At 3 Brothers Bakery we never mind losing a sale to homemade with love. I remember growing up and baking as a gift for my friends and neighbors. If you have small children, be sure to create the memory of baking with them during the holidays – at least once.
We have many holiday items, and I’m going to give you some history on a few of them and then at the end of this blog I’ll give you some of my family’s baked goods recipes (my mother and grandmothers – remember I married into the Jucker baking family).
The Jucker family recipes are “secret” and passed down from generation to generation, plus they are for 120 quart mixing bowls with measurements such as a shovel or pail, so I do not think they would work for you anyway.
Schtollen vs. Fruitcake
Schtollen
In the battle between these two holiday traditional fruit breads at 3 Brothers Bakery, Schtollen wins year after year. We bring our traditional fruit bread recipe from “ze old country, “ and if you hate fruitcake, you’ll love schtollen. It is a cross between cookie and bread with the candied fruits and topped with snowy powdered sugar, but it is completely different than fruitcake.
We make fruitcake because it is a Christmas tradition, but we make schtollen because we love it. On Christmas morning slice it, toast it and eat it with butter or plain – another way to create a great Christmas morning tradition.
Pfeffernuse
Again, we bring to you a holiday recipe from “ze old country.” Pfeffernuse is a German spice cookie harder in texture and again covered in snowy powdered sugar.
Since we reopened from Hurricane Ike, my husband has been doing all the mixing and I am finding I truly love this special treat. Perhaps it is because the special, secret ingredient is love.
Kugel
Below you will find a recipe for Apricot Kugel. Kugel is the Jewish version of lasagna. This recipe is one I stole from my dear friend Suzy who introduced Robert and I when we were 13 and 14.
Suzy’s Apricot Kugel
Ingredients
* 1 stick melted butter
* 1 8 oz crème cheese (you can use fat free)
* 1 16 oz sour cream (you can use fat free)
* 1 c sugar
* 6 eggs
* 3 cans of drained apricot halves
* 1.5 packages of no yolk noodles
* Butter flavored non-stick spray
For topping:
* ½ c graham cracker crumbs
* 1 Tsp sugar
* Tsp cinnamon
* Whole apricots
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, crème cheese, sour cream, sugar and eggs.
3. Chop up the three cans of drained apricot halves. Add to the creamed blend.
4. In a different bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon.
5. Pour the cooked noodles (after draining) into the creamed mix with the chopped apricots.
6. Spray a glass rectangular baking dish with butter flavored non-stick spray and pour the creamed mixture into it.
7. Top the creamed mixture with the graham cracker mixture, then top it with whole apricots.
8. Bake the kugel for one hour at 350 degrees.
9. Cool, then enjoy!
I used to make about four at a time and then freeze them, so I had them whenever I needed a kugel.
Let me know how your recipes come out, and most importantly – share your holiday traditions… I’d love to hear about them!
Happy holidays to all and have a happy, healthy and sweet year.
Enjoy,
Janice