![Westerwälder Neujährchen (2)[6]](https://www.hefe-und-mehr.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Westerwlder-Neujhrchen-26.jpg "Westerwälder Neujährchen (2)[6]")
The name “Neujährchen” is used in different regions of Germany for a wide variety of bread and pastry baked for new years eve or new years mornig. This variant stems from the Westerwald. I stumbled about it when I researched recipes for Neujährchen from the rhineland. I was fascinated by the dark crust which is archived by glazing them with cold coffee. And I was thrilled by the interesting mixture of spices and the fact that it is baked with a good amount of rye flour. The dough is mixed with a generous amount of butter, too, which is rather seldom for rye bread. The mixture of spices seems to vary from village to village. Adding Pepper and cinnamon seems to be common everywhere, but if anise or clove or both is used is different from recipe to recipe. As I do not like anise very much, the decision for my recipe variant was an easy one.
The hearty mixture of spice makes the rolls special, but very delicious. They taste great with honey, but would go as well with a mild goat cheese and some cranberry jam, too.
![Honigkuchen vom Blech[3]](https://www.hefe-und-mehr.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Honigkuchen-vom-Blech3.jpg "Honigkuchen vom Blech[3]")
Is everyone still here? Or did the apocalypse happened somewhere?
!
I like Christmas markets – if they are not crowded – and when I visit one with friends or colleagues we normally end our tour at a Glühwein stand. I do not like Glühwein not so much so I drink one of the non alcoholic drinks their offer. The hot chocolate is often not so good and the qualitiy of the “Kinderpunsch” differs very much from market stand to market stand.