RECIPES &
STORIES FROM TOMB OFFERINGS TO GINGERBREAD BOYS

Explore the Surprising and Sometimes
Dark Origins of Beloved Holiday Bakes

Spice up your season by rolling,
molding, and kneading your way through some of the world’s most iconic
Christmas recipes. Interspersed with tales of sailors, saints, tomb raiders,
and artisans, The Secret History of Christmas Baking proves
that even the humblest holiday treat has a global backstory.

Did you know that the ancient
Egyptians had their own version of gingerbread or that marzipan was once
considered a pharmaceutical? Linda Raedisch dispels some long-standing culinary
myths and delves into the darker chapters of the West’s centuries-long romance
with sugar and spices. In addition to more than forty recipes for modern
bakers, you’ll find illustrated instructions for dressing up your cakes and
cookie plates with paper stars, angels, and witches. From Linzer tartlets to
Christstollen, you can turn your kitchen into an Old World Christmas market
stall.

Linda
Raedisch has been contributing crafts, recipes, and ethnobotanical lore to Llewellyn’s Herbal Almanac since 2012. She is the author of The Old Magic of Christmas and The Lore of Old Elfland. Outside the kitchen, she has special interests in
papercrafts, minority languages, and exploring the suburban jungle. You can
follow her culinary, crafting, and linguistic adventures on Instagram
@lindaraedisch