Whether it’s a traditional Tourtière (French Canadian meat pie), gingerbread or shortbread cookies or a batch of homemade peppermint bark or fudge – holiday baking and indulging is a treasured family staple in many kitchens.
Canada’s “baking sweetheart” Anna Olson is fresh off a Christmas market river cruise that started in Nuremberg, Germany and ended in beautiful Vienna, Austria. “The idea is anyone on this trip loves getting into Christmas. We would tour historic sites, but also visit the Christmas markets. While we were sailing, I would do cooking and baking demos,” says Olson, who is also an accomplished savoury chef, as well.
Olson says she spends a lot of time sharing tips for baking and how to get ahead for the holidays, but tends to focus her cooking demos towards that. “My own holiday baking tends to happen closer to the actual date,” she jokes.
Like so many people, Olson notes, there are certain holiday cookies she makes all the time. “Because they’re kind of the family traditional recipe.”
“That includes a Toblerone shortbread cookie, an icebox cookie. When my grandmother would make it, she would put in candied cherries and walnuts. These days, I use dried blueberries and I make a Linzer cookie inspired by an Icelandic torte called vinarterta. Anyone in the Prairies might have heard of this because there’s so many Icelanders out West and that’s where my husband’s family is from. It’s an easier variation compared to the big dessert. It’s a layered cardamon spice shortbread torte with a prune filling,” Olson explains.
When it comes to cookies and squares, Olson says it’s time to get to it. “While you can put things in the freezer, now that the countdown is on, you may not have to.”
“Squares are a lot faster and take up less space than cookies. If you’re in a pinch for time, lean towards something like a butter tart bar or almond bar or streusel jam square because it takes less work and takes up less space and you still get multiple dozen tasty bites from it,” she notes.
Olson adds when it comes to the big day and if you are in charge of dessert for the big Christmas meal, consider a recipe that can be made a full day ahead, so it’s the last thing you have to worry about. “Once you reach the end of the meal, you’re probably wanting to take a break. To know there’s a delicious trifle, lemon meringue Yule log or a cheesecake in the fridge just waiting to be pulled out and everybody wooing all over it, then you’re in good shape.”
As for kids in the kitchen, Olson says that’s a personal decision for families, as some people like having the entire kitchen to themselves and some welcome a crowd. “Especially, if it’s helping out with the dishes.”
“But when it comes to kids, those little gestures go a long way. It doesn’t have to be elaborate cookie decorating. I have two grandchildren. They’re just mimicking whatever we’re doing in the kitchen. As long as you give them a bowl, a spoon and a couple of fun ingredients to stir up. We’ve made our fair share of gourmet goo around here.”
Earlier this year, Olson was a special guest at the Lethbridge Home, Garden and Leisure show. “Everyone was so warm and welcoming.”
Olson has appeared for two decades on Food Network Canada with shows, including “Bake with Anna Olson and “Great Chocolate Showdown.” A new season of “Great Chocolate Showdown” starts Dec. 30 on the brand-new Flavour Network.
She is also the author of 10 best-selling cookbooks, including the 2023 release, “Baking Wisdom.”
As for Olson’s instructional videos and recipes, check out her YouTube channel “Oh Yum.” “We regularly have videos dropping, including several bake-alongs, which flow through the natural time it takes to make the recipe. We just tighten it up when it comes to waiting for things to come out of the oven.”
In the New Year, Olson says she will be hosting culinary tours once again. “One through the south of France and the Aeolian Islands, which are the little islands that sit on top of Sicily.”
