Catch These Holiday Specials Before the Season’s Over

Flavor takeover: Peppermint, gingerbread and eggnog galore!

December 22, 2015

Katrina Valcourt,

Clockwise from left: Hank’s annual reindeer hot dog, chocolate peppermint cupcakes from Cake Couture and traditional stollen from The Kāhala Hotel & Resort. Get yours this week!

Photos: Catherine Toth Fox, Cake Couture, The Kāhala Hotel & Resort

Each year around this time, we look forward to cute little gingerbread people, candy canes and frothy glasses of (spiked) eggnog at every party. Here are some local treats to help you spread the holiday cheer, from traditional stollen to reindeer sausage.

BRUG BAKERY HAWAI‘I

Adorable, chocolate-covered pastry Christmas trees are filled with a vanilla-custard cream, featuring Tahitian and Madagascan vanilla, and dusted with powdered sugar and sprinkles.

$3.75, inside Shirokiya, Ala Moana Center, brugbakery.com, 973-9190

CAKE COUTURE

This boutique bakery in ‘Āina Haina has temporarily replaced some of its usual baked goods for holiday flavors this week. Seasonal cupcake flavors include chocolate peppermint ($2.75) and gingerbread ($3). It’s also selling gingerbread loaves with a lemon glaze ($8.50), an eggnog pound cake ($8.50) and a show-stopping five-layer, 5-inches-tall Chocolate Peppermint Candyland Cake frosted with creamy Italian meringue peppermint buttercream ($18.95) that can feed up to four people. (Or one hungry writer.)

820 W. Hind Drive, call for availability, cakecouture.com, 373-9750

CINNAMON’S

Forget guava chiffon and red velvet—both Cinnamon’s locations are serving up gingerbread pancakes for the month. Imagine the restaurant’s signature pancake batter, but with warm, gingery spices. Feel free to cut your stack into the shape of a person and decorate it with whipped cream.

$9.25 for two pancakes, $11.25 for four, ‘Ilikai Hotel, 1777 Ala Moana Blvd., 670-1915; 315 Uluniu St., Kailua, 261-8724; cinnamons808.com

HANK’S HAUTE DOGS

Reindeer dogs are back! Hank’s imports caribou from Alaska for these special dogs that are only available once a year, so if eating Rudolph doesn’t make you cringe, try one while supplies last. (P.S. Have you tried Hank’s breakfast?)

$8.25, 324 Coral St., hankshautedogs.com, 532-4265

THE KĀHALA HOTEL & RESORT

The traditional German stollen gets a local twist with Maui vanilla sugar sprinkled on top of a fruitcake made with dark and golden raisins, preserved citrus peels, roasted almonds, aged rum, marzipan and spices. Order your loaf by phone and pick it up at the Plumeria Beach House restaurant.

$20, 5000 Kāhala Ave., pickup between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. through Dec. 31, kahalaresort.com, 739-8760

VIA GELATO

It’s hard to predict which flavors will be available on any given day since they rotate, but recent holiday specials at Via Gelato have included eggnog, peppermint chip and gingerbread gelato. Make it an affogato ($5) for an extra special treat.

1142 12th Ave., viagelatohawaii.com, 732-2800

WING ICE CREAM

Wing Ice Cream also has some jolly flavors, including Candycane Oreo and Coco-Nog, which are vegan variations that won’t make you miss dairy at all.

1145 Maunakea St., Suite 4, 536-4929

HOLIDAY BEVERAGES

It’s not all about desserts. Try Victory At Sea’s peppermint beer at Brew’d, or certain winter/holiday ales at other bars around town. For an up-to-date list of what’s new, visit beerinhawaii.com.