Wine & Sweet Treats

Christmas dessert: Soaked orange cake with spiced oranges

With the combination of pastry and noble sweet wine you can experience many a pleasurable surprise!

Facts

  • Christmas biscuits

    Gingerbread, Christmas stollen, fruit bread, cinnamon stars, speculoos or vanilla crescents

  • 0.375 litre

    is the size of the small slender bottles that contain the precious Beerenauslese (BA), Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) and Icewine

Wine and baked Christmas treats

The Advent time offers a large selection of lovingly created cookies that harmonize very well with Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese as well as ice wines and bring forth completely new taste experiences.

When choosing the right wine, it is important that it does not merely accentuate the qualities of the pastry, but also adds as broad a range of aromas of its own as possible.

Take Stollen, for instance: The candied or dried fruit it contains, such as orange, lemon or raisins, make for a great alliance with noble sweet Riesling Beerenauslese, because this wine also contains nuances of dried fruit.

And even a noble sweet Riesling still shows a lively acidity, bringing a subtle finesse to the pastry it’s served with.

Vanillekipferl, traditional vanilla crescent shaped biscuits, are a true classic among the Christmas cookies. They get richer in elegant, fragrant nuances when accompanied by a mild Pinot Blanc Auslese. This taste experience will be further intensified if a pinch of salt is used in the making of the sweet pastry. The salt is a real attractant for aromas and also has a positive role to play in the combination with wine.

Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and ice wine are precious. That is why these varieties are mostly offered in small, 375 ml bottles. Just enough to experience magic culinary moments in an intimate setting. The aromas of these wines develop best when they are served not too well chilled and in small white wine glasses with bigger bowls.

Nothing will get in the way of a sweet alliance if you pay heed to the following suggestions:

The right wine companion for each treat

Buttergebäck

A classic and a favourite with purists, it is popular in all shapes. The subtle aromas of butter and caramel nuances make for an excellent combination with mild to sweet Pinot Blanc or Silvaner Auslese. The fruitiness of the wine adds an elegant note to the combination. If the pastry is very fluffy, a semi-dry to mild Winzersekt makes for an extraordinary and pleasant surprise as well.

Spritz cookies

Varieties such as traditional Spritzgebäck and nut macaroons are prepared with aromatic roasted hazelnuts. A suitable wine may be concentrated and powerful, in order to be the equal of the aromatic pastry. Well-aged Riesling Beerenauslese is an excellent choice.

Coconut macaroons

are masterpieces created from egg white, sugar and grated coconut. Their straightforward aroma goes very well with mild Pinot Blanc Auslese or noble sweet Beerenauslese. The elegant and sometimes nutty aroma of the wine combines beautifully with the coconut, making for a delicious alliance.

Spice cake

contains cocoa and typical warming Christmas spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. A Gewürztraminer Auslese is a harmonious companion in the full sense of the word. Full-bodied, mild to sweet red wines are interesting partners as well.

Cinnamon stars

are less sweet than many people assume. Their taste is defined by almonds and cinnamon and the decorative icing brings a sweet finish to the mix. Cinnamon stars like to be accompanied by noble sweet Pinot Gris Beerenauslese, because this wine accentuates the pastry’s tangy nuances.

Gingerbread

is a full symphony of aromas all on its own. All varieties, from honey cake to Pfefferkuchen, have their typical intense interplay of aromas in common, generated by ingredients such as cloves, coriander, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon – always with a touch of honey. A noble sweet Gewürztraminer or Scheurebe Beerenauslese corresponds perfectly with this honey nuance. The wines reflect the abundant spiciness and add a few interesting notes of their own.

Stollen

comes in several traditional varieties. Typical ingredients are candied orange and lemon peel as well as raisins – often previously pickled in rum – and grated almonds. This Christmas delicacy forms a wonderful alliance with noble sweet Riesling Beerenauslese, which also contains notes of dried fruit. However, a Marzipanstollen requires a wine companion with extra-spicy notes. This is a moment when a Gewürztraminer Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese can display all its strengths.

Fruit cake

is sheer abundance. It’s the ultimate Christmas delicacy, prepared with ingredients like dried fruit – such as apricots, prunes, figs and nuts – seasoned with brandy and garnished with maraschino cherries. A Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese beautifully reflects these typical aromas of dried fruit and harmonizes well with the fruit cake’s sweetness.

At what time of the year is the term "wine" most frequently googled?

Just before the Christmas holidays, the search queries for "wine" on Google reliably skyrocket every year. By the way: The search queries for the topic "fasting" multiply just as reliably every year shortly after Christmas.

