Christmas Cookies

Instead of partaking in Black Friday or Small Business Saturday, Mary Ann and I decided to create our own event.  We called it Black Small Business Friday.  We went to some great places in the Short North and downtown on Gay St.  But my favorite place was our first stop in the German Village.  I recently read another blog about the Bierberg Bakery and knew I had to visit soon.

  It is only open October-December and makes about 25 different German cookies. I also saw some fruit cake and stollen.  The room is dark with a few Christmas knick knacks and has two tables filled with tins brimming with cookies.  The lady we spoke with has a thick German accent and described any cookie we asked about and even let us sample a few.  The cookies are $16 a pound and so far are well worth it.

I wish I could tell you the names of them, but I have no idea.  Most of them contain nuts with a lot containing almonds.  There are also quite a few with raspberry jam.  I am already trying to think of more excuses to go back!  If you go, be mindful that they only take cash and checks and are closed on Sundays.

Bierberg Bakery
729 S. 5th St.
M-F  9-5
Sat. 9-3
443-9959

Making Mozzarella Cheese

I've been wanting to make cheese for quite some time and finally had the ingredients and the time.  Although it doesn't take much of either.  I got a kit from Roaring Brook Dairy.  You can also buy the ingredients at most supermarkets.  The milk came from Snowville Creamery.  There are a few things I would have done differently and the mess I made was really unnecessary.  But next time I will know better.

Heating the milk to 85 degrees.

After adding the rennet and citric acid.

Draining the whey.

More draining and kneading.

Shaping.

Prosciutto...yummmmmm!