Männele

Männele is a little man shaped in a traditional brioche dough, rich in butter, milk and eggs. The dough is worked to be incredibly soft, flaky and light.
Männele is closely linked to the feast of Saint Nicholas, celebrated on December 6. According to legend, St. Nicholas saved three lost little children from a wicked butcher who had put them in the salt cellar. To commemorate this miracle and celebrate the patron saint of children, Alsatian bakers began baking these little brioches featuring the children (or the saint himself) as early as the 16th century.