Silke’s: A taste of Nuremberg Christmas delights

A showcase of most of Silke’s holiday cookies: tasty Nut Stars, gingerbread cookies, Linzer, and the world famous Lebkuchen among loaves of fresh Stollen. Photo by Curtis Davis

Germany is steeped in rich holiday traditions and customs that rise to the surface in the four weeks preceding Christmas. The first Christmas markets date back to the Late Middle Ages, though first mentioned in writing in 1628. However, not many people can afford to fly to Germany for the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt, which according to the city of Nuremberg’s Web-site, attracts a crowd upward of two million visitors. Not surprising for the most famous Christmas market in the world where holiday breads and desserts reign. But if one lives in Clarksville and surrounding areas, Silke’s Old World Breads, Bakery & Cafe is the place to visit and linger for their holiday offerings.

Everything from desert loaves such as Silke’s signature Christmas Stollen, to spicy gingerbread cookies are available at Silke’s Brot Theke (bread bar) for advance order for the holidays starting in late November. Among the assortment of treats that would make even Sankt Nikolaus or der Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas) stop by are German dessert truffles, Chocolate and White Lebkuchen, Tiger Eyes, Macaroons, Nut Stars, Linzer, mini-Baguettes, bakery goods and other amorous sweets.

When asked what Silke Tyler, owner of Silke’s Bakery, most wants people to know about her holiday breads, she said, “People come in here and they feel like Christmas and the holidays. I feel like here we’ve carved out this little space where people step into another world—that’s really important—and we are bigger now and have had good growth right from the beginning. Christmas seasonal items are the main inspiration as is family, holiday spirit, and trying to convey that feeling with what we do here and the coziness of the holidays.”

Tyler cites that her inspiration for her holiday foods harkens back to the cobblestone streets and houses of the German towns of her youth, which have Christmas markets outdoors and traditional European foods starting in November. “Plus with Grandma doing it, you try to find someway to replicate that stepping-into-another-world feeling. They set the holiday spirit in the cookies and the atmosphere,” Tyler said.

The Making of Stollen – Day One

Stollen is a loaf-shaped fruitcake, powdered with sugary icing on the outside. The cake is usually made with chopped candied fruit or dried fruit, nuts and spices. Stollen is a traditional German cake, and when it is usually consumed during the Christmas season, Stollen is called Weihnachtsstollen or Christstollen. Traditional Stollen originated in Dresden, Germany where it was first made reference to in an official text in the year 1474. Today, Dresden Stollen is still sold in many places as well as at the local Striezelmarkt, the Dresden Christmas Market.

“Stollen is an adaptation of my grandma’s recipe—and it gives sentimental feelings for me as a child eating, and making creations. There was dough everywhere when I first started out—dough and children,” Tyler admitted.

The Stollen is uniquely German and mixing the Stollen is done in numerous stages. If the baker mixes it up too soon, it will go flat from the density of the ingredients. Stollen requires a lot of butter and eggs, which help to maintain the structure of the dough by time you have added all the rest of the ingredients. All soaking is done the night before on the first day. Stollen is at least a 1½ day process and starts the day before with soaking the almonds and raisins in rum. Then the orange peels, orange juice concentrate, and other ingredients are soaked overnight.

The Making of Stollen – Day Two

On day two the rest of the dough is utilized, beginning early the next morning on a big kneading table. A small amount of dough is mixed in water first, then flour,and yeast are added; it sets within an hour. The actual mixing and shaping of the bread takes a whole day as the bread goes through different stages of intense preparation. During the last stage of preparation, the dough undergoes several rising periods. The baker must mix the dough again before it can be folded. By then the dough is strong enough to hold all of the ingredients up. Then soaked ingredients are added to the fold of dough.

A circular almond paste strip is placed inside the loaf during the making and is inserted into the open, thick width that is as long as the Stollen is lengthwise.  Almond paste merges with the thickness of the roll so that when one cuts the Stollen and slices it open, one can see the rich, almond center in every slice. When the completed dough goes through another resting period, the baker can continue dividing, shaping and baking. Stollen is baked until perfection; once it comes out of the oven, the baker pours a mixture of rum, butter, sugar, and powdered sugar on each loaf once, which preserves the Stollen for a long time.

“It’s challenging doing Stollen. [Stolen is…] one of the only things I still make on a consistent basis. We take turns making it,” Tyler said.

A key point to remember about Christstollen is that the flavor improves over time; the flavors soak together and intensify even more. Unofficially, Stollen holds for at least a month. For the United States Food and Drug Administration’s(FDA) regulations and guidelines for the official period of time of keeping such foods for consumption, please visit the FDA’s website.

In this reviewer’s experience, Stollen makes for an utterly scrumptious German Christmas holiday tradition: a sensuous masterpiece in the form of a golden brown bread loaf with powdered sugar atop its amber outer crust. The almond paste embedded within the center of the bread tastes exquisite against the raisins and other spices. The fantastic spices of Stollen truly bring the German stone ground bread tradition home for the holidays.

German holiday cookies, confections, gift tins and baskets

Tyler said, “Nut Stars are a staple and my grandma’s recipe. We almost always make those for Christmas! Nut Stars are very special to me and very good.”

