Grandma’s Christmas Pizza and Fruit Cake

In keeping with the “eat, drink and be merry” behavior inspired by the holiday season, a number of restaurants and cafes in the United Arab Emirates have concocted dishes that embody the scents and seasonings of Christmas – think nutmeg , chestnuts, orange zest and oodles. sugar.

Whether you want to take a culinary trip down memory lane or sample innovative flavor combinations, here are some limited-time dishes to look for this season.

Wood-fired pizza

“It literally tastes like Christmas! There is nothing subtle about the title or the taste of Pitfire’s first party pizza. Priced at Dh65, the 10-inch pie is a heady combination of roasted turkey, fresh mozzarella, chunks of camembert, a sage and crumbled onion stuffing, roasted chestnuts and a spicy cranberry sauce, on an olive oil base.

The brand’s signature puffy crusts can be enjoyed with a spicy cranberry dip for an additional Dh7 (although we always prefer to dip ours in its lip-smacking black truffle cream dip, also Dh7).

The pizza is available at all Pitfire locations through January 5, as is a limited-time festive dessert of Apple Pie with Vanilla Cream, for Dh35.

Brunch & Cake

For many celebrants, Christmas is incomplete without a traditional fruit cake. Barcelona-based brand Brunch & Cake, which has become one of the friendliest places in the UAE since launching in 2019, taps into that nostalgia with its grandmother’s festive fruit cake.

Prepared by the executive chef of café Carmen Landsberg (the former chef at L’eto), the bread is stuffed with soaked dried fruits, including lemon and orange zest, figs, apricots and raisins, infused with seasonal spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and finally coated in a delicate white fondant icing.

At the price of Dh75 per bread, the fruit cake is available in all Brunch & Cake points of sale until December 31. The cafe also serves a free gingerbread cookie with every coffee.

Yamanote Workshop

The on-site Japanese bakery and cafe are known for their cute dishes (think sweet Minion-shaped bread and Happy Face burgers). Unsurprisingly, the creative team has therefore put everything in place for the end-of-year celebrations, offering no less than six varieties of sweet bread, four kinds of cakes and even two Christmas drinks.

Priced at 17 Dh to 20 Dh per pop, the baked goods on offer include sweet dough breads in the shape of a Christmas tree (with icing sugar), Santa Claus (with Nutella), a Christmas ring ( with a crispy chocolate cream) and a star and reindeer (both with icing sugar and sweet lollipops); plus a snowman-like Shiro bun with Kiri cheese, white chocolate, and crispy chocolate cream (Dh20).

Christmas cakes, on the other hand, are priced from 125 Dh to 185 Dh and include options such as: Chocolate Woodland (Baumkuchen cake, chocolate mousse, berries and meringue), Buche De Noel (vanilla cake, mousse with vanilla, white chocolate, berries and meringue) and Japanese Christmas cake (vanilla, strawberry and whipped cream short cake).

Finally, molasses lovers can taste the workshop’s milk caramel (Dh28) and the caramel milkshake (Dh38). Festive offerings will be served at all Yamanote outlets until January 8.

M&S Food

While the British brand’s regular selection of cakes, cookies and crackers would be well placed on a festive table anyway, it also launched two new themed dishes for the UAE market this year.

The most greedy will be able to taste the golden blond Florentins chocolate (Dh35) presented for Christmas. Composed of rounds of caramel with slivered and whole almonds and candied citrus peels, Florentines get their rich buttery flavor from slowly cooked caramelized white chocolate.

Those with more savory tastes can set their Christmas tables with the boneless roast turkey (from 169 Dh) or the whole turkey (from 179 Dh), a novelty of the brand.

LDC Cuisine & Café

Giant Christmas baubles, Sentry Nutcracker soldiers, a cane staircase and a frosted gingerbread house, sprigs of mistletoe and hints of cinnamon floating in the air – LDC Kitchen & Coffee follows the “go big or go home” rule with the decor on all its branches this Christmas. The sentiment also carries over to the cafe’s menu, which is chock-full of seasonal favorites.

The highlight of this menu is a sugar-dusted babka (Dh40), a sweet braided cake designed to resemble a snowflake. The café’s cookie mugs served with vanilla milk (D:30) that will literally melt in your mouth and add a festive touch to the hot chocolate bombs that were all the rage on social media earlier this year is another element that is sparking l ‘enthusiasm.

Angelina Paris

The French cafe located at the Dubai Mall has made a name for itself in the field of delicate desserts, and its light and airy Christmas cakes are no different.

Crated by the pastry chef of the house and available until January 6, three tasty pastries: Mont Blanc is a mixture of lightly whipped cream and vermicelli with chestnut cream. The Raspberry Temptation and the Passion Temptation are aimed at the most fruity and are available respectively with a crispy almond base, a center of white chocolate mousse, a financial cookie and a sweet honey-raspberry jelly; and crispy coconut passion shortbread, passion fruit caramel, mango compote and vanilla mousse.

Each cake can be made in two sizes (for one person or a group of six), but must be ordered two hours in advance by calling 04 442 8814. The price ranges from 54 Dh to 399 Dh.

nice Lyf

While not strictly a limited-time addition to Kind Lyf’s menu, its raw chocolate-coated cookie (Dh 6.50) is a fabulous find for vegan and gluten-free partygoers. Made from gluten-free rice flour (with rice, potato, tapioca, corn, buckwheat), raw chocolate (cocoa mass, cocoa butter, agave powder, cocoa powder), coconut oil, sugar With coconut, chicory root fiber, flax seed and natural vanilla powder, this cookie delivers on the Sharjah-based family business promise to promote vegan, preservative-free snacks that don’t compromise on the delicious look of party cookies.

Update: December 16, 2021, 5:17 a.m.