Schwartz Christmas Bakes Review

Reviewed by Dee Ryz

Christmas. From family get togethers, to office parties, it’s a time to spend with friends and family alike, and after last year’s disappointing debacle (for some!), it’s more important than ever to appreciate the little things. So, this year, I’m fully embracing everything Christmas has to offer – more so that before – from the sights and sounds, to the food and drink. Ok, especially the food and drink….

When I think of Christmas food and drink I am immediately filled with comfortable nostalgia of warm, wintry bakes, and steamy, spicy mulled wine, alongside all the other tastes and smells that go into cookery at Christmas. There’s very much a common theme when it comes to the spices of the season. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves would appear to be used in everything from the red cabbage no one touches on the festive dinner table, to the delicate gingerbread biscuits your granny makes. Ever popular and synonymous with Christmas, they really are at the heart of the kitchen at this time of year, so Schwartz have very cleverly crafted their Schwartz Christmas Bakes set, with everything you need to get started.

This limited edition Christmas set includes four jars of spices, topped with festive gold caps – ground cinnamon (although not sticks as the website advertised), mixed spice, nutmeg and ginger. It also contained 3 cookie cutters – a star, Christmas tree and snowman – and a handy little recipe card for how to make Christmas Gingerbread Cookies, yummy!

As someone who enjoys cooking and baking, especially at Christmas, this is a brilliant practical set as it contains the exact spices you would need to make your festive menu a success. It really is a great basics or starter kit, and you can adapt from there. I mean, it will set you up to create everything from eggnog (nutmeg) to sticky toffee pudding (cinnamon) and that all important spiced glaze for the gammon (ginger). It goes without saying, the spices can be used year round too – and it helps that they last ages, although with the amount of cooking I have in mind, I might be stocking up sooner rather than later.

Even if you’re not adept at Christmas cooking, as I mentioned, the pack contains a recipe card for gingerbread cookies complete with an ingredients list, and step-by-step guide. With the cutters included, you really only need minimal ingredients and equipment to join in the fun! It really would make for a wonderful bake-a-long set with a little one, excited to get involved at this time of year, or as a gift for the foodie or keen baker in your life who loves this time of year as much as the next.

Whether you’re gifting the set, or making some tasty treats made with the spices themselves, it’s truly a top starter kit for this festive season.

Rating: 5 stars.

RRP and Buy link: Available now from Schwartz website for £15 (RRP), it’s really good value for money. They also currently have a deal where if you spend £20 you get free standard shipping (3-5 days) too. Fabulous!