The German Christmas Cookbook: Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Holidays, written by Jürgen Krauss, features a memorable assortment of festive treats and meals to celebrate the holiday season. A few highlights include Gefüllte Lebkuchen-Herzen (Filled Gingerbread Hearts), Glühwein-Kuchen (Mulled Wine Cake), Weihnachts-Scones (Christmas Scones), Schokoladenwaffeln mit Kirschsahne (Chocolate Waffles with Kirsch Cream), and Reibekuchen (Potato Cakes). I will also be sharing his recipe for Marzipankartoffeln (Marzipan Potatoes) following the review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Weldon Owen in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.
The German Christmas Cookbook is currently available for preorder and set to release on October 7th, 2025 in the United States and on October 23rd in the UK.
Jürgen Krauss
Jürgen Krauss is a database administrator, analyst programmer, passionate home baker, and semi-finalist on The Great British Bake Off in 2021.
He grew up in southern Germany’s Black Forest where he developed a love for baking and is currently based in the U.K. with his family. Jürgen is also the author of The German Baking Book.
The German Christmas Cookbook
Jürgen begins The German Christmas Cookbook with an introduction, sharing memories of his childhood home and holiday traditions.
You will find more personal stories, cultural notes, and family photos scattered across the pages to bring life to the recipes along with a closer look at St. Martin’s Day, St. Nicholas Day, and the Christmas Markets.
Beginning bakers will also appreciate the abundance of helpful tips such as forming a starter, how different raising agents affect dough, and a chart for scaling cake recipes to specific tin sizes.
Chapters are divided according to the following: Biscuits, Cakes and Tarts, Bread- Sweet and Savoury, Festive Meals, Christmas Market food, and From the German Pantry.
The photography is provided by Maja Smend. Most of the recipes are paired with a beautifully-styled, full page photo of the finished treat.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in German and English. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, stories, yield, variations, serving ideas, and additional notes.
Marzipankartoffeln (Marzipan Potatoes)
To pair with the review, I made Jürgen’s Marzipankartoffeln (Marzipan Potatoes)! This fun holiday treat comes together with only a handful of ingredients, plus no cooking and no resting times.
Simply knead Marzipan into powdered sugar and almond liqueur to form a smooth dough. Roll the dough into individual rounds about the size of a cherry (around 3/4 inch, 2 centimeters in diameter).
Prick each round a few times with a cocktail pick to create a little texture and black spots that form on potatoes (I also like to press lightly on the sides to make the ball not perfectly round), then roll in cocoa powder to coat. Irregularities actually help them look more realistic.
Dust off the excess cocoa powder lightly to create an uneven color. The result is a candy with a resemblance to a potato!
Store the Marzipankartoffeln in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. With time, the texture will start to become dry and harden.
A Few Marzipankartoffel Tips
I have made this recipe with homemade Marzipan (recipe in book) and store-bought Marzipan. Both work, but I especially love the flavor with the homemade Marzipan.
If avoiding alcohol, swap the almond liqueur for a splash of water with maybe a couple drops of almond extract.
The texture should be a fairly stiff, but still moldable dough. If it is too stiff to roll without cracking or crumbling, slowly knead in a small splash of water or almond liqueur at a time. If too sticky to handle, slowly knead in a little more powdered sugar.
Other Dishes
I also made Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Stars), Grießklößchen-Suppe (Semolina Dumpling Soup), Gebrannte Mandeln (Roast Almonds), and Kaffee Kirsch (Black Forest Coffee).
Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Stars) are especially popular during the holiday season and one of my personal favorite cookies. The naturally gluten-free dough comes together with simply ground almonds, powdered sugar, and an egg white. After rolling and cutting into individual stars, the cookies are brushed with an egg white icing and baked just until set.
Along with the incredible assortment of holiday treats, Jürgen has also put together a couple of savory menu ideas to celebrate. This Grießklößchen Suppe (Semolina Dumpling Soup) is a comforting starter from Menu 1. Homemade semolina dumplings are simmered in chicken stock until tender and served with a sprinkling of sliced chives.
The Gebrannte Mandeln (Roast Almonds) brought back such wonderful memories of my time in the Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt last year. Nearly every evening as we were walking back to our hotel, I would grab a small bag of Gebrannte Mandeln to finish the day. These roasted almonds now come in a variety of flavors and Jürgen has featured a classic version with vanilla sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.
The Kaffee Kirsch (Black Forest Coffee) is a warming end to the Christmas Market Food chapter. Freshly brewed coffee is flavored with a little Kirsch, sugar, and milk. To finish, it is topped with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkling of chocolate flakes. Jürgen mentions the blend of coffee, chocolate, cherries, and cream is reminiscent of a liquid Black Forest Gateau.
The German Christmas Cookbook is a fantastic pick for those interested in German cuisine and/or holiday baking. Recipes range from small treats to celebratory meals. For an extra festive option, you can even make a Lebkuchenhaus (Gingerbread House) with detailed instructions and a floor plan.
Most of the ingredients are readily available in larger American grocery stores. Some items may require further searching such as hazelnuts, mixed peel, currants, gelatin leaves, juniper berries, blood oranges, and pearl sugar.
Marzipankartoffeln (Marzipan Potatoes) Recipe
Excerpt from The German Christmas Cookbook
Marzipankartoffeln (German Marzipan Potatoes)
Ingredients
- 200 grams homemade or ready-made Marzipan
- 125 grams icing (powdered) sugar sifted, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tablespoon almond liqueur if avoiding alcohol, swap for water and maybe a couple drops almond extract
- cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- Soften the marzipan by kneading it. If it gets too sticky, dust the work surface with icing sugar.
- Break the marzipan into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
- Add the icing sugar and the liqueur and knead again until the marzipan mixture is smooth and pliable. Depending on its age/composition, you might need to add more icing sugar or some water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Break cherry-sized pieces off the kneaded marzipan and roll them into balls. Prick them a few times with a cocktail stick to emulate the black dots on a potato.
- Roll the balls in the cocoa powder, then dust them off until they remind you of irregularly colored potatoes.
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