Mecklenburg Egg Wreath (Mecklenburger Eierkränzchen)
Classic Christmas treat from Mecklenburg-Vormpommern with a sweet eggy lemon flavor. Before there were Christmas trees, which first came into fashion in mid-19th century Mecklenburg, children received their Christmas gifts in their stocking caps - today's lavish gift-giving did not exist at that time. Children put their hats on the window sill, and the parents filled them with pastries, including these egg wreaths.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 440°F/225°C.
- Melt the butter and beat with the sugar and lemon peel until fluffy. Press the hard-boiled egg yolk through a sieve, add to the butter mixture and stir well.
- Add the flour and knead into a dough. Cover the dough and let sit for an hour.
- Form the dough into finger-sized rolls. Cut the rolls into pieces about 4-3/4 inches long, shape into wreaths and place on a greased baking sheet.
- For the decoration, beat the egg whites until somewhat stiff. Coat the wreaths with the egg whites and sprinkle generously with the granulated sugar.
- Bake the wreaths in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.
Notes
Preparation time: 30 minutes (plus resting and baking time)