Baumkuchen is a traditional German pastry. It is characterized by its round shape with layers of thin dough like the rings of a tree. For this purpose, a rotating horizontal skewer 1-2 meters long is used, on which very thin layers of dough are continuously poured in a rotating motion. The oven is always open and traditionally uses a fire like a fireplace.
But you can easily make baumkuchen at home! For this class, I have developed a recipe specifically for baking baumkuchen in your own toaster oven.
Traditionally, baumkuchen are coated with chocolate after baking, usually milk or dark chocolate. The chocolate also resembles tree bark.
To make the baumkuchen suitable for a spring hanami picnic, this recipe calls for pretty pink handmade chocolate.
This baumkuchen will be an unforgettable part of any hanami picnic.

Spring is the time for cherry blossom viewing in Japan. In Germany, spring is Easter. For this reason, there are many Easter-themed recipes. Cakes and dishes in the shape of bird’s nests and Easter bunnies contain lots of eggs, and Easter bunnies contain lots of carrots.
Easter braid and Easter wreaths are typical Easter cakes. This Easter wreath is filled with marzipan and has a delicious creamy sweet inside. The hole in the middle can be beautifully decorated with an Easter egg or a chocolate Easter bunny.

Cupcakes can be made all year round. They can be filled as desired for any season or event and coated with a variety of creams and icing.
In addition, cupcakes are very popular for buffets, picnics, birthdays, and eighths to take with you because they are as easy to eat as a pretty cake.
This recipe is the perfect cupcake for hanami season. They’re filled with cherry jam and covered with a thick layer of beautiful pink cherry cream.

During the Easter season, a recipe with carrots for the Easter Bunny is not to be missed. This salad is super juicy, delicious, healthy, and can be eaten all year round. It is very easy to prepare and can be eaten for up to 5 days. I loved this salad as a kid and my kids love it just as much.

Smoked fish, especially smoked salmon, is a very popular food in Germany, especially in northern Germany. Small tarts have always been very popular at parties, and there are many recipes for them. These tarts can be made from frozen folded pie crusts and can be baked quickly without too much trouble. The tarts can also be frozen and served in lunch boxes at any time, or warmed in a toaster oven and served with a salad.

Knaeckebrot is very popular in northern Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and other parts of Scandinavia. Knaeckebrot is a flat, dried bread usually made from whole wheat flour.　　It is very crumbly and breaks off with an audible cracking sound, hence the word “kunekke”. It is rich in dietary fiber, making it very healthy. The dried nature of the bread allows it to be stored for weeks or even months. It can be eaten like a cracker without any toppings, or like regular bread with toppings such as cheese, sausage, jam, etc. Kneckebrot is often eaten as a light dinner or taken as a snack on short trips. They can also be eaten as an afternoon snack like Japanese rice crackers.
Especially the Knaeckebrot, made with a full bag of seeds and spelt flour, is a tasty and healthy bread with lots of healthy minerals and other nutrients.
This recipe does not require kneading or letting the dough rise, so even beginners can make this bread with ease. The entire Knaeckebrot is completely mixed and baked in about an hour.

A creamy, spicy spread that can be eaten all year round. It can be eaten on crackers, Knaechtbrot, pita bread, white bread or baguettes.

Many doner kebab shops have opened in Japan. However, no one in Japan knows that the doner kebab actually originated in Germany! In 1972, a Turkish man named Kadir Nurman created the first doner kebab in the German capital, Berlin. Today, there are thousands of doner kebab shops all over Germany, even in small villages. Just as ramen is the soul food of the Japanese, doner kebab is the soul food of the German youth.
Unfortunately, I have never had such a delicious kebab in Japan as I have in Germany. Therefore, in this menu and two other menus, I will teach you three types of kebabs that are popular in Germany.
This kebab variation is vegetarian, with falafel instead of meat. It is a lighter dish than the meat-filled doner kebab. They take as easily as a sandwich and are very tasty even when cold. Plus, kebabs made with falafel are very healthy.
Bringing a surprise homemade kebab to a cherry blossom viewing picnic will make everyone’s day unforgettable. It is the perfect dish to toast with a cold beer under the cherry blossom trees.

When I was in high school and college, I often had BBQs and picnic parties with friends. We always had fresh, large pita bread and lots of different dips.
But for the original kebab, you need pita bread too. This recipe is so easy, you can make one large pita bread or bake several small pita breads and stuff them as kebabs. The bread can be frozen and served fresh in the toaster oven as a side dish for salads and soups, or as a sandwich for lunch boxes.

At hanami, it is normal to drink lots of beer and sake. And sausages go very well with beer. In this menu, I  will introduce the first sausage recipe. In the next class, I will introduce other popular and well-known sausage recipes.
Weisswurst is a special and very traditional sausage from southern Germany.　It is not baked, it is only cooked. It has a gentle taste as well as color. Traditionally, weisswurst is served with sweet mustard and pretzels and is usually accompanied by a large beer. It can be found in all restaurants and beer gardens in southern Germany, and is also served at many Oktoberfests. In the past, weisswurst was only eaten for breakfast first or second thing in the morning, but now it can be eaten all day long.

In March, it is still cold outside, so it is nice to have something warm to eat after playing outside.　This soup is very convenient to bring along in a soup jar. It is a hearty, creamy soup full of ground meat, cheese, and green onions. This is a very popular soup in Germany. This soup freezes very well and can be heated in the microwave and eaten fresh anytime. It is a favorite of adults and children alike, and my father always makes it when the whole family gathers at my parents’ house.

This liqueur is very fruity because it is full of strawberries and has a bright red color. Moreover, this liqueur is easy to make, taking less than 5 minutes. You can also use this liqueur well as a gift.　　　　　　　　　　　　　It goes very well with hanami picknics.