All Around Pennsauken

By Rachael Shugars, AAP Columnist

As a child I’m sure everyone had their favorite holiday treats around the holidays. For this month’s article I decided to highlight the delicious uniqueness of two personal favorites: pfeffernüsse (pronounced fef-er-noos-a) cookies and panettone bread.

Spice cookies called Pfeffernüsse are popular holiday treats in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands; you can also find them in your local grocery store.

Being from a multicultural background, my upbringing had international food perks galore. I can’t remember the first time I had pfeffernüsse cookies, but every year since, it has been a staple holiday food item. Pfeffernüsse, or peppernut cookies are a German spiced cookie covered in a frosted coating. The history of the cookie is unknown, but it is believed to be from the Netherlands. I however feel like this cookie needs to be internationally known. One of my favorite techniques when enjoying this cookie is to dip it in hot cocoa or coffee. The cookie is slightly soft and after dipping it, its frosty coating adds an extra hint of sweetness to the whole experience. I bought my first pack this year already. They normally go for around $3 dollars per pack and are available at most major grocery stores.

My other holiday favorite is panettone bread. This is an Italian treat but does have a history in other regions of Europe, including Spain. Panettone is a sweet bread that has fruits and nuts baked inside of it. Some of you might be thinking, “FRUITCAKE!” but I assure you this is far from it. This sweet bread is soft and fluffy. It isn’t messy and can be served a variety of ways. I normally just tear a piece off of the loaf, slather some butter on it and enjoy. I know other people who will heat or toast theirs before putting butter on is. Lastly, try to control your excitement about this one: panettone French toast! You slice pieces off and dip and pan fry them just like you would with regular bread. It’s heavenly and doesn’t need much in the way of flavor enhancers because everything is already backed inside of it. Panettone can be found in a lot of places. Italian bakeries and major grocery stores normally carry this in varying sizes. The smaller loaves start at about $5. These are also fantastic gifts if you’re going to someone’s house for dinner and want to bring something other than wine.

This year has been an awesome culinary journey for me and hopefully for you as you read along in my articles. I hope 2018 brings on many new, exciting food locations. Happy holidays to you and yours and remember to always enjoy your food adventures!