11 December 2020

From our Christmas bakery at sea

These sweet temptations inspired by EUROPA 2 and HANSEATIC inspiration will bring a flavour of our ships into your homes this Christmas.

Head Patissier Walid Elsayed

Gingerbread hearts, cinnamon stars and vanilla crescents to macaroons and shortbread biscuits, are few traditional festive treats that are bound to get you in the holiday spirit. Our chefs onboard EUROPA 2 and HANSEATIC inspiration send their Christmas greetings and a couple of their favourite recipes for you to bake and enjoy at home this season.

Imagine the fine aroma of vanilla, coupled with the spiciness of ground hazelnuts and the tangy sweetness of fine dark chocolate on distinctive shortcrust pastry. If that gets your taste buds watering then you’ll love these recipes for nut macaroon as peacock’s eye. Nut macaroons are a classic Advent biscuit in Germany and have been popular since the 17th century. The sweet version of the peacock's eye is traditionally made with shortcrust pastry and filled with redcurrant jelly. Both biscuits can be easily stored, preferably in a paper-lined tin, and out of reach of anyone who can't resist the scent.

These sweet temptations inspired by EUROPA 2 and HANSEATIC inspiration will bring a flavour of our ships into your homes this Christmas.

From the Christmas bakery of the EUROPA 2 – Hazelnut Macaroons

Ingredients:

  • 250 g sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 300 g ground hazelnuts
  • 100 g flour
  • pith of one vanilla pod
  • zest of one lemon
  • set aside some whole hazelnuts and some egg white for the garnish

Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl or whisking bowl. Leave the dough to rest in the fridge overnight. Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop out individual portions, shape into balls and place on baking trays with baking paper. Before baking, place a hazelnut pulled through egg white in the centre of each ball. Bake at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. After the macaroons have cooled, you can dip them into chocolate or decorate them with gold leaf.

The kitchen team of the EUROPA 2 wishes you all the best!

Head Chef Timon Michael Lohrengel and Head Patissier Walid Elsayed

From the Christmas Bakery of the HANSEATIC inspiration – Peacock Eyes

Ingredients:

  • 125 g soft butter
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 75 g sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 1 egg, size M
  • 200 g flour (type 405)
  • 1 pinch of baking powder
  • flour to work with
  • icing sugar for sprinkling
  • 100 g red currant jelly

Preparation:
Mix the butter, salt, sugar and vanilla pulp with a whisk or hand mixer until fluffy. Stir in the egg. Mix the flour and baking powder, then quickly knead the ingredients to a smooth ball of dough. Flatten the dough slightly, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for an hour.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180° (fan oven 160°). Roll out the dough on a little flour until it is approx. 3mm thin. Using a glass or a cookie cutter, cut out biscuits about 7 centimetres in diameter and place them on the baking tray, spacing them slightly apart. Cut out smaller circles from half of the biscuits with a cookie cutter in the middle. Bake the biscuits in the oven on the middle shelf for about 10-12 minutes until golden and remove.

Sprinkle the biscuits with icing sugar while they are still hot. Bring the redcurrant jelly to the boil and stir until smooth. Brush the biscuits without holes with jelly, then place the ones with the holes on top, press down lightly to fill the hole with the jelly. Leave to cool on a rack.

Have fun with the sweet shortbread,

Uwe Kaczmarek, Chef Pastry of the HANSEATIC inspiration