We’ve discovered that Fudge started in a dorm and that we can use chocolate to create a fun and magical experience at the holidays, but we wondered about chocolate and holiday festivities around the world. So we set out to learn more about how people from other countries celebrate and how they use chocolate to create magic on their special days.
France
According to the Why Christmas website: The main Christmas meal, called Réveillon, is eaten on Christmas Eve/early Christmas morning after people have returned from the midnight Church Service. Dishes might include roast turkey with chestnuts or roast goose, oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison and cheeses. For dessert, a chocolate sponge cake log called a bûche de Noël is normally eaten.
Hungary
According to Wikipedia, Hungarians hand wrap chocolates and then hang them on Christmas trees for decoration and later consumption. Here is the description from Wikipedia.
Szaloncukor (literally: “parlour candy”) is a type of sweet traditionally associated with Christmas in Hungary. It is usually made of fondant, covered by chocolate and wrapped in shiny colored foil, then hung on the Christmas tree as decoration.
Every year, almost a kilo and a half of it are consumed per household during Christmas season.
The tradition of hanging these candies on the Christmas tree started in the 19th century. It was named szaloncukor because the tree usually stood in the parlour (szalon in Hungarian; Cukor means “sugar” or “candy”).
The name comes from the German-Austrian Salonzuckerl, this is why the original name was szalonczukkedli.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, it is customary to make a fudgy brownie called Brunsli. You can find it alongside many of the Christmas treats made for parties and gatherings during the holidays.
If you want to try your hand at this delectable treat, here’s an easy recipe we found at About.ch.
Brunsli (Swiss brownies, Christmas treat)
Ingredients:
150 g (5 ounces) sugar
1 pinch of salt
250 g (9 ounces) grind almonds
¼ tea spoon cinnamon
1 pinch of clove powder
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of flour
2 fresh white of egg (about 70 g (2.5 ounces))
100 g (3.5 ounces) bitter chocolate
2 tea spoons of kirsch
Preparation:
Mix sugar, salt, almonds, cinnamon, clove powder, cocoa powder and flour in a bowl.
Add white of egg and stir until ingredients are evenly distributed.
Cut chocolate in real small pieces, pour hot water over the chocolate, let rest for about 5 minutes, then pour off all water except about half a tablespoon, stir until even. Now immediately proceed with the next step.
Add melted chocolate from the previous step and the kirsch, knead to a soft dough.
Roll out dough on a flat surface (it may be slightly covered with sugar), approximately 10 mm (0.4 inches) thick. Put out different shapes and put them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.
Let them rest for about 5 to 6 hours or over night in a dry place.
Bake for about 4 to 6 minutes in the center of the pre-heated oven at 250 °C (480 °F). Let cool completely before serving.
Chocolate most definitely finds its way into holiday celebrations around the world. Will you incorporate some of these traditions into your holiday celebrations?
If you do, please be sure to share with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Or leave us a comment below.
Wishing you and yours the happiest holiday season from your family at Chocology!
~ The Chocology Team
Chocology Today 