Overview
These days, Christmas promises a whole lot more than just generic mince pies and plain panettones. Bakeries, chocolate brands, gelaterias and dessert shops across the city are getting more inventive with each passing year, whipping up all sorts of creative treats worthy of hunting down across Melbourne.
Here, we've rounded up some of the coolest grown-up goodies to seek out, from gelato-filled Christmas puddings to themed festive high tea experiences. Dig in.
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Pidapipo's Pandoro Christmas Cake
Pidapipo has reimagined the pandoro — a Christmas tree-shaped sweet bread cake — for their holiday season offering this year, paying tribute to the team's Italian roots.
The Pandoro Christmas Cake features a base of Pandoro, and then layers of Pidapipo's favourite festive gelato flavours — including, bacio, hazelnut, Pandoro, coconut, chocolate, sour cherry swirl and chocolate fudge — all encased with a dark chocolate semifreddo and a thin crisp milk chocolate shell. This is a next-level treat — worthy of any Christmas day dessert table.
Baker Bleu's Dark Chocolate and Sour Cherry Panettone
Baker Bleu is easily one of the very best bakeries in Melbourne, so it is no surprise to see the team create one of the top panettones in town — which is a huge feat seeing as this is the first year they've made these for the public.
You can get a classic panettone made with raisins and candied orange or go for the sour cherry and dark chocolate version — depending on how traditional you're feeling. They've absolutely nailed this Christmas treat, and we highly recommend nabbing one for yourself.
Le Yeahllow's Christmas Cakes and Cookies
Le Yeahllow's sweet treats have got to be some of the most beautiful — without compromising on taste — and its Christmas offerings are no exception. That's especially the case for its two limited-editon cakes which will be served up until January 5.
First off, there's the Merry Berry cake, which is inspired by festive fruit baskets. It brings together a fluffy chocolate sponge, vanilla white chocolate cream and a tangy mixed berry compote, all topped off with Valrhona 62% dark chocolate, whipped ganache and seasonal fruits. The team has also created a more summery treat — the lemon pound cake. Baked with Pepe Saya butter, along with the juice and zest of fresh lemons, this cake strikes the perfect balance of buttery richness and vibrant citrus.
Piccolina's Gelato-Filled Christmas Pudding
Piccolina always goes hard on its holiday specials — especially during Easter and Christmas. And this year is no different, as the team has created a gelato-filled, multi-layered Christmas pudding that comes in a stoneware bowl.
Named the Golden Bauble, this creation features peanut butter stracciatella gelato layered with caramelised white chocolate aero and caramelised peanut, dulce de leche gelato layered with chocolate fudge brownie, peanut torrone centre, crispy chocolate base, topped with dark chocolate sauce and a golden peanut popping candy bauble. It's decadent and guaranteed to be an absolute showstopper at Christmas this year.
Morning Market's Mince Tarts
Mince pies are incredibly divisive Christmas treats. Some poeple love them, many hate them. It's a funny one. But if you are into these traditional British festive bites, you best check out those made by the team over at Andrew McConnell's Morning Market.
The buttery pastry shells are packed with a filling made from organic apples, currants, brandy, pastis and warm spices that have been macerated together for months. The result is a rich and fragrant tart that's damn hard to beat.
Lune's Gingerbread Croissants, Eggnog Cruffins and Stuffed Turkey Pastries
Every year, you can guarantee that Lune will dream up some of Melbourne's best Christmas treats. And this year's efforts are no joke. First, the sweet stuff. Lune's gingerbread special is a twice-baked croissant made with pecan frangipane, baked gingerbread and molasses caramel, then topped with frangipane, gingerbread, white icing and gold-dusted chocolate pearls. It's also got an eggnog cruffin, choc peppermint twice-baked pain au chocolat, and rich Christmas pudding.
For a savoury option, enter The Stuffed Turkey. This pastry is filled with a turkey and croissant pastry stuffing, with sage powder, cranberry sauce, crispy chicken skin and fried sage leaves added on top. You best drop by the Melbourne stores a few times this December, sampling each and every one of these creations.
Penny for Pound's Christmas Trifle, Choux Pastry Wreath and Cookies
Those in the know should be jumping for joy this festive season, knowing that Penny for Pound's incredible trifle has returned. This year, it features layers of cherry jelly, pistachio custard, raspberry cream, vanilla sponge and berry compote, all topped with fresh cherries, pistachio meringue kisses, berries and white chocolate stars. It's a total showstopper.
But that's not all the pastry chefs have whipped up this year. There's also a special chocolate, hazelnut, and caramel choux pastry wreath, an extensive holiday cookie collection, and a playful Santa's Belly buche de noel — a red-glazed Christmas cake featuring vanilla sponge, raspberry compote, lemon curd, and vanilla mascarpone mousse.
Brunetti Classico's Gingerbread House Build and Sip Workshops
Carlton's Brunetti Classico is home to a huge range of festive treats throughout this time of year — including stacks of panettones and biscotti — but we are most pumped about its gingerbread-building experiences.
Drop by on Friday and Saturday nights from 7–9pm and spend the two hours building and decorating your own gingerbread house while sipping on booze. These adult workshops cost $70 per person, while the kids' classes — which see the little ones decorate their own gingerbread people — only cost $13.90.
Stokehouse's Tropical Christmas Pudding
Stokehouse Group Pastry Chef Ash Smith has brought back his much-loved tropical take on the traditional Christmas Pudding for Christmas this year — made to be taken home. The pudding is ready-made and comes complete with at-home instructions to finish the dessert at home, as well as Smith's special brandy custard recipe.
Either order the pudding online to pick up by itself, or add it to your booking when dining in — taking it home right after sampling food from one of Melbourne's best restaurants.
Mary Eats Cake's Festive High Teas
Mary Eats Cake has gone all out for Christmas — slinging a heap of limited-edition festive treats throughout December. There's a special Christmas gateaux and cookies, plus a new a la carte menu featuring gingerbread french toast, turkey toasties and pumpkin spiced lattes. These are fab, but we are most excited about the festive high tea experience.
This includes a mulled wine spritzer on arrival, plus three tiers of treats — think festive scones, Christmas cookies and mini pavlovas. Drop by on a weekday to get this for $75 per person or on a weekend for an additional $4.