Grandma Bonnie.)

There are a lot more Christmas Cookies to talk about, but as this is my favourite, this one gets to be first. I love butter. As they say, “everything’s better with butter!”

A sampling of sweet treats!

Speculating about Spekulatius (Seren)

As it happens, Hadley’s favorite “Chocolate-Dipped Butter People Cookies” are called “Butter Spekulatius” (we appreciate that “butter” is the same in English and in Deutsch). We also like Gewürz (Spice) Spekulatius, especially the ones that are dipped in dark chocolate. Best of all are the “Spekulatius Bites”, which are marble-sized pieces of crunchy gewürz Spekulatius enrobed in milk, dark and white chocolate.

According to the internet, Spekulatius is often referred to as “the king of Christmas cookies” in Deutschland, though they are eaten all year round in the Netherlands (Speculaas) and Belgium (Speculoos). Online sources variously ascribe the name “Spekulatius” to:

• the Latin word “Specculum” (mirror), since the cookie dough is pressed into a carved wooden mold which creates a mirror image;

• the Latin term “Speculator”, which means overseer or Bishop; and

• an older form of the word, “Speculatie”, used to mean “desire” or “pleasure”.

In the name of research, we’ve conducted numerous taste-testings and come to the conclusion that the main difference between Spekulatius and Lebkuchen (another popular Christmas cookie; more on that next week) is the texture: Spekulatius are crisp and crunchy, while Lebkuchen are soft and cakey. There may be a difference in the spice blend as well (the internet tells me cinnamon is more predominant in Spekulatius? And Hadley says Lebkuchen is more peppery…) but I daresay it’s subtle.

About to have their heads bitten off…

Nineteen Weeks (Hadley & Seren)

• Am 6. Dezember, it’s St. Nikolaus Tag in Deutschland! According to my teacher, children are supposed to put out a shoe or a sock the night before, and then St. Nikolaus comes to either give children candy and small toys, or a cane (and not the candy kind). If they get a cane, that means they have 19 days to improve themselves so Santa will give them something. If they don’t improve themselves, they’ll be a naughty and sad little kid on Christmas. But it will be their own fault. They will have gotten a warning.

St. Nikolaus the Chocolate

Until next time – tschüss!

On a wintery walk home