19 Holiday Treats To Make Your Christmas 2017 Merrier
Who can argue with eggnog pound cake or peppermint bark scones?
The best part of Christmas? All the holiday treats! Here are 19 you can get now, including this Christmas cake from Watanabe Bakery.
Photo: Courtesy of Watanabe Bakery
If there’s ever a time of the year where indulgence is absolutely acceptable—even downright encouraged—it’s Christmas. Here are our 19 picks of holiday treats that will get you in a merry mood.
1. Peppermint Bark Scones, Mama’Nita Scones
Photo: Catherine Toth Fox
The smell of freshly baked scones wafting from this small shop on Ku‘ulei Road in Kailua is irresistible. You can literally smell them baking from the street! This month Mama’Nita is serving three holiday flavors, including my favorite, a peppermint bark scone ($2.95 each). Bits of dark and white chocolate and crushed peppermint candy dot this palm-size scone. It’s not too sweet, either. (The other flavors are orange-cranberry, $3.05, and pumpkin spice with an almond-granola topping, $2.95.) These are great gifts, too: If sealed in an airtight container, these scones will stay fresh for a week in the fridge, two months in the freezer.
320 Ku‘ulei Road, Kailua, (808) 753-9108, mamanitascones.com
SEE ALSO: Freshly Baked Scones a Welcome Respite in Kailua
2. Chocolate Peppermint Cake Bomb, Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery
From left, Peppermint Wonderland ice cream and cookies, and house-made manju with the bakery’s popular cake bombs.
Photos: Courtesy of Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery
Leave something different for Santa this Christmas. For the holidays, Pipeline has added a chocolate-and-peppermint flavor to its cake bomb lineup. The mini chocolate bundt cake ($3.50 each) is topped with a peppermint glaze and dusted with cocoa. The bakery also has homemade manju ($4.50 for three, $7.50 for six), Chaki Mochi cookies with chocolate chips and kaki mochi ($5.50 for a bag) and scratch-made Peppermint Wonderland ice cream with house-made peppermint candies, dark chocolate and candy canes ($3.50 a scoop, $9 a pint). You can’t go wrong with any of these—and Santa might just forget that naughty thing you did this year.
3632 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 738-8200, pipelinebakeshop.com
SEE ALSO: First Look: Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery
3. Peppermint Bark, Choco Le‘a
Peppermint bark and other goodies at Choco Le‘a.
Photo: Catherine Toth Fox
There are a lot of holiday treats at this Mānoa chocolate shop, from the eight-piece Christmas truffle box ($39.99) to the bite-size Crunch a le‘a ($5.99) to packets of hot cocoa ($3.99 each). But our favorite is the peppermint bark ($20.99 for a half-pound box), made right at the shop. The smooth dark chocolate—a blend of European and Hawai‘i-grown chocolates—is the right complement to the crunchy peppermint. It’s a lot of bark, but trust us, you won’t want to share it.
2909 Lowry Ave., (808) 371-2234, chocolea.com
4. Alaskan Reindeer Dog, Hank’s Haute Dogs
It almost seems wrong to eat a reindeer dog ($8.95) during Christmas, but it’s the only time of the year Hank’s imports these specialty dogs from Alaska. The dog is served with mustard, onions, relish and tomatoes. Try one while supplies last, which won’t be very long.
324 Coral St., (808) 532-4265, hankshautedogs.com
5. Hawaiian Strawberry Guava Pie, Hawaiian Pie Co.
Photo: Courtesy of Hawaiian Pie Co.
Back by popular demand, the Hawaiian strawberry guava pie ($26) joins the December flavors, along with Chocolate Chess ($24) and pumpkin custard ($20). Tuesday, Dec. 19 is the last day for Christmas preorders; Dec. 26 is the last day for New Year’s preorders. This pie is only available already baked, which is fine since it won’t last very long. The bakery also has great stocking stuffers, including peppermint shortbread cookies and blondies.
508 Waiakamilo Road, (808) 988-7828, hawaiianpieco.com
6. Christmas Mochi Doughnut, Watanabe Bakery
Don’t bother putting out any Christmas mochi doughnuts from Watanabe Bakery for Santa. They’ll never make it onto the plate. These doughy, chewy doughnuts ($1.99 each) are simply addictive and oh-so-festive with red and green sprinkles. The bakery also makes an adorable bread sleigh filled with a chocolate Santa, chocolate Ruldoph and a custard reindeer ($13). Call to preorder.
2065 S. Beretania St., (808) 946-1074
SEE ALSO: Mochi Doughnuts Everywhere—Now at 7-Eleven Stores This Month
7. Christmas Crack Pie, Sweet Revenge Honolulu
This pie ($9 for a 5-inch deep dish, $28 for a 9-inch) lives up to its name: It’s a dangerous blend of chocolate, butter toffee, marshmallows and peppermint on a cheesecake mousse. The smaller pies are available at the Kalihi shop or at various farmers markets. You’ll need to preorder the 9-inch pie.
979 Robello Lane, (808) 282-0234, sweetrevengehonolulu.com
8. Pumpkin Mochi Kouign Amann Pie, La Tour Café
Can’t decide between pumpkin mochi and kouign amann? Get them both—in pie form—at La Tour Café in ‘Āina Haina. The pumpkin mochi kouign amann pie ($25) is available for pickup on Christmas Eve. The bakery is also selling traditional German stollen bread.
