Theodore Herzl’s Christmas Cookies: Spiced Chocolate Hazelnut Krokerle

Ever have ambivalent feelings about Christmas? So did the Jews of nineteenth-century Germany. While you might have though Chrismukkah is a modern invention, it actually wasn’t dreamed up by the writers of The O.C.—its history is much longer and, arguably, more distinguished than that.

Prewar German and Austrian Jews were well known for having been Europe’s most assimilated. While some went so far as to convert to Christianity in a bid to get ahead in society, others wanted to have their lebkuchen and eat it too, retaining their identities as Jews without missing out on all the perks of bourgeois German life—one key perk being the celebration of Christmas.

Not unlike in the US today, Christmas was a big deal in nineteenth-century Germany. The majestic tree, the fun advent calendar, the glistening roasted goose, the Christmas cookies… it was all too alluring for some assimilated German Jews to pass up, and besides, not joining in the Christmas fun set Jews apart from their neighbors in a way some found uncomfortable (again, not unlike today’s American Jewish scene).

Hence Weihnukka, Chrismukkah’s mostly forgotten forerunner. Combining Weihnachten (“holy night”), German for Christmas, and Hanukkah, Weihnukka referred to Jewish celebrations of Christmas. These were by and large focused on the spectacle, rather than substance, of the holiday, with many German-Jewish homes combining the trappings of Christmas with whatever meager observances they doled out for poor neglected Hanukkah.

How widespread was Weihnukka in its heyday? Let’s just say that even Theodore Herzl had a Christmas tree in his Vienna home (though I can’t say for sure whether or not he ate krokerle—apologies for the false advertising).

The renowned scholar of Jewish mysticism Gershon Scholem recalled lavish Christmas Eve celebrations during his childhood in Berlin, featuring gifts, roast goose, and even a Christmas tree with a portrait of Herzl underneath. His cousins went one step further, receiving Hanukkah presents not from their parents but from the German Jew’s answer to Santa Claus: Father Hanukkah, or the “Hanukkah Maennchen.”

Not all German Jews went in for Weihnukka, and many sought to provide Hanukkah festivities to counterbalance the allure of Christmas (sound familiar?). Gershon Scholem remembered parties and balls held for Jews on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the most prominent of which was the Maccabean Ball (not unlike today’s Matzo Ball).

All of this was in marked contrast to the way Eastern European Jews tended to relate to Christmas. There, it was known as an especially dangerous time of year when anti-Semitic violence was even more likely than usual to flare up.

Unsurprisingly, these two groups brought their decidedly different attitudes toward Christmas with them to the US. Many German-Jewish immigrants continued their Weihnukka traditions in America, while Eastern Europeans built up their own tradition of Chinese food and a movie. Even a few Reform rabbis got on the Chrismukkah bandwagon, with Dr Solomon Sonneschein of St. Louis’s Temple Share Emeth proposing not only that Jews should celebrate Christmas, but that Hanukkah should also be observed on December 25!

But back to the food—German Jews went crazy for classic Christmas sweets like stollen, lebkuchen, and pfeffernusse. Christmas cookies in particular were a big deal in nineteenth-century Germany (just as they are in America today), and there were nearly infinite varieties in circulation.

One of them was krokerle, a chocolate-hazelnut variation on your standard spice cookie. It’s definitely not the most famous, but it is delicious. I first encountered krokerle in Gabrielle Rossmer Gropman and Sonya Gropman’s excellent German-Jewish Cookbook, and that’s where the recipe below comes from. I’ve left off the lemon glaze from the original, and upped the quantity of hazelnuts slightly, but otherwise have kept pretty close to the original. These are nice little biscotti-like cookies, with a pleasant crunch, and they’re dairy-free and pareve, too.

Why yes, I did make a menorah out of hazelnuts.

Spiced Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies (Krokerle)

Neutral-flavor oil for greasing the pan, if needed

10 ounces hazelnuts

4 large eggs

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa

2 ounces brandy or whiskey

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or grease with neutral-flavor oil.

Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes or until you start to smell them. Be careful not to let them burn. Immediately remove them from the oven and spread on a clean kitchen towel. Wrap the four corners of the towel over the top and let sit for a few minutes—the steam will loosen the skins. Roll the nuts around in the towel—this will help remove the skins. Coarsely chop and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until light and foamy.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, spices, and cocoa. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg and sugar mixture. Add the brandy or whiskey and the nuts and stir to combine.

Drop by teaspoonfuls or tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

Sources: “Chrismukkah as Happy Ending?: The Weihnukka Exhibition at the Jewish Museum Berlin as German-Jewish Integration Fantasy,” Journal of Jewish Identities (Cary Nathenson, January 2013); The German-Jewish Cookbook: Recipes and History of a Cuisine (Gabrielle Rossmer Gropman and Sonya Gropman, 2017); A Kosher Christmas: ‘Tis the Season to be Jewish (Joshua Eli Plaut, 2012)

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