For The First Day of Advent, Cinnamon Stars
A recipe for the classic biscuit from the stunning book “ADVENT” by Anja Dunk and a brief history of Advent calendars
I can think of no better way to open the first day of the Time Travel Kitchen Advent Calendar than with an absolutely beautiful book titled ADVENT: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas, by Anja Dunk.
Food writer, cook and artist, Ms. Dunk begins her book with this:
Advent is a magic time. It holds all the sweet, almost unbearable anticipation of Christmas…
The word “enchanting” comes to mind whenever I read or bake from this lovely book, which was published in 2021.
Anja, who is of Welsh and German descent, created it as a way to “break the spell of lockdown” for herself during the pandemic, and it continues to be a way she hopes to “transport you into another world or story, too…” and she succeeds.
The book holds gorgeous photographs, mouth-watering bakes, engaging narratives and original linocuts that were inspired by the author’s love of Advent calendars. In fact, the book consists of 24 chapters, the same number as the days of an Advent calendar.
It’s filled with recipes to create a traditional “Bunter Teller” a colorful plate of cookies and treats to have at the ready when guests drop by. Anja has kindly given permission to share one of her recipes, essential for any Bunter Teller: Zimsterne (Cinnamon Stars).
Recipe: Zimsterne “Cinnamon Stars” (makes 30)
Heat the oven to 180 degrees C/160 degrees C fan/ 350 degrees F
The Advent Season
Each of the four Sundays of Advent set a theme for the week ahead: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The third week of the Advent wreath is marked with a pink candle, a symbol of joy and the anticipation of Christmas. It is the time of the winter solstice and a return to light.
The Advent season is steeped in tradition and rituals, just like the astronomical seasons, much of it centered around light. The Advent wreath, traditionally a doughnut-shaped circle made of twisted pine branches, sits on our kitchen table and is adorned with four candles. Each candle represents the weekly run-up to Christmas and is out at mealtimes, providing precious light and warmth during the shortening days.
— Anja Dunk from ADVENT
The Origins of the Advent Calendar
Advent calendars continue to grow in popularity and those 24 little doors can now hold all manner of treats — chocolates, tea, toys, fragrance — just about anything. Or they may simply contain charming Christmas or Winter related illustrations behind each door. And devotional Advent calendars hold prayers, Bible passages and meditations for each day leading up to Christmas.
In the 19th Century, German Protestants would mark walls and doors with chalk in December as they counted down the days to Christmas. By 1900, Gerhard Lang, a German printer, was producing illustrated paper Advent calendars which grew steadily across Germany and parts of Europe.
But in WWII, the Nazi Party banned the calendars and replaced them with their own version, complete with swastikas and war propaganda.
When the war was over, several companies in Germany, including one run by Richard Sellmer in Stuttgart, brought back the beloved calendars. Sellmer produced the first post-war Advent calendar (pictured above) in 1946, “The Little Town” which is still in print and available today. Link: HERE
President Eisenhower and Advent Calendars In America
In 1953, Mr. Sellmer, with help from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, imported the calendars to be used in a charity appeal on behalf of the National Epilepsy Foundation. Eisenhower’s grandchildren were photographed with “The Little Town” Advent calendar and that was the American public’s first introduction to them.
The infatuation with and sale of Advent calendars has only continued to grow since then, with ever expanding choices for gift-giving.
To read more on the the history of Advent calendars, click : HERE
The First Successful Chocolate Advent Calendar
Advent calendars with chocolate were first created in the 1950s to little fanfare.
Cadbury began making their Dairy Milk calendars (on and off) in 1971. But it wasn’t until the early 1990s that they took hold and Cadbury began producing the Dairy Milk Advent calendars continuously — the first successful chocolate advent calendar.
It led the way for all of the creative additions to Advent calendars, many quite luxurious, that we see today.
If you’d like to read more about the history of chocolate in Advent calendars, click: HERE
I’ll see you tomorrow for Day 2 of the TTK Advent calendar. Subsequent posts will be (mostly) shorter!
Many thanks to Anja Dunk and to Emily Sweet for her assistance. It was wonderful to be able to share ADVENT here. 🌟
Jolene
Sources:
Beck, Katharine. The Sweet History of Chocolate in Advent Calendars, TastingTable, November 3, 2022.
Treisman, Rachel. Advent Calendars, explained: Where they came from and why they are everywhere now, NPR, November 6, 2023.
Dunk, Anja. ADVENT: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas, Quadrille, London, 2021.
Getty Images
This is one of my favourite festive recipe books along with Nigel Slater’s Christmas Diariwa. Have you made her marzipan shortbread yet? It’s almost ridiculously delicious
I love Anja’s book. My mother is German and we grew up with picture advent calendars, which once we moved to Australia were quite difficult to source. I still have a fondness for them and buy one each year for my girls, even though they are way beyond the age of advent calendars. I love that they are still a part of our festive season rituals.