A staple during the holiday season in every Swiss household.

INGREDIENTS
1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
3½ cups flour, plus more for dusting
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup raspberry jam- seedless
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 325°. Beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat. Add flour and salt; mix. Transfer dough to a floured surface, form into a disk, roll until ¼" thick. Using a 2" fluted round cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced 2" apart. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut out shapesin the center of half the cookies. Bake cookies until lightly browned, 10–12 minutes; cool. 

2. Dust cookie rings with confectioners' sugar. Warm up Raspberry Jam in Sauce pan for easy spreading. Place 1 tsp. jam in center of each whole cookie; spread to within ⅓″ of edge. Top each with a cookie ring.

This is a traditional Swiss recipe for Mailanderli. Delicate lemon-flavored butter cookies, that is popular in many cantons throughout Switzerland. It's a pretty standard recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb unsweetened butter softened
1 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 lemons, zest of
1 Egg

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325°F

2. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest, and mix well. Gradually add flour while stirring. Chill.

3. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes.

INGREDIENTS FOR FOUR PEOPLE


INSTRUCTIONS

A traditional winter pastry to enjoy with a cup of Coffee or Tea

INGREDIENTS
Butter 50 g
Sugar 125 g mix well together

Eggs 2 add

pinch of salt beat well by hand or with a electric beater until light and frothy.

Kirsch or Brandy 1 Tbl spoon

The grated peel of 1 lemon

250 g plain flour

INSTRUCTIONS
Add to mixture and quickly knead the dough. For best results leave it in the fridge over night. Make longish rolls about a finger thick, cut those in 8 cm long sticks. Deep fry in Peanut oil until golden brown and split. Let them rest on absorbent paper to soak up the oil. Enjoy! (makes around 30)

Nobody really knows how this dish got its name. Fotzel means a torn-off scrap of paper. But in Basel dialect it means a suspicious individual.Our grandmothers used to use stale bread to make fotzel slices, which made it an ideal recipe for homemakers accustomed to the rule: "Never throw any bread away."                  

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
* milk
* 3 eggs
* butter
* sugar
* cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Sprinkle a little milk over the bread
2. Stir the eggs in a bowl, and mix in about three tablespoons of milk and a pinch of salt
3. Heat butter in a skillet
4. Lay the bread slices in the egg and milk mixture to soften them, then transfer them to the skillet
5. Fry on both sides until they are brown
6. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon to taste

Serve with apple purée:
1. Peel and core 4 - 5 apples and cut into slices
2. Cook the apple in about 1/3 cup water until soft, then mash until smooth
3. Add e.g. lemon juice, sugar or maple syrup to taste

Cold milk is drunk with this.

A must try when in Switzerland.There are several different recipes for nut cake, but the most famous is probably the one from the Engadine, a valley in Canton Graubünden.

INGREDIENTS (for a cake 12 inches in diameter:)
* 2 ½ cups sugar
* 2 ¼ cups shredded walnuts
* 1 1/3 cups cream
* 1 tbsp honey
* 4 cups white flour
* 1 cup butter
* 1 egg
* 1 pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS
Oven temperature: 350 degrees

Cake pan 12 inches in diameter, 2 inches deep

Pastry:
1. Put flour and ¾ cup of sugar into the bowl of your processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse again. Add the egg and pulse to make a ball.
2. Divide the dough into two unequal pieces in the proportion two thirds and one third. Chill in refrigerator while you make the filling.
3. Roll out the larger piece on a floured surface so that it is big enough to line the bottom and sides of the pan. Roll out the smaller piece to exactly the diameter of the pan.

Filling:
1. Put the remaining sugar into a saucepan with a teaspoon of water and heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has turned to deep amber caramel.
2. Remove from heat, add cream and honey, then return to heat and allow to boil for one minute.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts.
4. Allow to cool.

