The 12 Delights of Christmas

Wander through a galaxy of festive flavours—where snow-dusted Western classics twirl with India’s soul-stirring holiday traditions. With Fresh Editor Raul Dias as your guide, savour a season steeped in wonder, warmth and mouthwatering cheer

THE YULE LOG
The Yule Log may have begun as a European winter tradition celebrating the solstice, but in India, its chocolate-swirled presence has become a Christmas essential. Light sponge rolled with buttercream or ganache and dusted with icing sugar “snow,” it brings a touch of storybook whimsy to our tropical Decembers. Indian pâtisseries now infuse local twists. Think dark chocolate spiked with orange zest, coffee cream inspired by South Indian filter brews, and even subtle hints of nolen gur in Kolkata. A Yule Log on the table instantly evokes the promise of indulgence, celebration, and that fleeting winter magic we crave each December.
Where to buy: Tuileries Pâtisserie (Delhi), Kookie Jar (Kolkata), La Folie Patisserie (Mumbai)

THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE
Nothing says Christmas cheer like the gingery warmth of a gingerbread house, a tradition born in Germany but embraced wholeheartedly in India. The bold flavours of ginger, cinnamon, and clove are instantly familiar to Indian palates. Here, we have begun building edible houses as a bonding ritual, decorating them with local candies and colourful sprinkles. From full houses to crisp cookies iced with playful motifs, gingerbread captures the childlike spirit of the season.
Where to buy: Bombay Baking Company (Mumbai), Defence Bakery (Delhi)

SUGAR COOKIES
Simple, buttery, and endlessly cheerful, sugar cookies are the blank canvases of Christmas baking. In India, they’ve become a staple for home bakers and families eager to involve children in festive fun. Bright royal icing, edible glitter, and vibrant sprinkles allow creative expression — from Christmas trees and snowflakes to kolam-inspired patterns and desi motifs. Their sweetness is gentle, making them a universal crowd-pleaser. With winter markets and bakeries offering beautifully boxed assortments, these cookies have become little tokens of joy in India’s expanding Christmas repertoire.
Where to buy: Kookie Cake Crumble (Mumbai), Freddie’s Baking Studio (Bengaluru), Redmoon Bakery (Delhi)

PEPPERMINT BARK
Crunchy, creamy, minty. Peppermint bark is an American holiday icon that arrived in India through chocolate boutiques and quickly found its fans. While peppermint isn’t a traditional Indian flavour, it pairs naturally with the milk chocolates and dark chocolates we love. Many Indian chocolatiers add their own spin with layers tempered to perfection and flecks of desi-inspired toppings like candied orange peel or toasted almonds. Its festive colours, ease of gifting, and refreshing bite make it a December hit, especially for those who like their sweets slightly cool and crisp.
Where to buy: Chocolate Confusion (Mumbai), Zitter Chocolates (Chennai), Mozimo Chocolates (Chandigarh)

PUMPKIN PIE
The quintessential American holiday dessert, pumpkin pie feels unexpectedly at home in India thanks to its familiar warmth of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. These spices echo the masalas we use in everything from halwa to chai, making pumpkin pie instantly comforting. Indian bakers often use the locally loved “kaddu” purée, giving the pie a deeper earthiness. Its custard-like texture, flaky crust, and mellow sweetness make it a fresh yet rooted addition to India’s Christmas menu. Especially among those who enjoy experimenting with global flavours.
Where to buy: Toujours (Mumbai), Crave by Leena (Bengaluru), Petite Pie Shop (Gurugram, Delhi)

THE CHRISTMAS PUDDING
Few Christmas rituals are as theatrical as a flaming pudding! That iconic blue flame dancing atop a brandy-soaked dome. This British classic travelled to India with colonial households and stayed on through generations of Anglo-Indian and Goan families. Dense with dried fruits, candied peel, and warming spices, it tastes like winter distilled. In India, many households steam their puddings weeks in advance, allowing them to mature, deepen, and become heady with spirit. Served with custard or buttered rum sauce, a flambéed pudding brings old-world charm to Indian Christmas tables.
Where to buy: American Express Bakery (Mumbai), Katy’s Kitchen (Mumbai), By The Way Bakery (Mumbai), Gaylord Bakery (Mumbai)

