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Sweet Pretzels

Sweet Pretzels for my Love

Luxembourg has lots of quaint traditions, but above all, ‘Bretzel-Sonnden‘ is one really lovely example. Every year, on the third Sunday of Lent, we celebrate ‘Pretzel Sunday’. Here, a man should offer his beloved a sweet pretzel. If she accepts, she in return will have to give her man a chocolate Easter egg for Easter. If she refuses, she gives him a basket – hence the Luxembourgish expression ‘hie krut de Kuef’ (he got the basket) if you get dumped…

In leap years, the tradition reverses. Then, the woman is due to offer a pretzel in return for an Easter egg. It’s said that in old times, ‘Pretzel Sunday’ set the seal on many marriages.

So, in honour of this sweet tradition, I’ve baked these Pretzel Cookies. Usually Pretzels are made with a fluffy yeast dough, turning them into a nice viennoiserie. My recipe is more of a dense, soft dough with a chewiness and a lovely taste of almonds with a hint of cinnamon.

I hope your sweetheart will get you a pretzels for ‘Bretzel Sonnden’, which will fall on the 27th March 2022 this year – be it a home-made one or one from a nice Luxembourg bakery…

February 22, 2018
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