Assembly:
1. Pour the filling evenly over the pastry lining and smooth the top.
2. Cover the filling with the smaller piece of pastry. Gently lift the pastry from the bottom layer off the rim of the pan, and fold it over the top layer to make a border.
3. Bake in the bottom third of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the cake is deep golden in color and feels firm to the touch.
4. Allow to cool.

Recipe from the German part of Switzerland. Aelplermagaronen: This dish is often eaten in a mountain restaurant on a nice ski day.

INGREDIENTS FOR FOUR PEOPLE
* 1lb medium sized potatoes (suitable for boiling)
* ½ lb macaroni
* ½ strong cheese, grated (e.g. Appenzeller)
* 2 fluid oz cream
* 1 fluid oz milk
* 2 large onions
* 1-2 cloves garlic

* butter greasing the pan
* salt
* flour for sprinkling
* clarified butter for frying

INSTRUCTIONS
Oven temperature: c 310 degrees

1. Peel the pototoes and cut into cubes (slightly smaller than the macaroni, so that they both cook in the same time).
2. Cook macaroni and potatoes together in lightly salted water until the macaroni are "al dente". Drain well.
3. Grease an oven-proof baking dish, and lay in it alternate layers of the potato/macaroni mixture and the grated chese
4. Boil up the cream and milk and pour them over the dish.
5. Put the dish in the middle of the preheated oven, and leave for around 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted but not changed color.
6. Meanwhile slice the onions into thin rings and chop the garlic finely. Sprinkle with flour, and fry until golden in the butter, turning constantly. Allow to drain on kitchen paper, and arrange over the macaroni.

This dish is served with apple sauce or "Ankestückli"

Tip: Use the thickest possible macaroni for this dish, which remain "al dente" even after long cooking.

Ingredients apple sauce:

* 1 ½ lb sour apples
* 1oz butter
* 2 fluid oz apple juice or white wine
* sugar

1. Peel and slice apples, removing the cores.
2. Heat the butter in a skillet and sauté the apples briefly
3. Sprinkle sugar over them to lightly caramelize them
4. Add juice or wine, allow to cook gently until all the liquid is absorbed
5. Serve hot with the Aelplermagronen

A favorite from the French part of Switzerland

INGREDIENTS
8 slices cooked bacon
1 9 inch unbaked pie shell
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion rings
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 2/3 cups undiluted CARNATION Evaporated Milk
3 beaten eggs

INSTRUCTIONS
Crumble bacon in unbaked pie shell. Cover with cheese and onion. Combine flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Add beaten eggs to evaporated milk mixture; blend well. Pour over cheese and onions. Bake in moderate oven (375°) 30 to 40 minutes, or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes one 9 inch pie.

Soup's on with the most famous soup from Graubünden.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
* 1/3 cup barley
* 1/2 knob of celeriac
* 2 carrots
* 2 potatoes
* 1/2 white cabbage
* 1 leek
* 2 tbsp oil
* 1 stock cube
* Salt, ground pepper
* 2 tbsp cream 

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Rinse the barley and leave to soak overnight.
2. Peel and dice the celeriac, carrots and potatoes.
3. Remove the thick ribs from the cabbage, and cut it into strips.
4. Cut the leek into rings.
5. Heat the oil in a large pan and soften the celeriac, carrots and cabbage.
6. Add the barley and leek and top up with two pints of water.
7. Add the stock cube and simmer for two hours.
8. Before serving season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Add cream.

For non Vegetarian version simply add some smoked sausage rings, smoked bacon pieces, smoked ribs etc.

A staple during the holiday season in every Swiss household.

INGREDIENTS
1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
3½ cups flour, plus more for dusting
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup raspberry jam- seedless
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 325°. Beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat. Add flour and salt; mix. Transfer dough to a floured surface, form into a disk, roll until ¼" thick. Using a 2" fluted round cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced 2" apart. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut out shapesin the center of half the cookies. Bake cookies until lightly browned, 10–12 minutes; cool. 

