The finest Christmas cookies? You can get them at these bakeries!

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The finest Christmas cookies? You can get them at these bakeries! 

Do you have two left hands when it comes to handling flour, eggs, butter and mixers? No problem: Düsseldorf bakeries, pastry shops and pâtisseries offer cinnamon stars, gingerbread and the like of outstanding quality.  

If Aunt Karola's cookies are drier than the Gobi Desert, the gingerbread house keeps collapsing like there's no tomorrow despite an extra load of icing, and the cinnamon stars have tasted better before, then don't despair! In Düsseldorf, you'll find a large number of bakeries, pastry shops and patisseries that will relieve you of hours of standing in the kitchen and - professionals, after all - know exactly which type of cookie needs an extra dash of cinnamon or after how many minutes in the oven Spekulatius reaches perfect crispness. And if your favorite pastry is not on the list, just ask at the specialty store of your choice. Because in the following we present only a small selection, whereby on site (and not infrequently also in online stores!) the entire extent of Christmas baking is available.  

Baumkuchen 

If there is one cone that characterizes Düsseldorf's cityscape, it is the green-white-black one of the Confiserie Heinemann. Founded in 1932 in Mönchengladbach by master confectioner Hermann Heinemann, a visit to the branches not far from Königsallee (Rethelstrasse 153 and Bahnstrasse 16, each with a café) and the one in Oberkassel (Luegallee 47) is an essential part of an all-round successful day for many locals and visitors alike. During Advent and Christmas, the stores are transformed into a winter wonderland. With lots of tinsel, glitter and garlands, everything is a bit more playful. One of the highlights is undoubtedly the especially finely baked Baumkuchen, for which Heinemann is known far beyond the city limits. Also not to be despised: XXS Santa Clauses bringing champagne truffles, mini fir trees with even smaller baubles that come as gift packaging for handmade chocolates, as well as marzipan potatoes and gingerbread of all kinds.So it's quite possible that you'll come home with more than one green-white-black bag.  

Christmas stollen 

A small but very fine selection of Christmas pastries is offered by the BullBakerywith branches in Mitte (Oststrasse 113) and Flingern (Birkenstrasse 55). The only, but incomparable offer during the most contemplative time of the year? Christmas stollen! At Bulle, the traditional pastry with succade, marzipan, raisins, currants and almonds rests for several weeks. This allows the flavors to fully develop, giving the Stollen its unique taste - and turning any Advent breakfast or coffee drink into a feast. Since it was first mentioned in a document in Saxony in 1474, there has been no way around this specialty - and in Düsseldorf, there is no way around the Bulle bakery. Professional tip: Always cut the pastry in the middle so that it can be pushed together again. So the Stollen does not dry out and remains fresh for a long time. A glass of champagne goes perfectly with it - that's professional tip II. Cheers, to a perfect celebration! 

"Crunchy Christmas" 

Recipes without gluten-containing ingredients still appear in classic baking books - although many men, women and children have to or want to do without them for health reasons. Isabella Krätz and her colleagues have been baking gluten-free and often vegan since 2014, and of course also at Christmas time. Their "Crunchy Christmas" is particularly tempting. This involves roasted nuts and pistachios with gingerbread nougat "on crunchy, crumbly nut crumble with a slight hint of apricot." Or how about cocoa cranberry bread? You can also get Stollen, cinnamon stars, Printen and various confections at the pâtisserie not far from Belsenplatz (Arnulfstraße 4), which also has an online store. We wouldn't be surprised if Santa Claus drove by with an empty sleigh and ordered "Once everything! 

Printen 

Ah, Printen. First baked 200 years ago - in 1820 to be exact - many look forward to enjoying their favorite pastry all year round. As early as 1891, just a few decades after the invention of the gingerbread variety in Aachen, Düsseldorf opened its Bakery Hinkel. And, what can we say: According to unofficial surveys, Printen taste better here than anywhere else! Throughout the year you can get Printenbruch, but at Christmas time also "whole specimens" for example coated with chocolate and decorated with almonds. So juicy, so sinfully delicious. So it's only logical that there are always long lines in front of the stores in the old town (Mittelstraße 25 and Hohe Straße 31). But the wait is worth it - even for coconut macaroons, Florentines and almond spritz pastries with the very appropriate name "Hüftgold". By the way, Hinkel also sends all the products to your home. 

Speculoos 

Spelt speculoos with cinnamon, orange peel, mace, star anise, cloves, ginger and cardamom - so if that doesn't sound like Christmas cookies, what does?! Also available in a variant with almonds, the cookies of the Wholemeal and mill bakery Hercules in Derendorf (Ulmenstraße 120) always ensure empty cookie plates. Did you know that Spekulatius originated in the Netherlands? Invented in the 17th century, the cookies are now part of the gold standard of Christmas baking. But you can also stock up on cinnamon and chocolate stars, Rhenish-style stollen and organic vanilla crescents at Hercules. Just don't let the cookie plate out of your sight! 

Bûche de Noël 

Nothing goes without Bûche de Noël in France and many French-speaking countries! There, the cookie pastry, which - as its name suggests - resembles a tree trunk and is said to recall the logs that used to be burned in fireplaces, enjoys top priority on the festive table. No wonder: who could resist a work of art made of chocolate buttercream? In Düsseldorf, for example, you can get Bûche de Noël at Pâtisserie "Pure joy" (Hohe Straße 19, Carlstadt), where you should definitely order the specialty in advance. You can choose from four flavors: "Alliance Amande Praliné" with almonds, marzipan and nougat, "Croquant Chocolat" with extra chocolate, "Alliance Exotique" with mango-passion fruit, pistachios and physalis and "Opéra" with coffee flavor. Chocolate Nativity figures, Berlin bread and dominoes with passion fruit jelly and pistachio marzipan also leave nothing to be desired under the Christmas tree.  

Title image: Düsseldorf Tourism

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