Indulge your sweet tooth

With Christmas over the weekend and a million other chores to finish, who has the time to make the Christmas pudding? The Guide makes life a bit easier for you this festive weekend. Head to any of these recommended bakeries for a quick sugar fix

What's Christmas without the sweets? And what's Christmas without the pudding! While Christmas cakes are available at quite a few stores in the city, the special pudding, which requires weeks, some times even months, of preparation, is a dish that few people manage to find time for. The Guide lists a few of the best places in the city to get your share of the pudding.

The festive treat would be incomplete without the Christmas pudding

American Express Bakery
Located near other much loved-bakeries of the city A-1 bakery and J Hearsch and Co, is the American Express Bakery. Established in 1922, the bakery is one of the oldest ones in town and gets in the Christmas mood six months prior to the festival! Emil Carvalho, proprietor of the bakery, says, "We use the traditional method of making the pudding and in order to fulfil the demand for it and keeping in mind the maturation process we have to start early." The pudding is made from fruits marinated in rum and brandy. Carvalho says that they use more fruits and less flour in their pudding. Other goodies on offer include coconut toffees, guava cheese, moulded marzipan, date bars, strawberry and almond tarts. Their Christmas favourite is the plum cake. Our advice: Rush there soon because Carvalho says that by December 26 the goodies are usually sold out.
AT Villa Sushma, Hill Road, Bandra (W).
CALL 26422857
COST Rs 300 for half kg

Aaron's Bake 'n' Brew
"We mix raisins and other dry fruits and maturate them in rum for three days. This is then slow cooked for four and a half hours or even more," says Aaron Irani, owner of Aaron's Bake 'n' Brew. The pudding is available especially during Christmas and is made on prior order because of the time involved. Their list of Christmas delicacies includes other hot sellers such as the Kulkuls, milk creams and soaked cakes.
AT Aaron's Bake 'n' Brew House, Shop 5, opposite Orlem Church, Malad (W).
CALL 9920579059
Cost Rs 700 for a kg

Fiesta
Fiesta is another favourite for Christmas food shopping in Malad. The store has the pudding available in 125 gms and 250 gmsu00a0 if you believe in small portions. Other Christmas specials include Kulkuls, marzipan treats, milk cream, guava cheese, plum cakes for which the preparations begin in September itself.
AT Oscar Classic Society, Marve Road, Malad (W).
CALL 28611313
COST Rs 175 for 250 gms

Bad Addiction
If you want to try something new, apart from the traditional pudding, and chocolate is your poison, head to Bad Addiction for their Chocolate pudding with Christmasy decorations such as Santa, angels and red and green coloured icing. "We also make special Christmas cupcakes, strawberry and almond cake and cakes with red and white Christmas sparkles," says Aparna Gupta, one of the owners of Bad Addiction.
AT 71B, Maker Tower, Cuffe Parade.
CALL 9821044533
Cost Rs 700 for a kg onwards

Theobroma
Dark beer, brandy and rum all come together to make the mighty Christmas pudding at Theobroma. The alcohol is used to mature the fruits apples and candied orange peel. "We make our own candied orange peels as we want to stick to the traditional method of making the pudding and not include anything artificial that is available in the market," says Kainaz Messman, the owner of Theobroma. The pudding, which is steamed and again doused with brandy, is available till the end of January. The store starts working on the pudding from September itself as Messman points out, "The older it is, the better." They have several other Christmas goodies on offer as well including stollen, marzipan, Christmas cakes, mince meat pies, non-alcoholic Christmas tea served both hot and cold and decorative cakes.
AT Cusrow Baug, Shop No 24, Colaba Causeway and Linking Road, Bandra.
CALL 67305363
COST Rs 700 for 500 to 600 gms

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