Traditional German St Nicholas Pastries
Ingredients
Dough
- 220 ml milk
- 500 g all-purpose flour (Type 405)
- 80 g sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- a pinch of salt
- 1/2 cube fresh yeast
- 100 g soft butter
- flour for dusting
- butter for greasing
- 1 egg for brushing
- 2 tbsp milk for brushing
Decoration
- a few raisins
- a few pumpkin seeds
- some pearl sugar
Preparation
Warm the milk in a saucepan.
Mix flour with sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl.
Crumble the yeast into the mixture.
Add lukewarm milk and soft butter.
Knead the ingredients for 5 minutes with dough hooks until smooth.
Let rest covered for 45 minutes.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions.
Shape each portion into a ball.
Roll each ball into a long rope (about 25 cm) so that one end tapers to a point.
For the legs, make a small lengthwise cut at the tapered end.
For the head, shape the other end to be slightly narrower after about 4 cm to form a neck.
Flatten the entire rope slightly.
Make small cuts in the center, left, and right for the arms.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional or 160°C (320°F) convection.
Place the Stutenkerle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Whisk the egg with milk and brush the Stutenkerle with it.
Decorate the face with raisins and seeds for mouth, eyes, and nose, pressing them firmly into the dough.
Optionally, place a small twig in the hand and press it into the dough.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
Let cool.
Serving
Optionally, wrap with gift ribbons or in a clear gift bag.