More recipe ideas

a Christmassy dessert Plum roaster with cinnamon ice cream

a Christmassy dessert

  • 1 kg Zwetschgen (frisch oder TK)
  • 100 Gramm Zucker
  • 0.5 TL gemahlener Zimt
  • Eine Prise Nelkenpulver
  • 50 ml Pflaumenschnaps
  • 50 Gramm dunkler Rohrzucker
  • 2 EL alter Balsamicoessig
  • 200 Gramm Zucker
  • 4 Eigelb
  • 500 ml Sahne

Plum rings:

Wash, deseed and quarter the plums. Spread the sugar evenly in a non-stick pan and melt slowly over a medium heat. Increase the temperature and immediately add the fruit, schnapps and spices. Stir until the mixture caramelises.

Stir in the muscovado sugar and balsamic vinegar, spread onto a cold plate after approx. 3 minutes.

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<p>Cinnamon ice cream:

Combine the sugar and egg yolks and stir the two ingredients over a bain-marie until frothy.

Whip the cream, then carefully mix both mixtures and add three teaspoons of cinnamon. Carefully mix the cinnamon into the mixture again.

Pour the finished mixture into any (cake) tin or small dish, cover with aluminium foil and place in the freezer for at least three hours.

 

Place the plums on four deep plates or small bowls, cut off 2 – 3 ice lollies each and place on top, serve immediately.

  • Gewürztraminer (trocken)

with goat's cheese Courgette and chanterelle salad

with goat's cheese

  • 2 ganze Zucchini
  • 3 EL Rapsöl
  • 1 kleine Schalotte
  • 300 Gramm Pfifferlinge
  • 1 Msp. gemahlener Piment
  • 2 Bund Rucola
  • je 1/2 Bund Kerbel u. glatte Petersilie
  • je 3 EL Walnuss- u. Rapsöl
  • 4 Stück Ziegenkäse-Taler
  • 1 Prise Zucker
  • nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer

Salad:

Wash the courgettes and slice thinly. Place in a bowl and mix with the oil.

 

Heat a grill pan and fry the courgettes in batches until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, place in a bowl.

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<p>Peel and finely dice the shallot. Clean the chanterelles, wash if necessary and pat dry. Depending on size, cut in half if necessary.

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<p>Sauté the shallot in a pan until translucent. Add the chanterelles and fry vigorously for 3 minutes while stirring. Season with salt, pepper and allspice. Add to the courgettes. Wash the rocket and spin dry.

 

Dressing:

Wash the herbs, shake dry. Pluck the leaves, blend finely with both types of oil and vinegar in a blender or with a hand blender. Flavour with salt, pepper and sugar. Pour over the courgette and chanterelle mix and mix loosely with the rocket. Arrange on plates, sprinkle with goat's cheese.

  • Pinot Blanc (trocken)

the "Frankfurt Green Sauce" Quiche with herbs

the "Frankfurt Green Sauce"

  • 200 Gramm Mehl
  • 100 Gramm Butter
  • je 1 Bund Kräuter für Frankfurter Grüne Sauce (Petersilie, Kresse, Kerbel, Borretsch, Sauerampfer, Schnittlauch, Pimpernelle)
  • 100 - 125 Gramm Schwarzwälder Schinken
  • 7 ganze Eier
  • 125 ml Sahne
  • 100 Gramm Frischkäse
  • 1 EL Zitronensaft
  • nach Geschmack Salz & Pfeffer

Knead the flour and butter with 4 tbsp water and a teaspoon of salt to form a smooth dough. Line a mould with it and leave to cool for 30 minutes.</p

 

<p>Hard boil 4 eggs. Wash, drain and finely chop the herbs from the Frankfurt green sauce. Cut the ham into wafer-thin slices and spread on the pastry base. Chop the hard-boiled eggs into small

and spread over the top. Mix the 3 eggs, cream and fresh cheese and season with 1 tbsp lemon juice, salt and pepper, then fold in the herbs. Spread the mixture over the pastry base.

 

Bake at 180 °C (gas mark 4) on the middle shelf of the oven for about 30 minutes.

  • Riesling (trocken)

to sweet selections Apple doughnuts with vanilla sauce

to sweet selections

  • 5 große, säuerliche Äpfel
  • 200 Gramm Mehl
  • 2 Eier
  • 250 ml Milch
  • 2 EL Rum
  • Nach Bedarf Schmalz oder Öl
  • Nach Belieben Zimt, Zucker, Salz

Peel the apples and remove the core, cut into finger-thick, even slices. Drizzle with rum and sugar. Leave to infuse.

 

Stir the batter, it should be quite thick. Turn the apple rings in it and bake floating in hot fat until golden brown.

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<p>Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with cinnamon and sugar.

  • Riesling (süß & edelsüß)
  • Scheurebe (süß & edelsüß)