‘Tis the Season to…
Experience European Holiday Delights With Viking Cruises' Christmas Markets!
The Christmas Markets By River Cruise Ship
The holidays are pure magic along Europe’s waterways. Storybook villages and snow-capped castles line the rivers’ banks, and in grand cities and charming towns alike, festive Christmas markets celebrate the season with colorful crafts, gingerbread and warm, spicy glühwein.
Glühwein is a mulled wine from Germany, best paired with gingerbread, spiced cookies and cakes, leaving you with a gentle sweet, warm and invigorating taste; ideal for those cold winter evenings.
In medieval town squares and down cobbled lanes, aromas of old-world family recipes waft from kitchens—hot potatoes, chestnuts, grilled sausages and baked treats. Market stalls offer a delightful array of hand-carved toys, ornaments, nutcrackers and colorful woolen scarves. Viking’s Christmas cruises help spread the cheer with on-board festivities: you can bake gingerbread cookies withtheir executive chef, decorate the ship’s Christmas tree and enjoy live, regional holiday music from a local ensemble. This holiday season, immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit with Viking.
Whether you have experienced the Holiday Season in Europe or dream of the tastes of Austria and France, we want to whet your appetite for the vibrant and glorious spectacle of Europe’s Christmas markets by providing you with Viking’s own recipes for such seasonal treats glühwein to get you in the spirit of things. While you are preparing this amazing concoction for your friends and family why not take the time now to start your planning.
To find out more information about these amazing Christmas Market Cruises with the Viking Cruise Experts click here CruisinWithTed, email tedkarbo@gmail.com, or call Ted Karbowski at 954-290-8626 to get started. Remember these Christmas Markets are the first to sell out so don’t wait another minute.
SACHERTORTE
Here is one of the recipes Viking has collected while traveling through Europe on a Viking Cruise for the eponymous Sachertorte (pronounced “SOCCER tort”) named after its place of Origin, the Hotel Sacher in Vienna.
The Hotel Sacher Vienna is one of the world’s great luxury hotels in one of Europe’s most culturally significant cities: the birthplace of psychoanalysis and a city of musicians, artists, philosophers and architects. Their famous guests have included John F. Kennedy, Indira Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth.
The Original Sacher-Torte has been the most famous cake in the world since 1832 and the original recipe remains a well-kept secret of the hotel. Only the Original Sacher-Torte is produced according to this original recipe. The basis of the entire confection is a chocolate cake, thinly coated by hand with best-quality apricot jam. The chocolate icing on top of it is the crowning glory. It tastes best with a portion of unsweetened whipped cream.
Here is a version of this decadent Austrian classic, still today found in many of Vienna’s coffeehouses. You can sample this on-board the Viking Long Ships, on such Viking cruises as the Romantic Danube, the Danube Waltz and the Grand European Tour. You are also able to try Viking’s own delightful interpretation of this Viennese treasure at home. Just close your eyes, and you will hear faint strains of a Strauss waltz.
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Recipe For the Sacher-Torte
INGREDIENTS:
CAKE:
● 10 T (143 g) softened butter
● 1/2 C (65 g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
● 8 egg yolks
● 8 egg whites
● 5 oz (142 g) bittersweet chocolate
● 2/3 C (82 g) of flour
● 1/2 C (96 g) sugar
● 2 T (44 g) apricot jam GLAZE:
● 8 oz (227 g) bittersweet chocolate
● 2 T (29 g) butter GARNISH:
● Whipped cream
DIRECTIONS – CAKE:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cream together butter and confectioners’ sugar. Add 1 egg yolk at a time, mixing until creamy. Melt 5 oz bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler or microwave; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in flour. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and sugar until stiff. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into a lined 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 50-65 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Heat apricot jam and smooth over entire torte, including the sides. Alternatively, you can slice the cake in half crosswise and also add apricot jam between the layers.
GLAZE:
Melt the 8 oz bittersweet chocolate with butter and frost cake. Serve with whipped cream.
● Cook time: 50-65 minutes
● Makes 8-10 servings.
NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING:
● Calories 451
● Fat 35 g
● Cholesterol 184 mg
● Sodium 67 mg
● Carbs 38 g
● Protein 10 g
GLUHWEIN -HOT MULLED WINE
There is one drink Austrians treasure during the holiday season: Glühwein. The scent of this spiced mulled wine lingers throughout Austria. Surprise your party guests with this great warming and typically Austrian drink. Around the holiday season, public houses in nearly every European town offer mulled wine as a delicious antidote to the season’s chill. To warm up on a stormy evening or put yourself in a celebratory mood, you can make your own glühwein at home.
Recipe For Gluhwein Hot-Mulled Wine
INGREDIENTS:
● 4 qts dry red wine (e.g., zinfandel, pinot, burgundy)
● 1 C white sugar (more to taste)
● 1 pt brandy
● 12 whole cloves
● 1/8 tsp allspice
● 1/8 tsp mace
● 1 qt dry white wine
● 1 orange
● 1 lemon
GARNISH:
● 6 cinnamon sticks
● 1 orange, sliced
there are no Christmas sailing that include traveling for Christmas are there? I have searched and can only find CrosiEurope which I don’t want