Bethmännchen: Frankfurt Christmas speciality

No Frankfurt Christmas plate should be without the spherical Bethmännchen.

The typical Frankfurt baking speciality can look back on a long tradition.

The inventor" of the delicious nibble is Jacques Gautenier, who had come from the Seine to the Main to cook for the banking family von Bethmann.

Jacques mixed marzipan, the finest sugar and egg whites, seasoned with lemon zest,
to form a solid mass, shaped it into small balls and placed them on the baking tray.

The Bethmännchen got their name from the Frankfurt city councilor Simon Moritz von Bethmann. The number of almonds stand for his sons.

Initially 4 almonds were pressed into the balls representing the sons Moritz, Karl, Alexander and Heinrich.

When Heinrich died young in 1845, the fourth almond was omitted.

You can find a Bethmännchen recipe HERE

Frankfurter Brenten

The typical Frankfurt baking specialty can look back on a long tradition.

There is evidence that Brenten were already among the favorite dishes of Goethe, who even as a Privy Councillor in faraway Weimar received a package of the nibble from his mother every year for the feast.

Even the Swabian poet Eduard Mörike could not let go of the Frankfurt Brenten. He even dedicated a long poem of seven verses to them, in which he also gives recipe instructions.

You can find a recipe for Frankfurter Brenten HERE

You can find the poem by Mörike at the end of this special

Quetschemännchen

.In addition to "Brenten" and "Bethmännchen", "Quetschemännchen" can also look back on a centuries-old tradition as a typical Frankfurt Christmas speciality.

In earlier times, they were made in large quantities in the town houses of the city.

At Frankfurt's traditional Christmas market, of course, you can also find the Quetschemännchen, as the plum men are called in "Frankforderisch".

With the males composed of prunes and nuts (nowadays, of course, there are also females) it had a special meaning in earlier times.

It was the custom in old Frankfurt for young men to send their sweethearts a little squeeze.

If the wooed lady of the heart kept it, the young man could be sure of her affection.

But if she sent it back, he was "rebuffed".

Notwithstanding, squeeze males are still considered lucky charms in our day.

More Christmas Recipes:

Frankfurter Haddekuchen

Christstollen

Cinnamon Stars

Frankfurter Makrönchen

More Christmas Specials:

The Great Christmas Special - Introduction and Origins

The Christmas tree and other Christmas symbols

Christmas traditions from around the world I

Christmas traditions from around the world II

Christmas Poems

The Christmas Story

Christmas greetings from around the world

Christmas markets in Frankfurt and RheinMain

The Frankfurt Christmas Market

Eduard Mörike: Poem on the Brenten

Frankfurter Brenten

Almond first, I counsel thee,
Take three pounds, better four (In proportion as you like);
These are now pounded
And finely rubbed with ordinary rose-water.

For each pound of almonds accurately<x><BR</x>Three quarts of sugar without grace!<x><BR</x>Bring the same into the mortar,<x><BR</x>Thereupon swing it through a hair sieve.

From thy earthen vessels
Then shalt thou select me a thing,
What else is called a tile,
But be it new to this end'!
To this we fill all the junk
And put fresh coals under.

Now stir and stir without ceasing,
Till the mass will thicken,
And stir thou an hour full!
On the dipped finger shall
The smallest no longer stick;
That long must we drive it.

But now bring the scribble
In a bowl (the poet,
Because rhyme is to him above all,
Will badly here a model,
While the cook insists on the former.)

Then press it together well!
And so it has rested overnight,
Should you knead it through piece by piece,
Swell it out knife-back thick.
The less flour you sprinkle in,
the better it will be.)

Then in moulds be it stamped,
As is wont with wine-baked;
Last - that will pious the cause -
Taking the baker sharply in duty,
That they come nice and yellow from the oven!