Christmas Market

Christmas Market

8:30:00 AM

Christmas Banner

The weather was cold at the beginning of the month. My usual weekend mornings begin with a nice warm cup of tea and catching up on everyone else's blogmas posts. I have always lusted and drooled over the European Christmas markets that we don't seem to have anywhere near where I live.
Except the other weekend, when a Facebook event popped up on my page and there was one happening only a few minutes drive from my university!

The market was small, though filled with people. There were cute little stands of cheeses and meats and homemade decorations.
Christmas MarketMarket

Handmade signsChristkindlmarket
Handmade signsUSA


I love wandering around Farmers markets in the summer and fall, and I was excited to go to this one! The cute decorations hanging from each stall made me feel so festive. Even though I have been done with all of my Christmas shopping for everyone this year, there were a few things that I would buy if I had the chance to go back again (which hopefully I will!). 

I hope you enjoyed this post, even though it's quite a quick one! Do you have Christmas markets near you? Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? I am nearly done with this semester (Monday I have one exam to take!) 
Let me know in the comments! 
x 

Baking

The Legend of the Berlin Pretzel Cookies

9:00:00 AM


If you haven't noticed, my second semester away from home has come to an end, giving me more time to help bake which is something I love to do. These cookies, that I've titled this post after, have been passed down through generations and this season it was my turn to learn it. Along with traditions, there are usually stories told with them. For these cookies, the legend is...there has to be sun or they just will not work! 
This year, my mom had previously made a batch and the days forecast for our baking day? Rain. 
Pretzel Cookie
Here's What You'll Need:
2 hard boiled egg yolks-mashed
3 raw egg yolks
2 sticks butter (unsalted, room temp)
1 and 1/2 cups powder sugar
2 and 1/2 cups flour
Sprinkles
3 bowls (one large and two small)
(Christmas cheer and a sunny personality!)

Here's What you Need to Do:
To prep:
Have two small bowls, one with the egg whites, and one with the sugar and sprinkle mixture ready to go! 
1. Combine flour and powdered sugar with egg yolks and butter in large bowl.
Mixture
2. Add raw egg yolks and mix with hands until ball forms. This gets messy!
kneading
3. Roll small chunks into balls (about the size of a walnut and roll into strips. 
Dough
4. Criss-cross one side over the other. (this is called a pretzel but it looks more like an awareness ribbon if that helps your forming.) 
5.  Brush egg-white glaze over pretzel cookie and dip into sugar. (repeat as you bake)
It's easier to bake each set one by one, instead of two pans at a time. You're also meant to wait until the pan cools off as they're very finicky (it's not only the sun that has to be right about them). 
Luckily for us, the legend didn't hold out to be true for this batch and they turned out great! Maybe it really was our sunny personalities and just the feeling of Christmas cheer that made them turn out so well! 
Sprinkles

I hope you're brave enough to try these cookies, after all sometimes it works and sometimes it just doesn't! I think it's fun just to say "it has to be sunny". It makes them even more special, and I'm glad I got to learn how to make them! ( I posted this photo on instagram if you missed it!) 
Did you try any new recipes this holiday season? Or even this year? Did you have any major flops or really great ones? Let me know in the comments!
See you next time! (Tomorrow is Officially the real Christmas! I hope you all have a GREAT holiday!! :) )
xx Kenzie













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