Silke’s sells German confections and local art for the holidays

Story by Karen Parr-Moody

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The French claim to have taken baking to its height, but those who have sampled Silke Tyler’s pastries and cookies may put their money on the Germans. Year-round, the German-born Tyler makes confections like those found in her hometown near Nuremberg at Silke’s Old World Breads Bakery and Café at 1213 College Street.

Then during the Christmas season, Tyler ramps the baking up with specialty items. She is inspired by her grandmother, who baked tins of treats during the holidays. Among the many Christmas confections now available at Silke’s bakery are Linzer cookies, gingerbread people, coconut macaroons, lebkuchen and hazelnut stars. Also offered is the traditional butter rum stollen, a sweet loaf bread containing nuts and fruit that Germans bake for Christmas.

“Our place is the place to be for Christmas,” Tyler said on a recent weekday as she was about to bake some more hazelnut star cookies.

Tyler noted that in addition to offering holiday baked goods, her bakery also sponsors a group of local artists who recently hung their works there for the annual “Small Packages” show. Tyler began this annual tradition eight years ago so that holiday shoppers could find reasonably priced art for gifting. This year, the art sells for as low as $15.

“It is for people to be able to shop local, because it’s all original art from local artists,” Tyler said. “And it’s so affordable, too. So these are more unique, personal gifts rather than store-bought.”

Those interested in holiday shopping at Silke’s can visit the bakery, order specialty breads online at www.silkesoldworldbreads.com or call 931-552-4422 with questions.

“We have the treats, the traditional stollen bread, we have the art,” Tyler staid. “It’s everything combined for people to get that feeling for the season.”

Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.