Links
Anne L. Watson: released a book in November 2010 titled Baking with Cookie Molds. She also publishes a blog and has a monthly cookie magazine blog. www.annelwatson.com/cookiemolds/index.html Her book is available for purchase on the Springerle Joy website.
Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland: The largest Christmas store in the world. Located in Frankenmuth, MI, it is a two-hour drive from Detroit. Plan to spend a full day in Frankenmuth: several hours at Bronner’s, lunch or dinner at Zehnder’s and a stroll along the main street’s many shops. It is beautiful in any season, but fall is my favorite time. Try to come on a weekday and be there when they open the doors at 9 AM, to have some elbow room before the tour buses arrive. They have maps and plenty of staff to help you navigate. Don’t forget their museum and video presentation. www.bronners.com
Friends of the Creche: This organization is composed of people who collect crèches from around the world. A biennial convention is held with educational talks, a members’ museum, a Manger Mart and festivities. A quarterly color magazine comes with an annual subscription. http://www.friendsofthecreche.org
Golden Glow of Christmas Past: The 1100+ members of this organization collect pre-1966 Christmas and hold an annual 3-day convention with classes, educational talks, a members’museum, antique auction, antique sales room and a Christkindlmarkt. There are many collecting areas of interest and the focus is on education and sharing information with members. There is cookie baking contest. (Springerle Joy owner Patrice Romzick won first prize for a molded cookie several years ago. The prize: a wooden springerle mold! She has retired from the competition for a few years to let others try their hand.) A monthly color magazine comes with the annual membership. http://www.goldenglow.org
The Christmas Haus: is perhaps the largest retailer of purely German Christmas in the US. Located in a large Victorian carriage house 9 miles east of Gettysburg, PA on US 30, it is a sparking Christmas world. Plan to spend a couple of hours in the store when you go because it is packed with gorgeous items wherever you turn. Their specialties include Inge Glas figural ornaments, smokers, nutcrackers, schwibbögen and pyramiden. It is a pleasant day-trip from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and DC. http://www.thechristmashaus.com/about.htm
The National Christmas Center: The largest antique Christmas museum in the world. Located just east of Lancaster PA in the PA Dutch country, it is loaded with historical Christmas with an emphasis on the 1800s and 1900s around the world. Plan to spend at least an hour in the museum. The displays are exquisite and include a reproduction of an F.W. Woolworth store at Christmastime, an enormous animated Santa’s workshop, a storybook village with animated displays that is great for children and a large train display room under a fantasy Christmas tree that takes up the entire room’s ceiling. If you are in the Lancaster area, this is a must if you have an interest in Christmas. www.nationalchristmascenter.com
Kurt von Eckroth: He is the zitherist who plays the lovely background music on our videos. He has played with The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Music can be purchased on his website. www.thezither.com
Homemade Dessert Recipes: This website focuses on old recipes. They have quite an extensive Christmas section, and have embedded the Springerle Joy video on making the dough. http://www.homemade-dessert-recipes.com/springerle-recipe.html