Traveled holiday recipes

With the holidays come old-school recipes for sweets, many that reach back generations. Here are a few only-in-December finds with storied origins from lands far away.

Bûche de Noël

According to La Chatelaine's Valerian Wielezynski, fireplace logs were soaked in sherry for a longer burn and a pleasant scent. Thus, the origin of Bûche de Noël, France's rum syrup-soaked sponge cake rolled with buttercream and topped with Christmas decor. Grab a personal-size portion from the case at La Chatelaine or call a day ahead for medium and large cakes.lachatelainebakery.com

German Stollen

Jonas Laughlin's stollen takes six days to make (more if you count candying ginger and citrus peel). The German answer to fruitcake, this powdered cake is swimming in rum and Kirsch. Laughlin's Bakery will be stocked for the holidays, but Laughlin suggests an advance order, as the cakes go fast.laughlinsbakery.com

Springerle Cookies

Hand-pressed into reproductions of 17th century wooden molds, Belinda Riesenberger's Springerle cookies are crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. The owner of Belle's Kitchen borrowed the 150-year-old recipe from a friend's mom. Available during holidays at the Worthington Farmers Market, Toast Bar, Weiland's Market and Hills Markets

Lebkuchen

Heavy on the spice (think honey, cloves, ginger and cardamom), and filled with orange marmalade, Mozart's lebkuchen recipe comes from pastry chef Doris Saha's Austrian great, great, grandmother. The bakery adds its own twist to these gingerbread cookies, available by the piece, by adding a touch of chocolate.mozartscafe.com

Sfogliata

"Sfogliata is hard to make," says Michael Auddino, owner of Auddino's Bakery. "You have to work it by hand and roll it by hand." The Italian turnover is filled with a mixture of cream cheese, orange peel and lemon peel. Call in advance for orders of a dozen or more. 1490 Clara St., Linden, 614-294-2577