The Sweet International Flavours of Christmas

Lights, ice rinks, gift shopping, and the colder weather aren’t the only signifiers that the Christmas season is right around the corner. The smells of warm spices and winter vegetable flavours of freshly baked cakes hot out of the oven make us feel just as Christmassy as the lights on Regent’s Street. This time of year in our bakery you will find all of the treats and flavours that will get you into the Christmas spirit with baked goods that made with nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, peppermint marzipan, and pumpkin.

Why do these delicious flavours only come out at Christmas? The tradition dates back centuries when spices were too expensive to use all year round, so instead they were only incorporated into foods and used for the largest holiday celebrations. Spices, and even some liqueurs, have preservative benefits to foods and were used during these winter months to do keep food as fresh as possible.

Many countries and cultures have different Christmas traditions and flavours that bring nostalgia. Here are just a few of the traditional Christmas sweets served in countries around the world.

France: Bûche de Noël

This cake, also known as the Yule log, is the traditional Christmas dessert in France. Traditionally, bûche is made from sponge cake in a Swiss roll pan, covered with frosting, and rolled into a log formation. Often decorated to actually resemble a log, now French patissiers are getting creative and decorating their yule logs to be more abstract.

Dunn’s bakery makes a delicious Yule Log with rich chocolate sponge cake and chocolate buttercream available in either dark, milk, or white chocolate. With one log serving a party of ten, bring this French tradition to your home this holiday season. Check out our Yule Log and our other Christmas selections in our Christmas Range brochure.

Italy: Panettone

Originally from Milan, this fruit-filled sweet bread is an Italian tradition that is now also popular in South American and Italian-American households. What’s unique about this cake is that it can be cooked weeks, and even months, in advance and then frozen until use. The tradition springs from a romantic legend where a man baked this cake filled with expensive ingredients to give to the father of the woman he wanted to marry.

Dunn’s has a variety of breads that are great for any season, including Christmas dinner. Ranging from sourdoughs, to California Raisin and sweet Pumpkin bread. Stop into our bakery to try a traditional, hand-crafted loaf for yourself!

Germany: Zimtsterne

These cinnamon and nut cookies are traditionally seen in Germany around St. Nicholas’s Day on the 6^th of December. Gluten and dairy free, these cookies keep fresh for a long time, growing chewier as the month goes on.

At Dunn’s you can purchase a wide variety of holiday cookies and small cakes. Some of our choices include Santa’s chimney cake, gingerbread Rudolph, Christmas tree, and snowman, Christmas meringue, Father Christmas, and Christmas rum truffles.

Japan: Kurisumasu Keki

In Japanese households white Christmas sponge cakes with whipped cream and strawberries are served as dessert on Christmas Eve. Similar to Victoria sponge cake in England, this cake is lighter and does not have strawberry jam inside.

Enjoy our similar cake, the Fresh Cream Gataeux made with Black Forest Gateaux or traditional fresh cream with fruit available in vanilla or chocolate sponge and liqueur fresh from our bakery this holiday season.

Greece: Kourabiedes

Shortbread cookies made with almonds are a traditional Greek cookie usually served on special occasions like during Christmas and for baptisms. There are many regional variations of this recipe, a lot with Middle Eastern influence. A drink is necessary to eat these cookies, as the heavy dusting of frosting can be extremely heavy.

How about try an almond petit fours, tiny almond delicacies adorned with glace cherries and almonds this holiday season from Dunn’s?

Spain: Roscon De Reyes

Typically eaten on Epiphany, the 5^th and 6^th of January when the three Wise Men visited baby Jesus, the “King’s cake” is made of sweet dough in a ring shape decorated with sugared fruits. The cake is usually flavoured with orange blossom water, giving it a citrus and fresh taste.

At Dunn’s we offer three variety of Dundee cakes, made special for the holiday season; the traditional with festive fruit Dundee made with fresh orange and lemon, and decorated with split almonds, the malt whisky Dundee, and cherry Dundee.

England: Mince Pies, Pudding, and Cake

Dunn’s bakery brings you all the classic and traditional homemade English Christmas treats including pudding made with currants, raisins, sultanas, and mixed peel flavoured with lemon and spices, mince pies with homemade mincemeat, and a wide variety of Christmas-themed cakes.

Visit us today or place your order online!

Image sources:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/family/christmas-yule-log-recipe-from-guinness-281845
http://www.emporioitaliano.com/Tre_Marie_Panettone_Milanese.html
http://blog.opodo.co.uk/a-quick-tour-of-europe-in-10-christmas-desserts/
http://cherryful.com/en/2012/12/how-to-bake-a-christmas-cake/
http://www.shoposh.net/kourabiedes-greek-festive-cookies/
http://www.springhotelsmagazine.com/roscon-de-reyes-a-spanish-tradition/