STOLLEN
Germany’s festive fruit bread, stollen, is a marzipan-centered log dusted with snowy sugar. But today, it has found its place in India’s rising sourdough and artisanal bread movement. Its chewy texture, candied fruits, aromatic peel, and buttery crumb make it less a “bread” and more a celebratory confection. Indian bakers have embraced stollen for its craftsmanship, often infusing it with homegrown dried fruits and nuts. Perfect with tea or mulled wine, stollen adds a European air to India’s December mornings.
Where to buy: SAPA Sourdough & Pastry (Mysuru), Liliyum Patisserie (Bengaluru)

ALLAHABADI CAKE
A legend from Prayagraj, the Allahabadi cake is India’s most distinctive Christmas creation. Invented by local Anglo-Indians, it brilliantly uses ghee instead of butter and petha (candied ash gourd) in place of peel, giving it a rosy tint and incomparable aroma. Flavoured with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and the region’s own spice instincts (see recipe on page 24), this cake is both hearty and fragrant. It tells a story of ingenuity. Of Indian kitchens recreating British fruitcakes using what was locally available. Today, it’s a cherished family tradition and a cultural treasure.
Where to buy: The Sweet Room by Andrea (custom orders, Prayagraj), Bushy’s (Prayagraj)

FUDGE SQUARES
Fudge is a universal comfort; creamy, rich, and deeply nostalgic. In India, fudge squares evoke memories of Lonavala holidays, Parsi bakeries, and school fetes. For Christmas, bakers turn them celebratory with walnuts, cranberries, and swirls of white chocolate. They cut clean, pack beautifully, and please every palate, making them ideal for festive gifting. Indian fudge often carries a slightly softer texture than American versions, thanks to our love of milk-based sweets, giving it that melt-in-the-mouth charm.
Where to buy: Good Food Concept (Mumbai), BonBar Bakery (Delhi), Atmosphere Studio (New Delhi)

MINCE PIES
These tiny British hand pies may sound meaty, but the “mince” refers to a fruit-and-nut mixture cooked with spices and citrus. In India, they’ve become a December staple in bakeries influenced by old colonial traditions. Their buttery shells cradle a jammy filling reminiscent of our own fruit preserves and murrabas, making them surprisingly familiar. Many Indian bakers brighten them with local ingredients like homemade apple preserves or citrus zests. Served warm with icing sugar, mince pies are little pockets of festive nostalgia.
Where to buy: Sassy Teaspoon (Mumbai), Wenger’s (New Delhi)

MARZIPAN
Goan, Anglo Indian and East Indian households have long shaped Christmas nostalgia with marzipan — dyed, moulded, and sculpted into glossy fruits and other shapes. Though marzipan began in Europe, its cashew-rich Indian versions stand proudly apart from the almond marzipan of the West. Tiny mangoes, bananas, oranges, and berries emerge from family moulds, brushed with colour and gleaming like edible jewels. These figurines are often exchanged as festive tokens, embodying both craftsmanship and sweet childhood memories.
Where to buy: Misree (New Delhi), Hearsch Bakery (Mumbai), Maska Bakery (Mumbai)

GUAVA CHEESE (PERADA)
One of Goa’s most beloved sweets, guava cheese, or perada, is a glorious ruby slab of concentrated guava pulp, sugar, and lime. Though not traditionally tied to Western Christmas, it has become a staple of Goan December gifting. Its chewy, jewel-like texture and tropical perfume offer a distinctly Indian counterpoint to the spices and dried fruits dominating the season. Served in neat diamonds, it brings sunshine to the winter table and reminds us how Indian Christmas has evolved into its own delicious identity.
Where to buy: Ann Dias (Mumbai), Lazarus Coelho (Goa), Pedro Pao (Goa)