Food plays an important role in some Holiday traditions. None, more than any, is the Christmas or holiday cookie.  Many of the cookies we share and eat around the holidays, whether we bake our own or purchase them from a local bakery, are linked to the many traditions brought to us from around the world, Rhode Island’s Blackstone Valley has many traditional bakeries to sweeten up your holiday table!  

Just Like Nana’s Rugelah

With Hanukkah beginning this weekend, a holiday treat you will find in most Jewish homes is the Rugelah, a croissant like pastry filled with fruit jams, nuts, or poppy seed paste.  Just in time Just like Nana’s based in Pawtucket at 560 Mineral Spring Avenue is hosting a Christmas Cookie Extravaganza this Saturday, December 17th @ 1 – 4 pm.  You can also pick up some Rugelah made just like owner, Karen Griffin’s, Nana used to make! They are truly delicious!

Another Hanukkah treat is Babka, a sweet braided bread or cake that originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine.  You can pre-order Babka, Rugelach or Challah for your Hanukkah celebration at Bun’s Bakery out of  East Providence with a variety of pick-up locations including their production facility at 63 Commercial Way on Thursday, December 22 from 12 – 3 pm.

Speaking of Ukraine and Poland, St. Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Woonsocket is holding its Annual Cookie Walk on Saturday at 9 – 11 am. Pick up some holiday cookies or some frozen food including traditional Varenky (Ukrainen pierogies) or Holubtsi (stuffed cabbage).  Order online.  While in Woonsocket stop by Karakow Deli Bakery Smokehouse from some homemade Polish cookies or Polish cheesecake along with some fruit-filled pierogies.

St. Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Annual Cookie Walk

Another holiday tradition with French origins is the la bûche de Noël or Yule Log – Going back to medieval times, the Yule Log was literally a log of wood (usually from a fruit tree) that would be placed in the hearth Christmas Eve and let burn until New Years for good luck.  From the log on the fire to the log on the table and eventually to the yummy and sweet dessert shaped like a log, you can order a Yule log from many of our local bakeries including Wright’s Dairy Farm and Bakery in North Smithfield, Ivy and Lace Bake Shop in Greenville or Under The Willow Bakery in Cumberland.  Ivy and Lace also has French Macarons and Baklava (a Greek Holiday treat) cheesecake!

You can pick up a variety Christmas cookies at the aforementioned bakeries as well as Gingersnaps in Lincoln. Some of the bakeries may offer DIY cookie kits  for  family-fun time and leave them out for Santa on Christmas Eve! 

If you are looking for some traditional English holiday food like Mince Pies or Christmas Fruitcake, well head on over to Val’s English Tea and Pie Shop in Smithfield. Pre-order on the website or send an email to sharon@valsenglishteashop.com.

Don’t forget the eggnog! Available at Wright’s Dairy Farm and Munroe Dairy’s Sacred Cow Ice Cream Shop, East Providence. The Sacred Cow also has pies, cakes and yule logs.    

Another variety of eggnog, the Puerto Rican eggnog or Coquito is also quite popular at this time of year.  Made with milk, condensed milk, coconut milk, vanilla and Rum!  You can Pick up some Coquito at the Puerto Rican Institute for Art and Advocacy during their Wednesday night Parranda (similar to Christmas Caroling) at the Hope Artiste Village, Pawtucket through December 28.   You can also try Smug Brewing in Pawtucket for their new cocktail inspired by the Puerto Rican Nog Coquito. They added coconut cream, coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg to their malt liquor. It’s a rich island drink with the right warming spices to get you into the holiday spirit. Speaking of spirit did we mention it was 15%abv? This drink also doesn’t contain lactose or added gluten. Feliz Navi-nog !

Smug Brewing Feliz Navi-Nog

For more Holiday food news check-out our recent Culinaria Newsletter.

Local Food Charities

During the Holidays they say, “it is better to give then to receive”  Below is a list of some local food charities in our area.

• • Pawtucket Soup Kitchen, Walcott Street, Pawtucket
  • Community Care Alliance, Woonsocket.  Listen to Woonsocket Radio, WOON AM & FM weekdays from 4-5 pm or weekends, 6-9 am for the on-air auction raising funds for Community Care’s Milk Fund 
  • Rhode Island Food Bank, Providence