5 Festive Bakes You Need to Eat This WeekBy Alicia Grimshaw
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Forget your sub-standard chocolate logs, we’re all about the festive bakes. Wrap up warm, and get your glass of mulled wine at the ready – here’s what to eat this week:
1. For Festive Doughnuts: Crosstown Doughnuts
What: Black Forest Cake Doughnut (£3.50)
Why: Crosstown Doughnuts have created two new doughnuts for the festive season. The Black Forest Cake Doughnut features a chocolate cake dough with a layer of black forest berry compote, hand-dipped in a white chocolate icing and topped with chocolate soil, a snowy sprinkling of icing sugar and an almond praline shard. The Mince Pie Dough Bite is Crosstown’s take on the Christmas classic; a mini sourdough doughnut filled with homemade mincemeat, topped with a brandy butter glaze and finished with a vanilla pie crust crumble. Available at all Crosstown locations now until Christmas.
Where: Find your nearest Crosstown here
2. For Festive Bites: Melrose and Morgan
What: Stollen Bites (£5.50)
Why: What’s better than stollen cake? Stollen bites, obviously. The kitchen wizards down at Melrose and Morgan have been busy recipe testing for their festive range. These little beauties are our top pick. The bites are mini squares of butter enriched dough with fresh cardamon, citrus fruits and cranberries and dotted with marzipan. The square are then hand rolled and baked to a fantastic golden brown colour. We love.
Where: Locations here
3. For Festive Brownies: Bad Brownie
What: Christmas Selection Box (£25)
Why: Ok, so we get that 25 brownies may be somewhat of a sugar high nightmare for one person, but.. this box is what party dreams are made of. If you’re throwing a Christmas bash, get yourself down to Bad Brownie for their all new festive box. The 6 flavours include Mince Pie, topped with boozy brandy butter and edible snowflakes; Amaretto and Cranberry Brownie on an amaretti biscuit base, topped with marzipan, cranberries and smashed pistachios; Speculoos with butter cream and chocolate ganache; and Gingernut Crunch. And, there’s Ferrero Rocher and Salted Caramel Brownies included in the box too.
Where: Order online
What: Mince Pies (box of 6 £8.50)
Why: GAIL’s Bakery have introduced their Christmas Pantry, which includes essentials to tide you over whilst everything stops and London takes a breath. While we love a stella loaf, and their lightly spiced Speculoos Biscuits made with ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon, we’re a sucker for mince pies. And no one does them better than Gail’s. The box of 6 mince pies are make onsite daily, and follow a traditional recipe – all butter pastry, crammed full with decadent minced meat and cooked to golden crispy perfection.
Where: Order online
5. For Festive Marshmallows: Peyton & Bryne
What: Box of Snowmen (£16)
Why: Peyton & Bryne is our happy place. Give us a slice of their carrot cake and a cup of tea, and we’re happy. Aside from the usual Christmas fare (mince pies, Xmas biscuits), the Peyton & Byrne elves have been busy creating something that’s almost too cute to eat. Almost. Their little snowmen army are made up of soft, fluffy clementine marshmallows snowmen, all wrapped up in a marzipan scarf.
Where: Order online