2. Dust cookie rings with confectioners' sugar. Warm up Raspberry Jam in Sauce pan for easy spreading. Place 1 tsp. jam in center of each whole cookie; spread to within ⅓″ of edge. Top each with a cookie ring.

Recipe from the German part of Switzerland.

This simple dish, similar to hash browns, is traditionally regarded as a Swiss German favorite. It has given its name to the "Rösti ditch", the imaginary line – or cultural divide - between German and French speakers in Switzerland. However, it is also eaten by the French-speaking Swiss

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped ( optional)
600 g firm cooking potatoes with skin
salt, nutmeg, pepper
1 tbsp butter

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Peel potatoes, coarsely grate
2. Lightly braise onions in butter, add potatoes, mix. Keep stirring with wooden spoon, in order to fry the potatoes evenly. Form a big cake, and fry on medium heat for a few minutes, turn , add the rest of butter around edge, fry on medium heat until crispy. Or separate the pre-fried potatoes in 4 portions and fry in small cakes.

Recipe from the French part of Switzerland.

This is just one of many variations on the basic fondue recipe. Attention: you need special fondue equipment, consisting of a heavy pan (caquelon), and a special stand containing a burner with an adjustable flame.

INGREDIENTS
1 to 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1/2 pound Swiss (Emmenthal) cheese, shredded
1/2 pound Gruyère cheese, shredded
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons Kirsch (optional)
Fresh-ground nutmeg and pepper
1 baguette (1/2 lb.), cut into 3/4-inch cubes

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart fondue pan (flame-proof ceramic or porcelain-glazed cast-iron) or heavy-bottom metal pan over medium heat, warm 1 cup wine until bubbles form and slowly rise to surface, about 6 minutes.

2. In a bowl, mix Swiss cheese, gruyère cheese, cornstarch, and mustard.

3. Add cheese mixture, a handful at a time, to hot wine, stirring until fondue is smoothly melted and beginning to bubble. Add kirsch and sprinkle fondue with nutmeg and pepper.

4. Set pan over an ignited alcohol or canned solid-fuel flame (if pan is ceramic, place a heat diffuser between it and heat source). Adjust heat so fondue bubbles very slowly. Check occasionally to be sure fondue is not scorching; if it is too hot, reduce or turn off the heat, then resume heating when mixture begins to cool.

5. Spear bread cubes, 1 at a time, with fondue forks or thin skewers (metal or wood) and swirl through fondue (stir across bottom frequently to prevent scorching); lift out and let drip briefly over pan, then eat. If fondue gets too thick for easy dipping, stir in more heated wine, a few tablespoons at a time. After fondue is consumed, scrape the cheese crust from pan to divide and eat; it's considered a special treat.

This is a typical Swiss Sunday treat. The Zopf - or Züpfe as it is called in Bern - has been known in Switzerland since at least the middle of the 15th century

INGREDIENTS (For 2 Loaves)
1 kg white flour , or 7 Cups
200 g butter - 1 stick and 6 tablespoons butter
1 egg
½ l milk - 2 cups
50 g fresh yeast or 15 gm dried - 2 envelopes dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
3-4 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS
Sieve flour into a bowl, and make a hollow in the centre. In a seperate cup dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk, add sugar stir carefully, let rise. Separate egg, keeping yolk to one side. Add salt along the side of the bowl containing the flour, gently melt butter in pan' let cool a bit, add yeast mixure to flour in to hollow, carefully mix yeast mixure with flour, add cooled butter to flour, and mix in. Mix until dough does not stick anymore, cover with cloth, leave to rest for one hour in a warm place.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces, and form each into a sausage, with tapering ends.

Here comes the difficult bit...

Each zopf is made up of two strands. To make the first loaf, lay one strand horizontally on the work surface, and place another vertically across the middle. Take the right end of the horizontal roll and lay it leftwards across the top one, and take the left end and lay it rightwards. Then take the two ends of the vertical roll and do the same, bringing the upper end downwards and the lower end upwards. Continue alternately until the braid is complete, then press the ends together.