820 E. Hind Drive, (808) 373-5174, latourcafe.com
9. Christmas Decorated Cookies, Liliha Bakery
Photo: Catherine Toth Fox
The decorated cookies ($3.29 each) from Liliha Bakery, in snowman, Santa and Christmas tree shapes, are almost too cute to eat. These make perfect stocking stuffers or gifts for co-workers. The bakery is also offering stollen bread ($9.50), gingerbread cookies ($3.25 each), 7-inch Santa- or snowman-shaped cakes ($21.50) and fruitcake ($18.95 for a 1-pound cake, $30.85 for a 2-pound cake).
Various locations, lilihabakery.com
10. Peppermint Oreo Gelato, Via Gelato
Peppermint Oreo and eggnog gelato from Via Gelato.
Photos: Courtesy of Via Gelato
If Santa wanted both cookies and ice cream, he’d probably order this: the Peppermint Oreo gelato (from $3 for keiki size to $5.50 for large). The gelateria, which opened a second location at Ward Village last month, is also serving eggnog, peppermint chocolate chip, and peppermint with candy cane flavors this month.
Multiple locations, viagelatohawaii.com
SEE ALSO: A Lesson in Sustainability from Via Gelato
11. Gingerbread Cupcake, Flour + Butter
These scratch-made gingerbread cupcakes ($3.75 each) topped with an adorable gingerbread man, are great for your next holiday potluck. The buttercream frosting alone is a Christmas gift. For the holidays, the bakery also has candy cane chocolate macarons and apple pie cupcakes made with fresh apples and garnished with a sweet crumble.
725 Kapi‘olani Blvd., (808) 593-0566, flourplusbutter.com
12. Fruitcake, Agnes Portuguese Bake Shop
Owner Non Demello is already taking orders for the Kailua bakery’s popular fruitcake ($22.95), which is only available in December. Agnes also has a variety of Christmasy baked goods, including gingerbread men ($1.89 each), sugar cookies ($1.89 each), pumpkin loaves ($7.55 each), butter rolls (95 cents each) and bolo rei ($8.95), a sweet bread with candied fruits.
46 Ho‘olai St., Kailua, (808) 262-5367, agnesbakeshop.com
13. Eggnog Pound Cake, Cake Couture
Photo: Catherine Toth Fox
We already love pound cake. Add the homey flavor of eggnog with a rum glaze and you’ve got the perfect Christmas indulgence. Best to preorder these cakes as supplies are limited. The ʻĀina Haina bakery is also whipping up orange-cranberry tea cakes and sticky toffee pudding for the holidays.
820 W. Hind Drive, (808) 373-9750, cakecouture.com
14. Strawberry Shortcake, Kulu Kulu
Photo: Courtesy of Kulu Kulu
If you want something a little fancy for your next holiday party, consider one of the Japanese-style cakes from Kulu Kulu. Each one is topped with Christmas decorations and a chocolate sign that reads, “Merry Christmas.” There are six flavors, though the strawberry shortcake ($38 for a 6-inch cake, $56 for an 8-inch cake) is the bakery’s signature flavor and limited to just 200 orders. The other flavors are chocolate, soufflé cheesecake, Kona coffee tiramisu, matcha white chocolate (in the shape of a Christmas tree) and a chocolate roll cake. Preorders are required and pickup starts today.
Various locations, kulukulucake.com
15. Stollen, The Kāhala Hotel & Resort
Photo: Courtesy of The Kāhala Hotel & Resort
The first German stollen, a loaf-shaped cake-bread made with dried fruits and nuts, was baked and served in the country’s Saxon Royal Court in 1457. Fast forward more than 500 years and this traditional holiday bread is baked in the kitchens at The Kāhala Hotel & Resort with a local twist of Maui vanilla sugar sprinkled on top. The freshly baked loaf ($26) is packed with dark and golden raisins, preserved orange and lemon peels, roasted almonds, dark aged rum, German marzipan and a special blend of spices. Preorder recommended. Pickup through Dec. 31 at the Plumeria Beach House.
5000 Kāhala Ave., (808) 739-8760, kahalaresort.com
16. White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake, Otto Cake
If cheesecake was served at the North Pole, this would be it. Close your eyes and taste the combination of decadent cheesecake with smooth white chocolate and peppermint. It will suddenly feel merry and bright.
1127 12th Ave., (808) 834-6886, ottocake.com
17. Peppermint Shortbread Cookies, Honolulu Cookie Co.
It’s not Christmas until the Honolulu Cookie Co. puts its popular peppermint shortbread cookies on the shelves. These pineapple-shaped, buttery shortbread cookies are studded with peppermint candies and dipped in creamy dark or white chocolate. You can buy them individually ($1 each) or in gift packs.
Various locations, honolulucookie.com
18. Gingerbread Cake Doughnut, Regal Bakery
Take these festive gingerbread cake doughnuts ($1.40 each) to the office. The cakey doughnuts are topped with a ginger white icing and decked with red and green sugar.
Multiple locations, regalfoodusa.org
19. Mr. Grinch Mint Ice Cream, Black Sheep Cream Co.
There’s no bah humbug with this minty seasonal flavor from Black Sheep Cream Co. in Waipi‘o. One scoop is $4.50, two for $6.50 and cones are an extra $1. We suggest ordering a flight of ice creams so you can sample four other flavors, too, for $10.50.
94-1235 Ka Uka Blvd., Waipahu
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