From March 9th to March 10th, AP German students decided to bake Swiss foods in order to celebrate and experience new cultures. On those days, the class rented the community room in order to bake three different foods from Swiss culture.

Students in the class were taught by their teacher how to make three different dishes. These dishes were: Älplermagronen, Basler Läckerli, and Zopf. In English, these dishes can be referred to as “Alpine macaroni”, “little delicious things from Basel”, and “Swiss braided bread”.

Älplermagronen is a traditional Swiss comfort food. This dish consists of macaroni pasta smothered in a creamy cheese sauce and potato chunks, and topped with caramelized onions and bacon bits. This dish is typically served with apple sauce to dip into to add some sweetness.

Basler Läckerli is a spicy gingerbread-like cookie. This cookie can be translated directly as “little delicious things from Basel” (a city in Northwest Switzerland). These cookies are often spiced with lemon peel zest, orange peel zest, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and Kirschwasser (a cherry brandy). Students replaced Kirschwasser with cherry water, used in place of the brandy. Once the cookies are done, they are glazed with a thickened sugar water.

Zopf is a Swiss braided bread. Zopf is a soft bread known for its braided appearance.