Food & Drink Section: London's Sweetest Seasonal

London's Sweetest seasonal Specials

Christmas. It’s wonderful wherever you are, but there is truly something undoubtedly unique about Christmas in London. The hustle and bustle of the city never stops, the energy of the city creating that microclimate that keeps London just that few degrees warmer than the rest of the country. I won’t bore you with the alltoo-cliché stories of eating wurst at Winter Wonderland, or buying the cheap knick-knacks in Christmas markets along the river – I’m going to talk about the hidden magic that is the sweet seasonal specials in London eateries.

Beginning with Ole and Steen – if you know of Ole and Steen, you’ll know about their Cinnamon social: interwoven layers of soft dough and a perfectly sweet cinnamon sugar throughout, you’d think the Dutch pastry couldn’t get any better. The Christmas social puts a festive spin on the cult classic, sweet and citrusy orange jam is paired with rich chocolate icing and a scattering of crunchy hazelnuts and generous chocolate pieces for that all important textural contrast. A special mention goes to their truffle log – although available all year round, the combination of marzipan encasing the liqueur soaked cake brings an odd sense of nostalgia reminiscent of opening presents and the grown ups drinking their mysterious drinks we weren’t allowed to try.

Next is Humble Crumble – the festive edition crumble features classic winter fruits: plum and blackberry as the filling, mixed with the essential seasonal spices: cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Food & Drink " O L E & S T E E N P A S T U R I N E D S E I R I " C C B Y B E Y D 2 . E N 0 P . I C T U R E S I S L I C E N S E D

Finally, the filling is enlaced with an infusion of orange – if Christmas was a movie, the smell of the filling alone could play the protagonist. The gingerbread and black treacle crumble topping is topped with a Christmas tree shaped marshmallow, naturally. Not to mention all the Humble Crumble stalls are placed within food markets, meaning you get the awkward yet endearing experience of looking desperately for somewhere to sit down while you try your utmost not to scoff all of this delectable dessert before managing to get a seat. When you finally have somewhere to sit, it’s imperative to appreciate the festive decorations and lights which make the outdoor food markets seem just that bit cosier in the December weather.

Last but certainly not least: the mulled wine and custard doughnut from Crosstown. With their trademark campervans scattered across London, Crosstown pride themselves on using sourdough dough as a base for unique and innovative doughnut flavours. The mulled wine glaze tops a rich black cocoa doughnut, filled to the brim with oat milk custard. The treat is topped with candied orange and an unpretentious sprinkling of gold dust. It’s also vegan – if anyone is still saying veganism is boring in 2022, I kindly request them to try this doughnut.

by DINDA HARMANTO