LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2015

FOOD  ORIGINS

BY ROBERT HERCZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCE NOGUCHI HOLIDAY BAKING

Whether you’re a novice or seasoned baker, here’s the scoop on traditional holiday baking— plus a delectable fruitcake recipe that’ll convert the staunchest of skeptics.

In an age when food trends last a few months and then vanish without a trace, it’s reassuring that the seasonal treats that reappear as reliably as Christmas itself have such deep roots. The fruitcakes, gingerbreads, shortbreads and plum puddings we share at this time of year go back many centuries. They remind us of a time when the ingredients we take too much for granted— such as cinnamon, ginger, cur- rants, citrus and almonds—were still exotic and rare, and the world was a much bigger place.

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