About the Magic of Christmas Cakes in Europe

Christmas time is the best season for cakes and biscuits in Europe. Anita Leckenberger goes on a quest to uncover the secrets of baking traditions. She will track down the Austrian Linzer Tart, the German Stollen, the French Bûche de Noël and many more. When Christmas-time comes along, a lot of biscuits are baked and many cakes sweeten the Advent season and the holidays. The Linzer Tart originates from the Upper Austrian capital, Linz, and is one of the oldest recipes in the world, for it could be tracked down to 1653. There are seasonal baked goods across Europe, but they could not be any more different. Whereas in Germany, the Stollen is a heavy, rich, slightly exotic bread filled with candied fruits, the French wouldn't celebrate Christmas without the Bûche de Noël. This chocolate sponge roll, filled with chocolate cream is supposed to represent a log but it mainly is a visual artwork. In Verona, the world-renowned Pandoro is made through days of working on the dough. The wafer tart, which brings back many childhood memories, is the regional speciality of the Czech Karlovy Vary. Anita Lackenberger looks over the shoulders of bakers and pastry chefs and will serve not only the recipes but also the stories behind the baking traditions.