The Great Christmas 2011 Guide: Christmas Sweets
Sweet things! For the holidays! Not a novelty, but definitely some of the best bits of the holidays, I reckon. Not much can beat a fruit mince pie (except maybe a beef mince pie ... ) Today's Christmas roundup is for you sugarhounds. We've got some of Beijing's best chocolates, gingerbreads, pies, cakes and stollens ... If it's sweet, it's here. Buckle in and arm thyself with insulin!
Amandine
Supposedly, the modern gingerbread is a highly successful spinoff of the French pain d'epices, or spice bread. It makes sense, then, that Amandine's holiday offering is more cake than cookie, with a soft, crumbly texture and a more rounded spice blend. They'll also be offering their house-made chocolates throughout the season.
The Grand Hyatt Beijing
These guys might just take out the "cutest Christmas sweet in Beijing" prize, if we had one. Pastry chef Christopher is something of a marvel with marzipan, crafting sweet cartoonish figures in bright technicolors – think Santa, Rudolph and the Three Wise Men. Also on offer: gingerbread houses, festive cookies, coconut santas (pictured above), chocolate santas (not pictured above) and mince pies as far as the eye can see.
IKEA
Fan of Swedish flatpacks? We are too. This year, IKEA is again offering their DIY gingerbread houses, complete with pre-baked "walls" and mix-it-yourself "concrete." For the less adventurous, you can also pick up some simple gingerbread cookies. Both options are hard gingerbread, just this side of toothsome.
Kempinski Beijing Lufthansa Center
I'm all a-dizzy over Kempi Deli's traditional German stollen (pictured above). This variety is a little less fruity than other versions I've tried this year – pleasantly nutty with just a few currants spotted throughout. Kempi Deli also has cookies, cakes and assorted Christmas hampers on sale.
Kerry's Pantry
Besides hampers, Kerry's Pantry will have a selection of stollens, Christmas log cakes, cookies and Christmas puddings available to purchase individually and in bulk. There's free delivery within 500m, and there's no minimum for ordering. If you're putting in an order, consider trying out their chocolate-hazelnut cake.
Lollipop Bakery
Lollipop are offering a special holiday flavor for the month of December – spiced apple cake, with nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. For a super-festive option, they'll do up the cake with colorful frostings and sugarpaste motifs. Snowmen, holly leaves, snowflakes and tree cupcakes can be yours for RMB 340 per dozen.
Sweet Tooth Bakery
Mounds upon mounds of gingerbread men! These Australian bakers do a smashing Tim Tam cheesecake, too. Not specifically Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah-appropriate, but Tim Tams could never be undesirable. These guys are delivery-only.
Photos: Susan Sheng
