I’m a big fan of eggnog. And Glühwein. And Punsch. And Feuerzangenbowle. Basically every alcoholic beverage you can get around Christmas :) But don’t worry – I’m not an alcoholic – it’s just nice to stand outside at a Christmas Market, the snow is falling and you have a (hot) beverage in your hands to warm your hands and stomach (and getting a bit tipsy) – isn’t it? :)
I lived for some time in the US when I was (a bit) younger and had the chance to celebrate Christmas over there couple times. As many probably know, Christmas Season starts pretty early in the stores, so you can buy all the stuff you need weeks in advance – if not even months ;) Same thing happens here in Germany now – but that is not the topic :)
If you spent the holiday season in Germany you probably know Christmas Cinnamon Stars aka. Zimtsterne – they are sold in supermarkets everywhere and always look very neat and perfect… but unfortunately, they do not taste as good as if your grandma (or my grandma) had made them ;) That’s why those cookies will never end up on my cookie plate for Christmas. I prefer the “real deal” and always make them at home… even if it takes days of hard labor to do so (which it does not) ;)
I have to be honest with you – the chances this cookies look like a total mess when you take them out of the oven are quite big ;) BUT – that is totally fine – it is fixable! Nobody will notice at the end. READ MORE
In case there is somebody asking me someday (whenever I am famous… haha) “What is your signature bake for Christmas” I guess I will have to say these Vanillekipferl aka. Vanilla Crescent Cookies are the ones! Definitely on top of my list. My cinnamon stars would make only second even though they are also really nice ;)
Let the Christmas Madness begin!!! ;) To be honest – if you want to do this Christstollen now, you are almost a tiny bit late to make it – so hurry up! A good Christstollen needs at least 3-4 full weeks to get ready to be eaten. The preparation itself is pretty easy and fast, but the Stollen should be stored for a while to develop its full flavors. It is not going bad, don’t worry ;)
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
