Midnight starts, sunshine days
Back home, Christmas happens at midnight on the 24th. As a kid, I’d go to sleep and get woken up just before twelve because Papá Noel had arrived - then straight to gifts and dinner. Yes, dinner at midnight - with a few cheese boards and bubbles while we wait.
Even though it’s summer in Peru, the table is always the same: roast turkey, potato salad, and our family favourite - my mum’s salad of avocado, pineapple, and corn (highly recommend). We finish with hot chocolate and panettone, and the next few days are all about leftovers. Turkey for 2–3 days until you’re officially done till next year. Visiting family is the best part - going house to house for breakfast or lunch, sharing food, alfajores, more panettone and laughs.
Same season, new table
Now I’m in Melbourne, and Christmas looks a little different. I still keep my Christmas Eve dinner tradition, but we’ve added a very Aussie touch: seafood on the 25th and, if we’re lucky, a beach day. Two worlds that somehow fit on one table.
Flavours that travel
No matter the postcode, the flavours that feel like Christmas always find their way into my kitchen - cinnamon, vanilla, nuts, and of course manjar blanco (Peruvian-style dulce de leche). Those are the notes I come back to when I bake for the season - the ones that taste like family and celebration, whether you’re in Lima or Melbourne.
This year I’m keeping it simple and true to canela:
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Alfajores with a festive finish
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A brownie cake with a little holiday sparkle
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A sharing box for all those get-togethers - including my classic desserts and a couple of new festive favourites I’m already loving.
Nothing fussy. Just honest sweets made to be shared.
A season for sharing
I get a little homesick at Christmas, so baking keeps me connected to my roots - in the best way. It’s busy, it’s fun, and it means I get to see people enjoying something I love to make. Watching little one get excited about it all makes it even better. That’s the heart of canela: good flavour, good company, good moments.
If you’re planning your table, picnic, or beach day, I hope these treats bring a bit of that feeling to yours too.
You can explore this year’s Christmas collection here →
If you’d like to know how it all started, you can read From Lima to Melbourne: How My Kitchen Became canela →