it's beginning to look a lot like...

winter. But that means soon the Christmas markets will start. It also means that my students are already eager to share their Christmas traditions with me.

I've briefly mentioned some of the awesome things I'm gaining from my students. Last night was our first Monday Pub Night in a few weeks due to the break. All of the regulars turned up, & there were a lot of new faces, too. So many students come out to the Irish pub to practice their English that it's difficult for the lecteurs to talk to all of them.

One of my students that always comes but that I rarely get a chance to speak to had talked to Joe at the last Pub Night. She told him about her favorite Christmas treats–clementines, the fruit of Christmas, & chocolate-covered gingerbread. She said it's her family's traditional treat, & she wanted us to try them.

This week when she got to Pub Night, she pulled out a large, heavy, red box from her bag. "It's all in German," she said, "but they're a French thing." The box is filled wit the gingerbread Christmas cakes she was telling us about (see a picture here). Joe, being the responsible adult that he is, said he was excited to try them when we got home. I, being the fat kid hidden in a woman's body that I am, busted open the box & grabbed a heart-shaped cake.

I'm excited to bring this treat home, though I haven't quite figured out if the tradition began in Germany or France. I do know that they taste like your mom's gingerbread covered in chocolate that reminds you of those little Hostess donuts you buy at gas station's. I know this isn't the best description, but it was an unbelievable taste of home. The flavor reminded me of Mom (the gingerbread) & Dad (the donuts, which he loves... only he prefers the coconut).

The also serve as a great breakfast. Though we don't have clementines at the moment, we do have very tangy citrus juice. Awesome flavor combination. I guess it's the same idea as putting lemon pudding on gingerbread, which is how I remember eating it at home.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to bring this recipe home for my loved ones in the states next year. They're relatively cheap to cheat & buy on this site, but there are also a few recipes that look pretty great. Apparently, this chocolate/gingerbread combo is a hit (though I'll always be partial to ones completely coated in a thick layer of chocolate).

Here are the best recipes I've found so far:
1. Chocolate-covered Gingerbread Kids (for the young ones & young at heart)
2. a more elegant Chocolate Gingerbread (for the fancy grown ups)
3. a sinful Chocolate Gingerbread with Icing (for those, like me, that need chocolate in & on their cake)