The Hot List: Gingerbread Edition
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The Hot List: Gingerbread Edition

This year, gingerbread has quietly stepped out of its festive lane to become a year-round favourite. Spiced bakes are appearing on café counters, nostalgic flavours are getting a modern twist and brands have been rolling out inventive riffs across lattes, ice creams and desserts. From elevated puddings to new openings and clever collaborations, these are the gingerbread-themed launches, recipes and buys worth having on your radar…
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THE SPREAD:

Butter Bike’s Gingerbread Peanut Butter

British nut butter brand Butter Bike is known for its small-batch, flavour-forward spreads – and this gingerbread edition might be its most comforting yet. Think the nostalgic warmth of a festive biscuit (or is it cake?) folded into silky peanut butter, generously spiced and studded with chewy crystallised ginger. Sweet, fiery and landing on just the right side of indulgent, it’s the kind of jar that elevates everyday breakfasts into something special. Try it on French toast for a cosy weekend treat, rolled into crêpes with plum compote or – our personal favourite – spooned generously over a hot, buttered crumpet. 

Visit BUTTERBIKE.CO.UK

THE WORK OF ART:

The Gingerbread City

This is no ordinary gingerbread house, this is next-level festive architecture. Created by the Museum of Architecture, The Gingerbread City brings together over 50 architects and engineers to build an entire miniature metropolis made entirely from gingerbread. Now in its ninth edition, the annual exhibition features dozens of intricately designed buildings, roads, landmarks and gardens, all imagined by leading architectural studios and assembled into one walkable (and very tempting) cityscape. Beyond the visual spectacle, the project explores new ideas around urban planning and how architecture might shape a better future – albeit tested in biscuit form first. Hugely popular every year, it’s both playful and thought-provoking. For hands-on fun, book into one of the Gingerbread City workshops, where you can design, build and take home your own sugary creation.

On display at Coal Drops Yard from 29th November-4th January 2026. Tickets: £13.50.

Visit KINGSCROSS.CO.UK

THE CANDLE:

Jo Malone London Ginger Biscuit Candle

If Christmas had a signature scent, this would be it. Jo Malone London’s limited-edition Ginger Biscuit candle captures the irresistible aroma of just-baked biscuits cooling on the kitchen counter. Spiced with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, and softened with notes of caramel, buttery roasted hazelnuts, tonka bean and vanilla, it’s warm, nostalgic and instantly comforting. Crafted in the England and housed in an elegant glass vessel, it’s perfect for festive gatherings, gift-giving or simply filling your home with a cosy, familiar fragrance.

Visit JOMALONE.CO.UK

THE BODYCARE:

Sundae Gingerbread Body Whip Moisturiser

For those who want to indulge in festive flavours beyond the kitchen, Sundae’s Gingerbread Body Whip will bring all the cosy comfort of the season into your bodycare routine. This creamy, non-greasy hydrator is infused with vegan rice milk and Australian botanicals, leaving skin soft, smooth and lightly fragranced. It absorbs quickly yet feels deeply nourishing, making it ideal if you’re looking for a playful seasonal upgrade to your everyday moisturiser.

Visit SUNDAEBODY.CO.UK

THE SCENT:

BORNTOSTANDOUT ‘Choco Loco’ Eau de Parfum

Cool-girl Korean fragrance house BORNTOSTANDOUT has made a name for itself with bold, grown-up gourmands – and its new limited-edition Christmas scent might be its most addictive yet. Available exclusively at Harrods, Choco Loco opens with chocolate and marshmallow before melting into a heart of ginger liqueur, cacao absolute, condensed milk and caramel fudge. Imagine dunking gingerbread into a boozy hot chocolate and you’re close. 

Visit BORNTOSTANDOUT.COM

THE POP-UP:

Café Ciel x Monkey 47 The Wunderbar Gingerbread Pop-Up

Café Ciel has transformed into a life-sized festive fantasy thanks to its collaboration with Monkey 47. Running until 5th January, the Wunderbar Gingerbread Pop-Up is a full-blown Christmas escape, complete with gingerbread-inspired cocktails, seasonal sweet treats and storybook-worthy décor. Set inside The OWO, it’s the kind of place you go for one drink and end up staying all afternoon. Sundays up the ante with brunch and a live DJ from 12-3pm.

Café Ciel, The OWO, 7 Horse Guards Avenue, SW1A 2EU

Follow @CAFECIEL.LDN

THE RECIPE:

Gingerbread Cheesecake

Who doesn’t love a cheesecake? This is one for the gingerbread lovers out there. It’s an easy – yet seriously impressive – dessert that would look perfectly at home on your Christmas Day table.

INGREDIENTS

For the base:

  • 100g of unsalted British butter
  • 200g of M&S stem ginger cookies
  • 100g of M&S ginger snaps


For the filling:

  • 250g of M&S full fat soft cheese, room temperature
  • 500g of reduced fat soft cheese
  • 75g of icing sugar
  • 1 tsp of M&S Madagascan vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp of ground ginger
  • ½ tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp of M&S gingerbread flavour syrup
  • 150 ml of double cream


For the decoration:

  • M&S all-butter mini gingerbread biscuits

METHOD

  1. To make the base, melt the butter in the microwave or in a small pan on the hob.
  2. Crush the ginger cookies and ginger snaps to a fine crumb with a rolling pin and a sealable bag, or blitz them in a food processor. Combine with the melted butter and press the mixture into the base of a 20cm springform cake tin.
  3. To make the filling, grab a large bowl and whisk the icing sugar with the full fat, reduced fat soft cheese (500 g) and double cream. Add the gingerbread syrup, vanilla extract, ground ginger and ground cinnamon and mix again.
  4. The overall texture of your cheesecake topping should be a thick mousse.
  5. Carefully spread the mixture over the biscuit base, cover it with foil or cling film and chill in the fridge for a few hours, preferably overnight.
  6. To make the decoration, carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin and place on a serving plate.
  7. Sprinkle over some crushed biscuit crumbs and decorate with mini gingerbread biscuits (to taste).

Visit MARKS&SPENCER.COM

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