When it’s snowing outside and the smell of freshly baked cookies is wafting in the house, you realize Bunter Teller is on the way.
What is a Bunter Teller?
Bunter Teller is an assortment of delicious goodies like nuts, cookies, fruits, candy and chocolates. The assortment is usually presented on a porcelain or cardboard fluted plate with colorful, traditional motifs from St. Nicholas Day or Christmas.
The Bunter Teller Season
Typical Bunter Teller season starts in December with St. Nicholas Day and lasts till the New Year. Uncountable batches are prepared, served and shared with family, friends, near and dear ones.
St. Nicholas Day
On the eve of December 5th, children keep boots and the iconic fluted plates outside their doors hoping that St. Nicholas would stop by and fill the boots and plates with gifts and goodies. Whether St. Nicholas visits or not, we will never know. But, for sure, the next morning, German mothers do fill the plates with cookies and other goodies to make the kids happy.
Christmas
Earlier Christmas trees were decorated with real fruits, nuts, home-made cookies and chocolates. Today, artificial decoratives like glass balls, ceramics, plastic toys and lametta have replaced the traditional ones. However, the charm of home-made cookies and chocolates never did wear off. These are now placed under the tree and on the tables for the whole family to enjoy. The loaded plate of festive treats can be seen on the coffee or study tables, in the living space or bedrooms. After all, Christmas is not Christmas without Bunter Teller at a German home!
The Humble Members of the Festive Plate
The Bunter Teller comprises the following delectables:
Bavarian Nuts candied, roasted nuts like almonds, pine nuts, pecans, macadamia or hazel nuts.
Traditional German cookies like Heinerle, Macaroons, Linzerkekse, Marzipan cookies or Bethmännchen, Gingerbread, Spritz, to name a few.
Chocolates dark, mild, rum-based, alcohol filled.
Putting Together a Bunter Teller – a Family Affair
Putting the Christmas plate of goodies together takes effort and patience. From peeling, drying, grinding of nuts, to preparing fruit jam or marmalade, to making and shaping of dough, to finally, baking and decorating. In a typical German house hold, it is usually a family affair. German mothers make sure responsibility is divided.
Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice!
Bunter Teller boasts of butter cookies, love and tradition. Somehow, everyone in the family finds the favorite cookie. One never gets tired of the loaded plate of festive treats, there is so much of variety and flavor in every bite. There is sugar, there is spice and everything tastes so nice!
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Read more Scitaupe articles on Christmas here.
Find out Villeroy & Boch have to say about the festive goodies plate here.
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