In visual appearance, Nut Stars are typically cut into star shapes and covered with a generous smattering of chocolate sprinkles. Nut Stars have a unique textured but lighter-colored dough. With ground almonds, walnuts, chocolate freckles, a thin glaze on top, and powdered sugar on bottom, Nut Stars are both delicious and highly addictive.

Another staple among the cookies, Lebkuchen, are big chocolate covered cookies that come in two varieties: Chocolate Lebkuchen, and White Glazed Lebkuchen. Highly sought-after Lebkuchen use a chewy, nutty dough that has a distinctive flavor, with an oblate wafer on the bottom – traditionally a type of spicy gingerbread cookie dough, according to Nuremberg tradition. Also, lemon peels and orange peels are used in the making of the Lebkuchen.

In regards to the Lebkuchen, Tyler said, “It’s a big tradition in my hometown—where I come from is close to Nuremberg and normally Lebkuchen are shipped around the world from Germany because people go elsewhere to attain them, and they are very good. We are striving to be authentic as possible and attain to match that goal.”

Tiger Eyes will be also be available this season, but are not done every year because it is a challenging item. One may rush to get them while one can, for they are worth the waiting and buying. Advance orders are accepted. In size, Tiger Eyes are three to four times as large as the Linzer is and have a red, jelly-like filling in the middle of the cookie, but with a buttery, old world taste.

On the outside, the Tiger Eye cookie has an almond paste mixed with other ingredients, which is then  mixed with eggs and other ingredients. Tiger Eye dough has to be poured thick; the challenge is to get the ring just right as it bakes, and spread the filling inside the ring. If the baker makes Tiger Eye dough or the filling too loose, it will all go flat and run away. The filling must be sticky and thick for it to come out right. “Tiger eyes have a white cookie base underneath—that and it’s very, very good because of the almond paste and the flavor. The challenging thing about it […] is not the time, but the challenge of getting it just right and getting the right consistency,” Tyler admitted.

A Southern favorite, the gingerbread cookie, can vary in appearance: gingerbread men have red and green buttons and are glazed with the thick, rich icing typical of gingerbread cookies. Gingerbread stars with smiling faces are the most common second incarnation of Silke’s gingerbread cookies. Gingerbread cookies taste homemade and the white icing and powdered sugar on bottom make for perfect cookies. One can really taste the ginger—the flavor pops out and melts in your mouth.

Linzer is a more traditional kind of European Christmas cookie that Silke’s makes. What makes Linzer special are two pieces of cake dough with a tart filling inside. As a pastry cookie, Linzer has a raspberry center with sugar sprinkled on top. A more familiar Christmas cookie for Americans, the Macaroon, has white powdered sugar on top and is glazed with thin lines of chocolate glaze. As a drop cookie traditionally prepared via a mixture of almond paste, coconut, egg whites, sugar and flour, Macaroons hold their own in taste but pale in comparison to some of the aforementioned treats.

During the Christmas season, which starts in late November, Silke’s has cookie jars or tins available that vary from day to day, according to Tyler. The little tins usually feature gingerbread men, and an assortment of other cookies at Silke’s available on any given day. For only $1.99 each one can choose from four German desert truffles covered in decadent dark chocolate which include the Chocolate Dream, and the White Amaretto Truffle. Rum Balls or Rumkugeln are smothered in chocolate sprinkles and please note—it obviously contains alcohol, as does the Black Cherry Brandy Truffle.

Mini-Baguettes are a traditional French bread, which are not made everyday, but are only available during the Christmas and holiday season. These twisted breads are made with three main twists and a larger twist on the bottom—all cooked to a light golden-brown perfection, making mini-Baguettes a tasty “must try.” Large Baguettes are made fresh daily and offer up an authentic French taste.

Gift baskets are also available during the holiday season and in addition to having an assortment of the aforementioned items, the basket contains a sampling of Silke’s year-round offerings: onion bread, multi-grain breads with five types of grains (sunflower seed, wheat, oats, and sesame seed) and Silke’s signature twisted cheese-breads.

Usually one is lucky to catch Tyler herself at her bread counter as she remains very active in the management of her successful business but has an entire host of friendly faces waiting to assist customers. All the items in Silke’s Bakery are baked in a stone hearth oven, organic in nature by using all natural ingredients, filtered water, and the business has predominately gone “Green.” As quantity orders will take a specific time, holiday orders require four days in advance of pick-up for one’s event. Everyday food and bread orders are ready in forty-eight business hours for events. Catering of groups is available and must be booked in advance.

Many specialty items await one’s perusal amid the German culinary delicacies, and the aroma of mixed holiday spices that permeate the air of Silke’s Bakery. To paraphrase Shakespeare’s famous quote from Love’s Labour’s Lost Act V., Scene I., if one has only a penny left to their name in all the world, buy some gingerbread! Sample the ‘delectable’ delights of Silke’s holiday breads and desserts. They capture the festive spirit and taste of the Nuremberg Christmas Market.

Editor’s Note: While Silke is reknown for her amazing pastries, she also has an extensive daytime menu of breads, soups, sandwiches and specialty pizzas, served in a gallery setting that showcases the best of local artists and artisans.

Silke’s is located at 1214 College Street in Clarksville. The shop is open from Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is available after hours for special occasions. For more information, call 931-552-4422.