Ethnic Holiday Sweets

Christmas is exciting! Putting up a tree and decorations, stringing lights along the roof line of the house, preparing shopping lists, attending special concerts and parties, and of course opening presents! But why are we excited? Because we have certain holiday traditions passed down from one year to the next and many of these started generations ago. A good percentage of holiday traditions are based on food and what comes out of the kitchen this time of year. Are you preserving your heritage? Ethnic holiday treats can become a tradition at your house.

We want to help you bring back some of those traditions. Here are some international treats to get you started:

Cannoli  is a sweet pastry tube-shaped shell of fried pastry dough filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta cheese or sweetened Mascarpone. Blended with the cheese is a flavoring combination of vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, Marsala wine, rosewater or other favorites. Sometimes chocolate chips are added. They range in size from no bigger than a finger, to the fist-sized proportions. Sometimes cannolis can be found with the shells dipped in chocolate, in addition to being stuffed with filling.
The shell is a dough made of flour, butter, sugar and other ingredients. It is formed into an oval, wrapped around a dough ring and fried. The cream filling is simpler and includes powdered sugar and ricotta cheese and must be served quickly so shells won't lose their crispness. Cannoli originated in Sicily and are an essential part of Sicilian cuisine and are popular in Italian American cuisine.

For a cannoli recipe click here.

 

Brandy Snaps - these rolled cookies are served throughout England and Australia. They are also known as mothering Sunday wafers, west country fairings and other regional British names. They are a form of thin, crunchy, sticky and slightly chewy ginger biscuit, generally rolled into a tube shape while still warm. The cooled tube is filled with cream and served.

For a recipe for Brandy Snaps click here.

Springerle - These have been and still are traditional Christmas cookies in Bavaria and Austria for centuries. Springerle are white, anise-flavored cookies, made from a simple egg-flour-sugar dough. Usually rectangular or circular in shape, they have a picture or design stamped on the top. The images are imprinted with specially carved rolling pins or flat molds. After the cookies are baked, the designs are sometimes enhanced with edible food colors. Hartshorn is the traditional leavening (it is an ammonia compound).
For a springerle recipe click here.
 

Amaretti  - Traditionally served at Christmas time in Italy these are very light meringue cookies. The hint to successful amaretti is not to beat the egg whites too much. The mixture should have body but still retain moisture.

For an Amaretti recipe click here.
 

Kringla is a pastry developed in Scandinavia. The word kringle refers to the pretzel-like knotted shape. They can be made of puff paste or yeast dough and filled with marzipan and raisins and sprinkled with coarse sugar or iced. In the United States, kringles are hand-rolled from Danish pastry dough that has rested overnight. Then it is shaped, filled and baked.

For a Kringla recipe click here.

Rosettes are a thin, cookie-like deep-fried pastry of Scandinavian origin. They are traditionally made during Christmas time. Rosettes are made using intricately designed irons. The iron is heated to a very high temperature in oil, dipped into the batter, then re-immersed in the hot oil to create a crisp shell around the metal. The iron is immediately removed and the rosette is separated from the iron. Usually, the edges of the rosette are dipped into frosting or sugar. Rosette recipes are popular in the United States among families with Scandinavian ancestry.
Shell-type rosettes are great for filling with hors d'oeuvres and other tasty foods. Most of the handles are made of of wood, 3" long for safer handling, with a 7" metal rod and a screw-end that fits in the rosette molds. The molds are made of a heavy cast aluminum alloy and should be seasoned before first use to avoid sticking. Rosettes are also great for decorations and ornaments.
For a rosette recipe and frying instructions click here.

Sandbakelser is a traditional Swedish cookie tarts filled with preserves. Translated these mean sand tarts and contain almonds or almond flavoring. You will need to locate Scandinavian fluted tart pans or tins, which are small fluted metal cups approximately 3 inches in diameter and 1-1/2 inches deep.
For a Sandbakel recipe click here.

Tuiles come from France and the word translated means "tile". These cookies are presented in rows and are supposed to resemble the curved tiles on the tops of buildings. In a traditional form, a tuile is a flat cookie which has been shaped over a curved surface shortly after baking and allowed to cool, giving the cookie its characteristic curved-tile shape. The cookies are fragile and crisp and should be served the same day they are made.
For a  recipe for Tuiles click here.
 

Pizzelle is a traditional Italian cookie shaped like a waffle. It is round and flat and cooked on a special iron similar to a waffle iron. The pizzelle is hard and crisp. Another popular shape is to roll pizzelles into a cone shape, put miniature marshmallow in bottom of cone and fill with fruit or cream. Try shaping warm pizzelles over a custard dish to make small bowls - when cool, coat inside with melted chocolate and serve ice cream or fruit. Pizzelles are popular during Christmas and for Italian weddings.

For a recipe to make pizzelle cookies click here.