Christmas time Butter and eggs are getting more expensive again

Higher prices for butter and eggs

Consumers will have to dig deeper for butter and dairy products like cream and quark this year. The prices for eggs have also increased significantly, reports Marktinfo Eier & Geflügel (MEG). This will also boost spending on the Christmas bakery. The Federal Center for Nutrition refers to this.

The demand for eggs and egg products is currently significantly outstripping supply. Above all, goods from the Netherlands are in short supply, as the scandal around eggs burdened with the biocide fipronil still has an effect. According to MEG, the situation will only return to normal in a few months.

According to the Federal Statistical Office (destatis), butter prices even reached a record high: in September 2017, they were a whopping 70 percent above the previous year. This has complex reasons such as the increased demand with a lower supply of milk and thus also fat. As a result, spending on dairy products has also increased, especially for cream, milk and cottage cheese (plus 30% each). These developments can lead to higher prices for bakery products as well as other confectionery and snacks, explains the Federation of the German Confectionery Industry (BDSI). This also applies to traditional festive pastries such as Stollen and Speculoos.

As every year, the demand for butter increases in the run-up to Christmas. Since prices will not drop in the short term, imagination is in demand. An alternative for cakes is margarine. On the packaging can be read whether the vegetable fat is suitable for baking. For biscuits, this is more difficult, as the butternote often dominates and makes a big difference in taste. In some baking recipes, butter can be replaced by twice the amount of lean quark, which also reduces the calorie count and also makes the dough looser.

With batters, applesauce or a crushed banana can be added instead of fat, which gives the pastry a fruity note. With a little neutral vegetable oil such as rapeseed oil or sunflower oil, the desired consistency is achieved. Other alternatives include peanut butter and almond paste, which provide a nutty aroma. But it does not matter if it's butter or alternatives: nothing should stand in the way of this year's baking fun in your own kitchen.