Bring a Taste of Bavaria to Your Holiday Table with German Heritage Baking Recipes

I have so many wonderful memories of my mom baking for the Christmas holidays. We would get her special cookie treats like Lebkuchen, Spritz, and so many other favorites. The smells alone made the holiday! I miss that time.

If you feel the same way, here is a wonderful cookbook loaded with how-tos, recipes, and amazing detail and imagery. You cannot help but want to try them all!

Bring a Taste of Bavaria to Your Holiday Table with German Heritage Baking Recipes

This holiday season, transport your kitchen to the heart of Bavaria with German Heritage Baking, Volume I: Time-Honored Recipes, Traditional Techniques, and Culinary Secrets by four-time award-winning author and baker, Heidrun Metzler.

Known for her clear techniques and approachable style, Metzler invites home bakers of all levels to savor the rich traditions of Germany’s storied baking heritage—perfect for festive gatherings and family celebrations.

Heidrun brings a cross-cultural perspective and old-world baking into modern homes with clarity, warmth, and joy. Growing up in Germany, Heidrun fell in love with baking cakes, cookies, and tortes alongside her mother, aunt, and grandmother.

Drawing on family traditions, she creates flavor-rich, low-sugar recipes with step-by-step instructions. With more than fifty recipes, including classics like Black Forest Cake, Apfelstrudel, Linzer Torte, and Traditional German Cheesecake with Quark, the book blends step-by-step guidance, cultural anecdotes, and stunning photography. Each recipe is designed to bring out authentic flavors while being accessible for home bakers.

“German baking is about more than desserts—it’s about connection, tradition, and sharing joy,” says Metzler. “By learning a few simple techniques, anyone can bring the warmth of old-world baking to their own holiday table.”

Highlights of German Heritage Baking include:

Authentic Techniques Made Simple — Clear instructions and tips on flour types, oven adjustments, and classic doughs like Mürbeteig (shortcrust) give bakers confidence in creating stunning desserts at home.
Less Sweet, More Flavorful — Recipes focus on balance and depth, offering cakes, tortes, and cookies that delight without overwhelming sweetness.
Bavarian Holiday Favorites — From fruit-filled tarts to nutty cookies and festive cakes, these recipes bring old-world traditions to modern celebrations.

“My intention in writing this book is to give bakers the recipes and tools to produce delicious and successful German-inspired desserts, specifically Mürbeteig, cookies, and sponge cake-based tortes, along with accompanying glazes, fillings, and creams.”

Whether you are baking a show-stopping torte for Christmas dinner or a simple crumb cake for cozy winter afternoons, German Heritage Baking brings a bit of Bavaria—and a lot of heart—into your home.

Try the Recipe!

Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Almond Crescents) Recipe

Yield – 24-30 2 ½-inch cookies

Vanillekipferl are one of the most recognizable Christmas cookies in Germany and other parts of Europe. These cookies are a particular favorite in my family. My mother uses traditional ground almonds, which are listed in this recipe, but my aunt’s specialty is to prepare them with ground hazelnuts instead. Give the hazelnuts a try if that flavor is preferred over almonds or create a mixture of ground almonds and ground hazelnuts. This dough needs 30 minutes to rest in the refrigerator, so be sure to factor that time into your preparations.

Details:
BAKING PAN: two 16 x 12-inch cookie sheets, lined with silicone baking mats or buttered and lined with parchment paper
BAKING TEMPERATURE: 350 degrees F
BAKE TIME:10 to 15 minutes
RACK PLACEMENT: middle of the oven

INGREDIENTS:

For the dough:
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup ground almonds, plus ¼ to ½ cup extra for sprinkling during rolling
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg yolk
10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

For coating:
½ cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar, or ½ of a vanilla bean

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line each cookie sheet with a silicone mat or butter and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Make the dough: Sift 1 cup of the flour and the baking powder onto a marble or wooden board. Keep the remaining ¼ cup flour on the side. Distribute the ground almonds over the flour. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and egg yolk. Cut the butter into small pieces, approximately ¼ to ½ inch. Distribute the butter around the well. Begin carefully pushing the dry ingredients into the well’s center. Work to combine all ingredients, first with a metal dough scraper and then with your hands, until a ball of dough forms. Add more flour from the reserved ¼ cup, a little at a time, if the dough becomes too sticky.

Let dough rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Form the crescents: Sprinkle a marble or wooden board with almond meal. Divide the dough into three equal sections. Work with one section at a time, leaving the rest in the refrigerator. Roll the section of dough into a rope, about 2 inches in diameter. Starting at one end, cut the rope into approximately ½ – inch-long pieces. Roll each piece into a 4-inch-long rope and shape into a crescent with tapered ends (see tip below). Handle the dough gently and sprinkle more ground almonds a little at a tie, onto the work surface if dough gets too sticky.

Place cookies 2 inches apart on cookie sheet to allow for spreading during baking. 14 to 16 cookies will fit on one 16 x 12-inch sheet. If there is still space on the cookie sheet, remove another section of dough from the refrigerator to roll and shape.

As the first batch bakes, roll and shape the next batch, placing the crescents onto the second prepared sheet. Repeat this process until all the dough has been used.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes so that cookies do not break when transferring to wire rack. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Allow cookie sheet to cool completely before adding new cookies for baking.

Coat with sugar: sift the powdered sugar and vanilla sugar into a large bowl and mix. Roll each cookie in the sugar mixture. Alternatively, transfer cookies to a plate and sift the sugar mixture liberally and evenly over the tops. Store in a closed container. Cookie tins work well.

TIP:
To tape the ends, pinch the dough between your thumb and forefinger. Enjoy this part, and do not fret over a lack of perfect uniformity.

NOTE:
For strong vanilla flavor, use the German vanilla sugar packages available online or in local stores in some US areas. If no German vanilla is on hand, make a quick homemade version by scraping the pulp from half a vanilla bean and mixing it with the powdered sugar. Sift the sugar to remove any lumps.

Disclaimer:
Recipe and photo reprinted with permission from German Heritage Baking Volume 1: Time-Honored Recipes, Traditional Techniques, and Culinary Secrets by Heidrun Metzler