There are many things we love in our house. Some of the Stolze family favorites? We must have Marzipan and Butter Stollen, Pfeffernüsse, Lebkuchen (gingerbread, especially chocolate covered for the boys), and of course liqueur-filled chocolates – every year.

What to do if you don’t have someone to send them to you? There are a few options. For one thing, if you have an Aldi’s near by, they always do some German Christmas specialties this time of year. I have found Stollen, Lebkuchen, Pfeffernüsse and frozen specialty German cakes there. Some even carry Glühwein. Aldi’s is a German owned company, so they are great for finding reasonably priced German goods. Another option is Big Lots. They occasionally carry some of the German cakes and Stollen there. Not as fresh, in my opinion, but good in a pinch. Also, some Shoprites carry a good mix of German sweet items, such as Balsen brand cookies and Stollen. And if you simply can not find these near you? Try German Deli, an online German specialty retailer based in Texas.

German Deli has made it very easy and affordable to try a variety of holiday specialties. They offer the Christmas in a Box, which is essentially various sizes of gift boxes containing German holiday specialties.  You can also find items to purchase individually.

I wish you luck in you German holiday food endeavors. It can be difficult, but rewarding in the end. Trust me.

Enjoy, and happy holidays!

Your first option is to make it from scratch.  The most difficult part is to continually mix and not overheat the mixture.  Here is the recipe.

Fruit Torte Jelly/Gelatin

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp. gelatin (plain, unflavored gelatin – can be found in the baking aisle of any grocer)
• 1 cup water OR apple juice (be aware this will add some extra flavor)
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• Optional: 1 tsp. red food coloring

Preparation:

1. Soak gelatin in 2 tbsp. cold water for 10 minutes.
2. Heat over low heat until it becomes liquid.
3. Add 2 tbsp. sugar and the remainder of water and heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.
4. Remove from heat and cool until it is just pourable (20 – 30 minutes).
5. Spoon over finished cake shell with fruit already arranged over the top.
6. Allow whole cake to set for at least one hour before serving.  For extended life, refrigerate to prevent fruit from molding.

Okay, so you say this sounds too tedious, and you want a quick and dirty solution? Try Tortenguss.  You can purchase a dry mix, which still needs to be heated, but is a little less finicky. My personal favorite can be bought from German Deli: Dr. Oetker Tortenguss Klar (Clear Cake Glaze). It is sold in a 3-pack, and I will stock up on a few at a time.

See? Isn’t it great when one of life’s little mysteries can be solved so simply?

Difficulty: Moderate.
Preparation Time: 2 hours.
Portions: 4 – 6. 12 pieces.

Ingredients:

Cake Batter

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. warm water
• 6 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 7 tbsp. all purpose flour
• 6 tbsp. cornstarch

Topping

• 1 1/2 pint raspberries
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 tsp. sugar

Jelly

• 1/2 tsp. gelatin
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. red food coloring

Preparation:

1. Grease pan and lightly dust with flour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Separate eggs.  Beat egg whites with salt until stiff, but not too dry.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with water until foamy, and pale yellow.  Gradually add sugar and vanilla.  Beat until the sugar is dissolved, and the batter has visibly increased in volume.
4. Sprinkle in flour and cornstarch ad blend well with yolks.
5. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg whites into the batter until just blended.
6. Pour batter into cake pan (form) and bake in lower oven for 16 minutes, until golden yellow.
7. Let cake rest in pan for 10 minutes before removing.  Allow cake to cool completely.
8. To prepare jelly: soak gelatin in 2 tbsp. cold water for 10 minutes.  Heat over low heat until it becomes liquid.  Add 2 tbsp. sugar and the remainder of water and heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and cool until it is just pourable (20 – 30 minutes).
9. To prepare topping: whip the cream with 1 tbsp. sugar until stiff.  Spread evenly over cake.
10. Arrange berries on top of cream.  Pour jelly over fruit.  Let jelly set for 30 minutes.  Serve immediately.

You can also make extra whipped cream to garnish the top of the cake.  This cake MUST be refrigerated if there are leftovers.

Difficulty: easy.
Preparation Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes.
Portions: 6.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound flour (this is about 3 -4 cups, but check the flour weight for best results)
• 3/4 pound butter, softened
• 6 ounces sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup rum

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place softened butter into a large bowl.  Add sugar to butter and cream together well.
3. Scramble egg in small bowl and add into the butter mix.  Mix well.
4. Next, add in flour, a cup at a time, mixing all very well.
5. Last, blend in the rum.  Use a hand mixer if necessary.
6. Place batter in a prepared (lightly greased with cooking spray) springform pan.  Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar across the top.
7. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes.  Check at about 45 minutes and test with a toothpick.