Skip to content

South Africans in Germany

Facebook Instagram Facebook
Home » Life in Germany » Seasonal » Christmas

Christmas

Brussel sprouts with Chestnuts

For 4 people

  • 400 grams Chestnuts (you can buy them prepared)
  • 600 gram Brussel sprouts
  • 75 gram Goose lard (Gänseschmalz) 
  • 15 ml finely hacked Thyme

 

To prepare the Chestnuts:

  1. Cut the chestnuts all around with a knife at the pointed end
  2. Bring salted water to a boil in a pot
  3. Put the chestnuts in a pot and cook for 15 minutes
  4. Drain and let the water drip off
  5. Break out of the shell while still hot, also remove the brown skin

The Brussel sprouts

  1. Rinse the Brussel sprouts
  2. Fill a pot with salt water, add the Brussel sprouts and the chestnuts and boil for 15 minutes
  3. Drain

Finish off

  1. Heat the lard in a pan
  2. Add the Brussel sprout and chestnut mix. Add the thyme
  3. Sauté for a couple of minutes
  4. Serve

Click here to submit your recipe

Gemmerbier

  • 4.5 liter water
  • 28 g gingerroot crushed
  • 500 ml sugar
  • 15 ml active dry yeast or 1 cube of yeast
  • 5 ml sugar for the yeast mix
  • 250 ml lukewarm water
  • one lemon
  1. Boil the water and add ginger and sugar.
  2. Stir until the sugar is dissolved
  3.  Pour it in an enameled can or bucket, and let it cool until lukewarm
  4. mix the yeast,  the 5  ml of sugar and lukewarm water
  5. Let it stand in a warm place for 5 – 10 minutes until it starts to ferment
  6. Add the yeast mixture to the ginger mixture
  7. Cut the lemon into slices and add it to the mixture
  8. Let it stand for 24 hours
  9. Strain it through a clean damp cloth and pour it into clean bottles. Do not fill the bottles to the top, but leave some space available
  10. It will be ready in two or three days
  11.  Keep an eye on the bottles and turn it now and again

Old Gingerbeer recipe

I am sharing this old recipe, for those who can get their hands on Lennon’s Jamaika Gemmer 

  • 9 liter water
  • 7 – 8 koppies (250ml elk) suiker
  • 10 ml kitssuurdeeg
  • Rosyntjies
  • 20 ml Jamaika gemmer
  • Bottels met proppies
  1. Meng alles behalwe die rosyntjies saam tot die suiker opgelos is.
  2. Plaas so 5 rosyntjies in elke bottel en vul dit 3/4 met die gemmerbier
  3. Draai die botel proppies losweg op
  4. Laat staan 1 dag in warm weer of twee dae in koue weer
  5. Draai bottel proppies styf to en plaas in die yskas

Related content

German Christmas Recipes

Baking cookies for Christmas is what childhood memories are made of. We will list some websites here where you can find authentic Christmas recipes.  Typical

German Christmas Traditions

St. Nicholas Day St Nicholas Day, known as Nikolaustag in Germany, is celebrated on the 6th of December. Children leave a pair of cleaned boots

Substitutes – Other Products

Here is a list of substitutes and translations for general food and kitchen items like cling film, maize meal, custard and biscuits    Related content

Where to buy South African products

Sonja Kohlöffel – Gem Squash

Gem Squash tastes just like home Postal orders 6kg total cost for postage and packaging is 20€ Collections in either Ulm or Bad Waldsee cost

Outer Africa

Restaurant and shop Here you will find the best of what the amazing and intriguing continent of Africa has to offer – in particular from

SA Food Store

Bringing you the taste of South Africa. We deliver anywhere in Europe Some of our products include: Ouma Rusks Tennis Biscuits Salticrax Zoo Biscuits Peppadews

Saffa Shop

A variety of South African products Home made biltong, boerewors, droëwors and chilli bites. Lamb chops. Maize Meal and Samp Maltabella, Jungle Oats, Kreemymeelm and

Die Spens

Die Spens shop is situated next to the A1 in Amersfoort, easily reachable from all over The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Come and have a

Click here to submit your recipe

Gammon

Gammon is ham that has been cured or smoked like bacon. It is the hind leg of pork after it has been cured by dry-salting or brining, and may or may not be smoked.  Kaufland in Germany occasionally sells Gammon as “Kassler Schinken geräuchert” or “Kassler Braten”

Christmas Gammon

  • 1 smoked ham
  • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced 
  • 3 celery sticks, diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 5 black peppercorns
  • 30 whole cloves for decoration
  • 45ml honey
  • 50g red candied cherries
  • 4 tinned pineapple rings
  1. Place the ham, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, 5 cloves and peppercorns in a large pot. 
  2. Cover it with warm water. Bring to the boil and boil for 50 minutes per kilogram of meat.
  3. Let it cool
  4. Heat the oven to 230 Degrees Celcius
  5. Take the ham out of the liquid and remove the skin. Keep a layer of fat on the meat.
  6. Cut a diamond pattern into the layer of fat and insert a clove in every diamond
  7. Place the ham on a baking sheet and brush with honey
  8. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown
  9. Baste the ham every now and again with honey
  10. Decorate with ham and cherries (put a cherry in each pineapple  circle)

Related content

German Christmas Recipes

Baking cookies for Christmas is what childhood memories are made of. We will list some websites here where you can find authentic Christmas recipes.  Typical

German Christmas Traditions

St. Nicholas Day St Nicholas Day, known as Nikolaustag in Germany, is celebrated on the 6th of December. Children leave a pair of cleaned boots

Tipsy tart

250g dates, pitted
1tsp bicarb
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup Butter
3/4 brown sugar (light)
2 XL eggies
1tsp Vanilla Essence
1 1/2 cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of salt, just a bietjie.
1/2 cups pecans

For the Sauce
1cup light brown sugar
1cup Boiling water
1TBS Butter
1/2 Cup Brandy + n bietjie vir liefde 😋
1 tsp vanilla, yes twice!


