Article for Suffolk Days December 2012.

Time to make delectable Vanillekipfurl biscuits for Christmas

Hello everyone, Switch off your laptops, and phones for a couple of hours, I am going to issue you with an invitation you cannot refuse! Are you on for a bit of excitement and magic, please say yes, as we are going on a unique Christmas adventure. We will be flying by magic carpet, yes magic carpet all the way to Munchen in Bavaria.

What are we going to do when we get there you ask. Well...... we are going to visit a beautiful young german girl called Sofia, who makes the most delicious Christmas biscuits. I have heard that she is Santa Claus' top Christmas biscuit maker, but I have no evidence of this, but having actually eaten the biscuits I am sure that the information is correct. I will give you five minutes to make up your mind whether you want to come with me, but if you decline you live miss the chance of a lifetime, I suggest warm clothes are the order of the day, and definitely no mobile phones, as we will be travelling too fast to get a signal. We will visit the famous Christmas market in Munchen on the way. All German cities have these spectacular markets in December, marking the beginning of the festive season, their beauty will bring tears to your eyes, your first sighting of one is truly one of the seven wonders of the world.

We are a full load tonight aren't we? I have only flown this route once before, last Christmas to be precise, when I met for the first time the girl who can craft these tiny delicacies with her fair hands, into a delectable treat. Only made at Christmas, a speciality of the country. Germany hosts the best and most beautiful Christmas on earth, every home is lit with candles that dance and shimmer in the dark, with the perfect tree cut from the forest, the smell of the fresh wood is overpowering and so evocative, you may smell this strong perfume at another time, which will transport you back to Germany and re-live this wondrous time.

As it is a clear night the stars will guide us on our intrepid journey. We are heading for The Plough, then taking a sharp right turn, just before the last star which will guide us with a twinkling runway over the mountains and woods, fields and lakes, now frozen over into Christmas card perfection. The first time I flew I didn't realize the stars were so bright, just like diamonds with their own sharp twinkling beauty.

Can you see the lights ahead way down below, that is Munchen Market, the stars are shining a steep pathway down for us, we will fly so low you will be able to smell the cinnamon on the gingerbread, and breath in the heady smell of mulled wine steaming in Christmas mugs. Look around you, everything is covered in icing sugar, or is it snow, I'm not quite sure.

One stall is devoted to beautifully cellophane wrapped sweets and sugared fruits, candies and sticky cordials.See that group of people laughing and stamping their feet to keep warm they are drinking special hot chocolate made with fresh dark chocolate that will warm the cockles of their heart. Over there, that stall is packed with the special Christmas cake, Stollen, a fruit and marzipan speciality, jostling for room with the famous Lebkuchen biscuits ready to decorate the tree.

Can you hear how quiet it is? Nothing, not a sound, just smiling faces in this pool of twinkling lights, I could stay here forever, just watching this magical scene, but we must move on to the house of Sofia. I think this may be it, I remember the wreath on the door decorated with Vanillekipfel biscuits covered in icing sugar and shiny silver balls.

Vanillekipferl biscuits – approx 30, depending on the size you craft.

Preheat oven to 160C

Ingredients.

200grams plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

100grms icing sugar

2 egg yolks

170grms butter

100grams ground almonds

icing sugar for dusting.

Vanilla sugar.

Method.

Sieve flour and baking powder together in a large bowl, rub in the butter by hand, till it resembles bread crumbs. Mix in all other ingredients. Press into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 10 minutes. Roll out 1 cm thick, with a knife cut dough into fingers, each finger no longer than 5cm. Turn into a crescent shape, pressing each end to flatten a little, like a new moon. Bake for 10 minutes. Dredge with icing sugar whilst warm, pressing some silver balls into the soft dough. These will firm up while cooling. Store in an airtight container. Eat in the run-up to Christmas.

Don't these biscuits taste divine, they melt so softly in your mouth, with the soft snowy sugar sticking to your lips, she is giving us a packet each to eat on the way home, Danke schoon Sofia!

Look, look, do you see those big black boots coming towards us, crunching into the soft snow, with his huge frame pushed into a red outfit, it is Weihnachtsmann himself, we must leave before he sees us, otherwise our magic carpet will disappear, perhaps we should let that happen and we can stay in this land forever, what do you think?