Alternatively, twist the strands together from the top, like a rope, then bend the twisted dough in half and twist the ends round each other again.

Repeat for the second loaf.

Never mind if they don't come out quite right: they should taste just as good!

Paint the loaves with the egg yolk mixed with water.

Bake for about 40 minutes at 200-220 C, turning the heat up towards the end in order to brown them.

This recipe, an all time Swiss favorite is from the German part of Switzerland.
Veal, Zurich style, this dish is often served with Roesti (Swiss hash browns)

INGREDIENTS for four people:
* 1 lb veal
* ½ lb fresh mushrooms
* 1 medium sized onion
* 2 oz butter
* 5 fl oz white wine
* 7 fl oz cream
* ½ tsp lemon juice
* 1 tsp chopped parsley
* salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut veal into thin strips.
2. Clean mushooms and slice thinly. Chop onion.
3. Heat a skillet, melt butter and lightly brown the strips of veal. Remove meat from pan and leave in a warm place.
4. Fry the mushrooms in the pan for a few minutes with the lemon juice, turning them as necessary. Add the chopped onion, allow it to brown.
5. Deglaze with the wine, and reduce the heat. Cover and braise gently for five minutes.
6. While the mushrooms are cooking, beat the cream so that it thickens slightly
7. Return the meat to the pan, raise the heat, but do not allow to boil. Stir in the cream, taking care not to let it separate. Add the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave covered for another 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle. Serve immediately

This dish is easier - and more elegant - if made using a special raclette grill, with little trays for melting the cheese. The grill is placed on the dining table, and the guests make their own: each takes one potato and melts one slice of cheese at a time, so that everyone is always eating a dish which is piping hot.
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS


INSTRUCTIONS
1. Wash the potatoes, and boil them in their skins. Allow them to drip, then place them in a basket, covered with a cloth to keep them as hot as possible.
2. Put a cheese slice on a raclettev tray and melt it under the special grill. Pour the melted cheese over a potato.

That's it! The potato is eaten with the accompaniments suggested above

Additional Information:
If you don't have a raclette grill, you can put the potatoes on heavy plates with a slice of cheese over them, and melt them together under the grill on your cooker. Or you can do it the original way, standing the cheese next to the fire, and scraping it off over the potatoes with a knife as it melts.

Raclette is eaten accompanied by white wine.

In addition to the traditional Raclette it has become very popular to have a Raclette Grill ( Grill top added).
Simply add your favorite meats, Vegetables or Seafood to the top of the Grill and you have a full festive Dinner. Enjoy :) The Table Grills are available at most Swiss Stores Listed above

The dishes of Canton Vaud tend to be particularly filling: pork sausage, leek and potato hotpot. If you ask a Vaudois what - apart from Saucisson - the typical dish of the canton is, you will usually get the answer: 'Papet vaudois', leeks with potatoes, served with Saucisson, and/or with 'Saucisse au foie' and 'Saucisse au chou' (smoked liver or cabbage sausages).

