Hi, I'm Andie.
I live near the Swiss Alps, in Bern, and I love not only melting cheese, but all kinds of Swiss cooking.
All tagged Xmas
A popular Christmas dessert in Switzerland, especially the French-speaking part, is the forest-themed Bûche de Noël.
A nog-adjacent, custardy drink where the booze is already included in the bottle.
Christmas markets and Chilbis are few and far between this year, so why not create the magic taste of Gebrannte Mandeln, sugary roasted almonds, at home?
Tannenzapfen, the German word for pine cone, makes the perfect design (and pun) for my festive Zopf, which is stuffed with raisins and candied peel, and decorated to look as though it’s fallen from a huge bready tree.
Baked slowly, layer by layer, the Baumkuchen, or tree cake, is a (delicious) afternoon’s work.
The best of the second-tier of Swiss Christmas cookies.
It’s love or hate with these.
There isn’t a lot to be done for anise-haters, but there are plenty of ways to prevent a bland, brittle, dry biscuit.
Although these cookies take a bit of work, I can confirm that this recipe is easier than Rosina Gschwind’s recipe from 1892 that suggests beating the egg whites and sugar for an hour. It may take some fine motor skills to apply the icing, but at least your arm won’t fall off.
This isn’t your typical, overly sweet Christmas market Glühwein—it’s a generously spiced, serve at an intimate dinner party kind of Glühwein. It’s how to be a festive wine mom.
Some people have spirit animals.
I have a spirit cake.
Though not quite as delicious as the Festive Special, these pretzel adorned Swiss Chalets are delightful to look at and fun to make.
A showstopping cake that tastes like eggnog.
Vanillegipfeli are tender, buttery, sweet, baby croissant-shaped cookies, dredged in vanilla-y icing sugar.
A lot of icing sugar.
Part of the second-tier of Swiss Christmas cookies and ever present on my mother-in-law’s cookie tray.
Basler Brunsli re-imagined as minty polar bears.
The white wine version of traditional red Glühwein, heavy on the citrus.
The jewel of the Swiss Christmas cookie tray is surely the Spitzbuben, with its elegant dusting of powdered sugar and bright ruby centre.
Switzerland’s favourite chocolate Christmas cookie.
Switzerland’s favourite Christmas cookie, made by every bakery and every family.
(But none are as good as my mom's.)
