Sweets to Celebrate the Season from Around the World.

Thinking of the Winter holiday season conjures images of celebration and festivities to mind. It might also brings special holiday cakes, cookies, breads, pastries to mind.

Did you know that many sweet baked goods that we've considered American traditions have origins in other cultures, while other cultures have adapted some American traditional baked goods in their own way.

Let's take a look at some of these traditional winter holiday baked confections, and where we might find them in town.

The Gingerbread House has been a traditional American holiday season cake even though it has its origins and influences in France, Germany, Sweden and England. Ginger is the predominant flavor and often made with honey, spices, fruits and nuts. A gingerbread house comes in different textures. Soft gingerbread may not have fruits and nuts and is served with a warm lemon sauce. The widely known version is firm enough to make into decorative shapes and sizes with icing and other decorations. These could become the gingerbread man or other gingerbread cookies.

The following European countries also have their own version of the gingerbread: Scandinavia, Russia, Poland and Croatia. Around town,  has gingerbread houses that come three different ways: undecorated, lightly decorated and more decorated.   has gingerbread men cookies.

The Yule Log, also known as "chocolate logs" or "Buche de Noel" has also been a traditional American holiday season dessert. It is also considered to be a traditional dessert for the Christmas holidays in other countries such as Scandinavia, Lebanon, France, Belgium and Quebec.

As the name implies, it is a chocolate cake shaped like a log with chocolate icing.  The log symbolizes the light from heaven. Safeway also makes Yule Logs to your order. Besides the Yule Logs and Gingerbread Houses, Safeway has many other Winter season holiday cakes and cupcakes that are ready to take home, but some specialty items have to be ordered in advance, such as the Yule Log. They will personalize your cakes with a name or holiday greeting. Fruit cakes are typically seen during the holiday season and are available at Safeway.

In Germany, it just would not be Christmas in the home without "stollen".  It is a rectangular flat-loaf, shaped bread tapered at the ends with a raised middle running up and down the center.  There is a large amount of preparation time involved with making stollen and it is probably better to just leave it to specialty bakeries like  to make it for you.  It is made with candied fruit and nuts and spices and finally sprinkled with powder sugar.

Esther's German Bakery offers a wide assortment of holiday baked confections that follow in the German tradition. During the Winter holiday season, they bring out some special treats to celebrate the season:  stollens, gingerbread men, cinnamon stars and decorated Christmas cookies.  They make large and small stollens. Christmas cookies are each decorated differently with edible holiday décor. It is a German holiday tradition, for the whole family to get involved in the baking. The children will make the cookie cutter cookies and decorate them.  Esther's also has a very traditional gingerbread man confection, made with "honey dough." They are individually wrapped and each one is also decorated slightly differently.  The cinnamon stars are very special star-shaped cookies that delight and surprise with the first bite.

Bundt cakes are also available at Esther's German Bakery.  It is a chocolate marbled cake that is perfect with tea or coffee.  Although, not necessarily a holiday tradition, it is a beautifully simple cake that would grace any holiday table. Esther's German Bakery is located at 2510 Old Middlefield Way and phone number is 650-969-3060.

The Indian holiday, "Diwali" is India's "Christmas", according to Ambuj Bhardwaj of . There is celebration with food, family, friends and gifts exchanged. The items that most resemble what Americans see during holidays would be the fruit cakes and plum cakes and plum pudding.

Generally, the fruit cakes and plum cakes are available at the bakery all year-round. Bhardwaj says that the Indian version of fruit cake is much sweeter and comes in different shapes and sizes. Available all year long a very common sweet cake enjoyed as part of the celebration is the laddu or laddoo.  These are ball-shaped confections made from flour or semolina and sugar and spices.  They are typically consumed throughout the day, like snacks, during this Indian holiday.  Laddu are often made to celebrate special occasions. Passage to India has Besan Laddu (made with chickpea flour) and Bundi Laddu. 

has a full line of Portuguese and Brasilian products.  Alberto and Gorete  Sousa, the owners shared which sweet confections are enjoyed during the holiday season by Brazilians and Portuguese.

Panettone is a cake with fruit jellies in them but there is a chocolate version that has chocolate inside the cake and not fruit. Additionally, Caipirinha is enjoyed with the cake and other dishes to celebrate the season.  It is made with the Brazilian rum cachaça, limes and sugar and  is an alcoholic beverage enjoyed all year-round to celebrate special occasions.

Portuguese Sweet Bread is enjoyed more so during the holiday season. The holiday version is much larger than the regular one and is sprinkled with fruit on top for a colorful and festive look. Albert said that Port wine and Madeira are a nice accompaniment to any of these sweet baked confections.

The Panettones and Portuguese Sweet Breads are available at .  Note that the holiday version of the Sweet Bread will come out closer to Christmas time–it would be a good idea to call to make sure it's in before making a trip. The ports, madeiras and cachaças are all available here along with many other imported wines and liquors from Brazil and Portugal.  These can make nice holiday gifts and some of them come in gift packs.

On a side note: The Sousas are having their annual BBQ on Dec. 18, 2010 from 12 to 5 p.m.  The barbecue is the Sousas' way of thanking the community for all their support through the years. Gorete Sousa will make malassadas, which is a Portuguese confection that resembles a donut without the hole.  It is deep fried and sprinkled with sugar and can be very addicting.  They are located at 400 Moffett Blvd, 650-967-4461

So as you enjoy your sweet holiday treats with some coffee, wine or a caipirinha, you'll have a greater appreciation for what went into making them. Enjoy your sweet treats and the holiday season!