Fruitcakes, Yule logs, gingerbread and more; in Ottawa, it’s Christmas treats galore

CTV’s Peter Szperling visits some of the Ottawa bakeries serving up the sweet flavours of the holiday season.

For anyone with a sweet-tooth or a craving for tradition, it’s the time of year when flavours bring families together.

From Fruitcakes to Gingerbread houses, there’s no shortage of variety when it comes to seasonal treats in the capital.

“All about being festive, tradition,” says Jonathan Alexander, head pastry chef at Thyme & Again.

Fruitcake

For many, fruitcake is part of that tradition.

“We’ve been having people asking for them since Thanksgiving,” Alexander says. “So, you can tell that people are a very big fan of them.”

According to Alexander, Thyme and Again will create more than one thousand fruitcakes for the holidays, a process that begins in June.

“We get them to soak for, six months, till they’re nice, deep and flavorful,” he said.

Alexander says fruitcakes are his business’s biggest hit, but there are many other favourites on the menu too, including Plum Pudding and Minced Tartlets.

“We love Christmas,” Alexander says. “Especially me.”

Traditional cakes

“I love shiny and sparkles. It’s not Christmas without it,” says Julia Gindra, owner of Dessert First on Bank Street.

She says a popular item on their Christmas menu, is her take on the Yule Log, a “Yule Stump.”

For Gindra, the holidays are filled with hard work, rewarded with smiles.

“You’re bringing joy to other people’s families. And I love to create memories and make people happy with food,” Gindra said.

Gingerbread houses

The Gingerbread Man in Manotick is a popular go-to for customers who return year-after-year seeking Gingerbread Houses.

Owner Richard Palframan says the number one seller is “our large house with lights. That’s what I originally started doing, 25 years ago.”

Line-ups can often be found outside the shop this time of year, a surreal feeling for Palframan.

“It gives me goosebumps, I got goosebumps just as you’re saying it,” Palframan told CTV News Ottawa.

The store offers other favourites too, like Ginger Cookies, Snaps, and a popular “D-I-Y,” Gingerbread House Kit.

“You get to have the fun while we do the hard part,” Palframan said.

Panettone

Many cultures have favourite Christmas or Holiday Baking traditions, for many in Ottawa’s Italian Community it’s “Panettone.”

“This is the Italian Christmas cake,” La Bottega Nicastro owner Pat Nicastro says. “This is the one you have Christmas morning. This is the one you bring as a gift during the holiday season. This is the one you have at breakfast. Or you have a night with a glass of prosecco or wine. It’s, It’s the perfect holiday treats.”

Nicastro says the store imports around 100 varieties directly from Italy each year.

“So these are incredibly popular,” Nicastro said. “We sell thousands during the holiday season.”

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