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
1 3/4 lb leeks
1 chopped onion
2 tbs butter
5 fluid oz white wine
3 fluid oz bouillon
salt
pepper
nutmeg
1 tbs flour
7 fluid oz milk
1 lb potatoes, diced
1 saucisson vaudois
1 saucisse au foie (liver sausage)
1 saucisse au chou (cabbage sausage)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Wash the leeks, remove any root and the ends of the leaves, cut into pieces 1-2 inches long
2. Sauté the onion in half the butter for five minutes, without letting it color. Add leek and allow to stew together for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously
3. Season with salt and pepper, add wine and bouillon, and cook covered for another 15 minutes
4. Add the potato, cook for another 10 minutes
5. Add the sausages and simmer in the leek mixture for 20 minutes
6. Heat the remaining butter in a second pan. Add flour, cook together for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, then add milk and 10 fluid oz of the liquid from the leeks
7. Mix together well, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and cook gently on a low heat for 10 minutes
8. Put the leek mixture and sausages in a sieve and drain well, retaining the cooking liquid (which can be used to make soup).
9. Stir the leek mixture into the milk sauce, and simmer for another 5 minutes with the sausages. If the sauce is too thick, dilute with some of the liquid used for cooking the leeks.
10. Remove the sausages, rinse them briefly in hot water.
11. Arrange the leeks on a serving dish, lay the sausages on top.
12. Pierce the sausages once or twice with a fork, so that the juice does not spurt out when they are cut, but pours over the vegetables.
13. At table cut the sausages on a board.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
* 5 cups water
* 2 cups polenta
* 1 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring the water and salt to the boil
2. Remove pan from the heat, pour the polenta in slowly, stirring constantly, then return the pan to the stove
3. Lay a wooden spoon across the pan, and place the lid on the spoon. This will stop the polenta from spurting out as it cooks
4. After a few minutes stir again, then replace the lid
5. Boil the polenta for at least 45 minutes, preferably more, stirring frequently. It is meant stick to the bottom, and even burn on slightly
6. Tip the polenta, which is very thick, onto a board, and cut off slices using a thread held between your hands.

Polenta prepared in such a way is especially good with meat served with a rich sauce.

Shortly before the end of the cooking time the polenta may be enriched with, for an ounce or two of butter and/or grated parmesan to taste.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
* 11oz bread (need not be fresh)
* 1 3/4 lb apples
* butter
* sugar
* cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces
2. Melt some butter in a skillet, brown the bread pieces in it, then set them aside
3. Cut the apples into chunks. You may peel them or not, as you choose
4. Caramelize the apples with butter and sugar in a pan, and then add a little water and cook them until they start to go soft
5. Mix in the bread, an reheat briefly

Serve with sugar and cinnamon to taste.

Recipe from Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
* 1 tbs oil
* 12 oz Arborio rice
* 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
* 1 clove of garlic, minced
* 3 ½ fluid oz white wine
* 1 packet of saffron threads (not ground!)
* 1 ¼ pints chicken bouillon
* 4 tsp half-and-half

* 4 oz finely grated cheese (Sbrinz, Appenzeller)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat the oil in a skillet
2. Sauté the onions and garlic, stirring often, until soft but not brown.
3. Add the rice, cook briefly until it becomes translucent, stirring all the time.
4. Add the wine and continue stirring as its flavor is absorbed by the rice.
5. Add the bouillon and saffron, stir in well, and cover.
6. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then turn heat down as low as possible and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.
Note: there is no need to stir at this point: if the heat is not too high, the rice will not stick to the pan.
7. Stir in the cream and cheese. (If the Swiss cheeses are not available, Parmesan may be used instead) Season to taste.

Serve immediately with a meat dish and salad

Nothing better than a meat pie on a cold winter day.  Or any day for that matter. This is a popular dish from Graubünden in south eastern Swiss Alps

INGREDIENTS
Pastry:
* 3 1/4 cups flour
* 1/2 cup margarine
* 1 tsp salt
* just under one cup water
* yolk of two eggs

Filling:
* 18 oz mixed ground meat
* 2 oz bacon, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup cream
* 6 oz white bread, diced
* hot milk
* salt
* nutmeg
* pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Oven temperature: 450 degrees

Method:

Pie:
1. Rub together the four, margarine and salt
2. Mix the water and one egg yolk, and add to the flour mixture, combining them to form a dough
3. Allow to rest

Filling:
1. Mix together the ground meat, bacon and cream
2. Soften the bread in the hot milk, squeeze dry, then add to the meat along with the onion
3. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and stir well

Assembling:
1. Use two thirds of the dough to line a baking tin. Prick with a fork, and spread the filling over it
2. Roll out a lid with the rest of the dough, and lay it on top
3. Paint the lid with the remaining egg yolk, and prick with a fork
4. Bake for 50 minutes

Serve with a green salad