The baker told me that the cookies were called springerle cookies and that they originated in Switzerland and southern Germany as far back as the 14th century. He explained that each family would have handcrafted wooden molds and would make these cookies on special occasions, such as weddings, engagements and holidays. In fact, people would often give springerle cookies in the same way we give out Christmas cards. Traditionally, bakers flavor the cookies with anise, but many also use flavors like orange or lemon. After the wonderful history lesson, I decided to purchase three lovely, orange-flavored cookies to teach the kids a little about German history.
A few days later, I made each child a cup of hot tea. Now, I know that Germany is not known for its tea, but I decided that I would rather not give my kids any coffee! I set the table with nice teacups and allowed each child to choose a cookie. Then, I told them about the history while we enjoyed our tasty snack.
The kids' beautiful cookies:
The kids really enjoyed the tea party, and they learned quite a bit as well. As a lover of history (as well as a descendent of German immigrants), I love giving the kids a "taste" of history and culture that they will remember long after they forget the facts they read about in books.
4 comments:
amazing cookies~ I love learning about different cultures! We went to HBs parents for Christmas and they had dutch cookies (cant remember what they were called but they looked like little dutch girls) so great to bring the heritage back for the kids to learn about!
We do, too! We are working our way through Galloping the Globe this year, and though we are currently on Asia, we took a little break for our tea party. I often try to cook a simple meal with the kids for each country we study.
I used to make these for Christmas. It's a family tradition for J's family.
That's really cool, Rachel! I found a recipe and was wondering how hard they are to make. Maybe we'll try them sometime...
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