4 Winter Classics From Germany: Make Your Own Sweet Snacks!

When it's cold and dark, there's nothing better than comfort food. To make it though the long winter, the Germans have come up with a number of great-tasting sweet snacks that we'll show you how to make today. Though the following treats are usually eaten with a glass of mulled wine at Christmas markets, there's nothing stopping you enjoying them any time of the year. So what are you waiting for?!

1. Roasted Almonds

You'll Need:

• 7 oz sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 fl oz water
• 7 oz almonds

Here's How:

1. This recipe goes a lot quicker than you may think. First heat up the sugar, water, and cinnamon in a pan and leave it to cook for one more minute. Next, add the almonds and stir until the sugar starts to stick to the almonds.
2. Shake the almonds onto a tray covered with parchment paper and spread them out.

2. Schmalzkuchen (Mini German Doughnuts)

You'll Need:

• 8.8 oz flour
• 4.2 fl oz warm milk
• 1 oz sugar
• ½ packet dried yeast
• ½ tsp oil
• powdered sugar to sprinkle on top
• oil for frying

Here's How:

1. Pour the flour into a large bowl. Next, stir the dried yeast, sugar, and oil with the warm milk in a smaller bowl. Pour this mixture onto the flour and knead it into a dough using your hands. Leave the dough in a warm place for an hour with the bowl covered.
2. Knead the dough well once more and roll it out on a floured work surface. Cut the dough into a rectangle and then into 1 inch x 1 inch squares. 
3. Fry the squares in hot oil in batches until they are a golden color. Turn them regularly, making sure they don't go too dark. Otherwise, they'll be too dry and hollow inside.
4. Once you've taken them out of the oil, sprinkle some powdered sugar on your delicious Schmalzkuchen. These German treats are best served warm.

3. Candy Apples

You'll Need:

• 5 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 17½ oz sugar
• red food coloring
• 3 large apples

Here's How:

1. Heat up the water, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot while continually stirring. Leave the ingredients to boil on a high heat until the mixture becomes thick. Next, stir in the red food coloring.
2. Remove the cores from the apples and insert a thick stick in their place.
3. Turn the apples in the warm caramel sauce until they have a nice even coating.
4. Leave the candy apples to cool on a surface covered with baking parchment. 

4. Quarkbällchen (Fried Cream Cheese Dough Balls)

You'll Need:

• 1 cup cream cheese
• 44 oz sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• ½ packet baking powder
• 8.8 oz flour
• oil for frying
• sugar to sprinkle on top

Here's How:

1. First, use an electric whisk to mix the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla flavoring, and eggs. Next, add the baking powder and flour while continuing to stir until you have a smooth dough.
2. Fill a piping bag with the dough and heat the oil in a pan to approximately 290°F. 
3. Always push about one inch of the dough into the pot. It's best to use a knife to cut off each individual ball from the end of the piping bag. Leave the dough balls to fry for about two to three minutes.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove the dough balls from the pot and place them in a bowl covered with baking parchment so that the oil can drip off.
5. To finish, remove the paper, sprinkle some sugar on the dough balls and swivel them around so that the sugar is evenly distributed.

These tasty German snacks will certainly leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. What a delicious way to get through the winter. Enjoy!