Although Christmas markets started all the way in Europe, they’ve been gaining a lot of popularity on this side of the Atlantic over the last few years. Sizzling brats, crispy fried donuts, aromatic mulled wine… what’s not to love? But just because you can’t make it to a Christmas market this year, that doesn’t mean you should have to go without. With our 4 recipes for Christmas market classics, you can enjoy all the goodies from the comfort of your very own home and have yourself a merry little European Christmas feast!
1. Dutch Poffertjes (Mini Pancakes)
You’ll Need:
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 cup flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ⅔ cup milk
- clarified butter
- powdered sugar to sprinkle on top
Here’s How:
1.1 Beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, and pinch of salt until frothy. Combine the flour and baking powder and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ones. Add the milk, mix everything with a hand mixer, and let the batter rest for about 30 minutes.
1.2 Heat a pan over medium heat, add some clarified butter, let it melt, and swish it around the pan until evenly dispersed. Pour the pancake batter into a squeeze bottle (or use a spoon as shown in the video) and add small dollops of batter to the pan. Once the batter has risen a little bit, turn the pancakes over with a fork and continue to cook them – they should be done after about a minute. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the mini pancakes and serve with Nutella.
2. Hungarian Kürtőskalács (Chimney Cakes)
You’ll Need:
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2¼ cups flour
- ¼ cup dry yeast
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- melted butter
- cinnamon sugar
Here’s How:
2.1 Add the flour, eggs, and vanilla extract to a bowl. Dissolve the sugar and yeast in lukewarm milk and add the mixture to the bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine all the ingredients for about 5 minutes until a smooth dough forms. Cover the bowl with a moist towel and let the dough rest for about 45 minutes.
2.2 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Knead the dough and roll it out to about 8 x 20 inches. Cut the dough lengthwise into ¾-inch thick strips.
2.3 Wrap a rolling pin with aluminum foil and brush melted butter over it. Clamp the rolling pin in a casserole dish with handles.
2.4 Wrap the dough strips around the rolling pin and brush more melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar all over the dough, transfer the pan to the oven and bake 20 minutes (make sure to rotate the rolling pin after 10 minutes so both sides cook evenly). Remove the chimney cake from the rolling pin and serve this Christmassy treat with jam or Nutella.
3. Austrian Kartoffelpuffer (Potato Pancakes)
You’ll Need:
- 1 lb potatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp rolled oats
- salt & nutmeg to taste
- 4 tbsp clarified butter
Here’s How:
3.1 Peel the potatoes and onion, grate them over a bowl lined with a dish towel, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
3.2 Add the rolled oats and eggs to the potatoes and onions, season with salt and nutmeg, and mix well.
3.3 Heat some clarified butter in a pan and form flat pancakes from the potato mixture. Fry them for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown (turn them once the edges start to brown). Drain the potato pancakes on a paper towel and serve with apple sauce.
4. German Feuerzangenbowle (Flaming Mulled Wine)
You’ll Need:
- ½ orange, sliced
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 6 cups red wine
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 3 star anise
- ¾ cup sugar cubes
- ¾ cup rum
Here’s How:
4.1 Add the red wine, orange slices, zest and juice of 1 lemon, orange juice, star anise, and cloves to a pot. Let everything come to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow the wine to steep. Pour the mulled wine through a strainer into a heat-resistant bowl.
4.2 Balance a grater over the bowl and stack sugar cubes on top in the shape of a pyramid.
4.3 Pour rum over the sugar pyramid, light the sugar on fire, and let it burn off until the sugar has completely dissolved and drips down into the bowl.
We can’t even decide which one of these treats we love the most – they’re all so good! Not only will our Christmas treats help you get into the holiday spirit, they’ll leave you feeling like you’re strolling around a beautiful Christmas market in person!