  1. Preheat Oven to 180 degrees.
  2.  Add the pitted dates, Bicarb and a cup of boiling water together. Let it stand for about 10mins.
  3. Cream the butter and the sugar and eggies until light and fluffy.
  4. Mix in the Vanilla Essence
  5. Add the dries to the wets (including the pitted dates mix) and fold it all together and pour into a lightly buttered oven dish.
  6. Bake for about 60 mins, depending on your oven of course! Let’s say 50-60 mins.
  7. Please keep an eye on it, it bakes very dark but obvs have to be spongy
Vir die skop:
  1. Add all the sauce ingredients to a pot and cook until the sugar is dissolved.
  2. Poke holes into the baked pudding and pour the sauce over
Shared by Michelle

Black Forest Trifle

  • Chocolate Cake
  • 100 g Sugar
  • 100 ml Cherry juice
  • Juice of on Lemon
  • 500 g Berries (frozen)
  • 500 g Cream
  • 2 packets of Vanilla sugar
  • Chocolate shavings for decoration
  1. Boil the Frozen berries, sugar, cherry and lemon juice together until it becomes thicker. Let it cool
  2. Beat the cream and vanilla sugar until the cream is still
  3. Cut the chocolate cake in think slices or break it into pieces
  4. Layer the cake, berry mix and cream in a glass bowl. Top with chocolate shavings or fresh berries
Notes:
You can sprinkle the cake with sherry or Cherry liquor.
You add a layer of Chocolate mousse or Chocolate custard.
You can add a layer of red jelly.
You can add a dash of Amarula or Bailys to the cream. 

Christmas Fruit Cake

Everyone has their favourite recipe. I find this one on the Sarie website very good with step-by-step instructions and photos. The recipe is in Afrikaans.

Add your recipe

You can add a recipe to our collection. Recipes will be published on this website. You can upload two pictures per recipe

Related content

German Christmas Recipes

Baking cookies for Christmas is what childhood memories are made of. We will list some websites here where you can find authentic Christmas recipes.  Typical

German Christmas Traditions

St. Nicholas Day St Nicholas Day, known as Nikolaustag in Germany, is celebrated on the 6th of December. Children leave a pair of cleaned boots

Christmas Markets

Visiting Christmas markets in Germany is a delightful way of celebrating the festive season. The heavy scent of sweets, fried sausage and warm wine welcome

Soetkoekies

  1. 180 g botter
  2. 200g strooisuiker
  3. 10ml
    vanieljegeursel
  4. 1 eier
  5. 240g koekmeel
  6. 2.5ml bakpoeier
  7. 2.5ml sout
  1. Voorverhit oond tot 180° Celsius
  2. Voer n baklplaat uit met bakpapier
  3. Verroom die botter en suiker saam tot lig en donsig
  4. Voeg die eier en vanieljegeursel by en klits tot goed gemeng
  5. Voeg die droe bestandele by (Koekmeel, bakpoeier en sout)
  6. Meng goed deur
  7. Maak balletjies, sit op bakplaat en druk plat met vurk 

Ginger Biscuits

  1. 125 ml Butter
  2. 1 Egg
  3. 250 ml Sugar
  4. 5 ml Baking Soda
  5. 35ml Milk
  6. 125 ml Golden Syrup
  7. 750 ml Cake Flour
  8. 15 ml Ground Ginger
  9. 2 ml Salt
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease the baking sheet. 
  2. Melt the butter and stir in the golden syrup.
  3. Allow butter and syrup mixture to cool.
  4. Beat in the egg.
  5. Sift the dry ingredients together and stir alternately with the milk in the syrup mixture.
  6. Refrigerate thoroughly until stiff enough to form.
  7. Form small balls and place them on the baking sheet.
  8. Press them slightly flat with a fork.
  9.  Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly browned.

From “Onthou jy nog” by Anna Eksteen

Vrugtevierkantjies

Related content

Christmas Desserts

Tipsy tart 250g dates, pitted1tsp bicarb1 cup boiling water 1/2 cup Butter 3/4 brown sugar (light)2 XL eggies1tsp Vanilla Essence1 1/2 cup Flour2 tsp Baking

German Christmas Recipes

Baking cookies for Christmas is what childhood memories are made of. We will list some websites here where you can find authentic Christmas recipes.  Typical

German Christmas Traditions

St. Nicholas Day St Nicholas Day, known as Nikolaustag in Germany, is celebrated on the 6th of December. Children leave a pair of cleaned boots