Welcome to our series featuring Food Holidays: December 23rd, 2022. I would like to ask you to check out the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which holiday you most want to celebrate and why through a comment you can leave below.
National Bake Day
National Bake Day is time to dig out that rolling pin and prepare baked goodies! Surprise family with a sweet or savory treat to let them know how much you care. Or bake something to enjoy in your own home. However you decide to celebrate National Bake Day, make today unforgettable!
History of World Baking Day
National Bake Day was created by the folks over at worldbakingday.com, who decided it was high time to spread the joy of baking all around the world. Especially to those who perhaps don’t bake often and are not particularly experienced at baking.
National Bake Day is meant to show people just how much fun it can be to bake a Cake or Cookies. Baking can be a great way to spend time with family. Not to mention how much fun it is to eat what you’ve baked once it’s done!
It’s incredible that we’ve managed to go so long without a World Baking Day but we discovered evidence that baking has existed for over 14,000 years, proving that we simply can’t live without baking! In fact, the first bakers in Jordan created Flatbreads, which they then wrapped around Meat.
Potentially the first-ever Sandwich in existence. Roman times saw the birth of the artisan baker. Lovers of all things decadent, Romans prized the Pastry Chef, and those that brought new baked goods to the worlds were ever-popular at feasts and banquets.
In the United Kingdom, by the Middle Ages, baking went commercial, with many trading regulations and rules governing how to bake and sell Bread. But everyone’s got to eat, so anyone with an oven was baking Bread to feed their families. The delicious, mouth-watering Cakes we eat today started to emerge for the upper echelons of Society from the middle ages onwards.
Technology also helped upgrade the ovens to help bring better-baked goods to the masses, especially in the Nineteenth Century. Food was easier to preserve, too, so many people could order in Meats and Milk from across the Country rather than relying on their backyard Cows or Chickens. Cans also cultivated a new innovation for baking, as Meats and Veg could be canned and exported from places like Australia.
New baking innovations arrived during WWI and WWII. In America during the Wars, baking thrived as people moved to the US, and rationing saw the need for increasingly crafty creations. In America, different flavors from across the world arrived, from Italian Cannolis to Mexican Tres Leches. When people couldn’t find fat or Eggs during the Wars, Applesauce Cake was baked into existence, which is still made today and used as an alternative to Eggs and fat in Vegan baking.
The increase in prosperity after the War allowed baking to flourish into the foods we love today, all culminating in this event. Enjoy the chance to bake, eat, and be merry with friends and family during this day.
How to celebrate world Baking Day
You don’t have to be a pastry Chef specializing in fancy Tortes to celebrate this holiday. All you really need is a little Flour, Sugar and Butter and a sense of adventure! One of the best things about baking is that there are thousands upon thousands of recipes to choose from, so everyone is sure to find something to suit their tastes. Are you a fan of Chocolate? Why not make Rocky Road Brownies, for example, combine the richness of Chocolate with Walnuts and the softness of Marshmallows. But perhaps the best news about Brownies is that almost all Brownie recipes can be made in just one bowl!
If you’re more of a health food buff, there’s no reason for you to feel left out. There are plenty of baked goods that are good for you. Including Apple-Cinnamon Bran Muffins or Date and Oatmeal Muffins, and many more.
Do you have a rambunctious child who is curious about the world? Why not share the magic of baking with them by making Cookies? Chocolate Cherry Thumbprint Cookies, are both easy and fun to make. Sugar Cookies are also very simple to make and lots of fun to decorate with colorful Icings and sprinkles.
Or are you a bit more experienced at baking? If so, there are Torte recipes that you could hone your skills making. Apricot Almond Torte, for example, requires you to make your own Marzipan. Who wouldn’t want to know how to make their own perfect Marzipan?
Or are you a fan of baking but prefer savory to sweet? Why not bake Bread, or create Pies and Pastries that we all love? Fill your creations with delicious savory treats, including Cheese or Meat. Vegan or Vegetarian? Browse recipe books for inventions made with Flour, Salt, Spplesauce, and Sunflower Oil. If you’re a budding savory baker, Crustless Quiches are the perfect way of incorporating delectable fillings in a quick and easy way.
If you don’t have time to bake, you could visit a local bakery instead of buying yet another package of mass-produced, Sugary Cookies filled with preservatives but devoid of flavor. Nothing is quite as relaxing as sitting back with a cup of Coffee or Tea and a book, enjoying a piece of Pie.
If you want to share the baking joy why not invite some family over for a baking party? It’s the perfect excuse to share Cakes and Cookies. You can ask your family to bring round their favorite Cookie cutters and recipe ideas. Then you can all bake up a storm in your kitchen. Or you can order in from your local bakery. Or put on a cooking competition and binge-watch and eat at the same time.
However, you decide to celebrate National Bake Day, make sure you and your nearest and dearest enjoy National Bake Day and all of its sweetness to the fullest.
National Pfeffernuesse Day* #NationalPfeffernusseDay
December 23rd is reserved for National Pfeffernuse Day, which is a German Spice Cookie. Pfeffernuse is very popular around the holidays. Pfeffernüsse are fluffy Cookies made with ground Nuts and Spices covered in Powdered Sugar.
The exact origin of Pfeffernusse is unknown. However, the Dutch believe that Pfeffernüsse (or Pepernoten in Dutch) are linked to the feast of Sinterklaas, which is celebrated on December 5th in the Netherlands and December 6th in Germany and Belgium. #NationalPfeffernusseDay is when children receive gifts from St. Nicholas, who is partially the inspiration for the Santa Claus tradition.
Over time, many bakers have created their own Pfeffernüsse recipes. Traditional methods included various Nuts including Almonds and Walnuts. Some modern recipes exclude Nuts altogether along with the black Pepper, retaining only Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Allspice, and Cardamom as flavorings. Bakers also use Molasses and Honey to sweeten the Cookie.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL PFEFFERNUSSE DAY
Today is the day to break out your favorite Pfeffernüsse recipe and start baking. NATIONAL PFEFFERNUSSE DAY is one holiday tradition that will bring back memories for many of you. Not only will you be able to savor the delicious spicy-sweet Cookies, but you can also pass down the tradition to another generation. Once you have a good stack of Cookies baked and cooled, package the Cookies up as sweet gifts for family. They will appreciate the cookies and your thoughtfulness.
NATIONAL PFEFFERNUSSE DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of PFEFFERNUSSE as we haven’t found any information on NATIONAL PFEFFERNUSSE DAY.
Pfeffernüsse FAQ
Q. What does ‘Pfeffernüsse’ mean?
A. The word Pfeffernüsse comes from German and means ‘peppernut’.
Q. Are Gingerbread and Pfeffernüsse the same?
A. Gingerbread and Pfeffernusse are spicy cookies but they are made differently. Gingerbread is a sturdier cookie, Pfeffernüsse are softer. pfeffernüsse, true to its name, includes Pepper in the ingredients Which isn’t in Gingerbread.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
