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Christmas cookies may be top of mind this time of year, but there’s a whole other world – literally – of pastry possibilities out there.
Greek
Photos courtesy of Sia Ragias
Sia Ragias in her kitchen in her New Albany home
Ambro-Sia’s Authentic Greek Pastries
Sia Ragias has been baking baklava forever.
Each holiday season, she would get requests from family members to make the baklava that she learned to bake at a young age back in her hometown of Karpenission, Evrytanias, Greece. After 33 years as a teacher in Whitehall, Ragias felt she had time to catch up on the things she loved, such as baking, and took a request for 400 pieces of baklava for a wedding.
The job led to more requests from those looking for “grandma’s baklava” to be served at their weddings. Ragias decided that it was time to turn this into a profession, and began Ambro-Sia’s Authentic Greek Pastries out of her home in New Albany. Though Ragias started exclusively with baklava, she’s since expanded to more types of pastries, cookies and even biscotti.
Ragias’ pastries can be bought at Capitol Cup Coffee at Columbus Commons, and both bought and ordered out of Nazareth Restaurant and Deli in Gahanna. Ragias also sells her pastries the first Saturday of every month at the indoor farmers market in New Albany.
During the holiday season, Ragias says, her baklava spikes in popularity – both because baklava is recognizable, and because Ragias’ customers consistently say her baklava is just like that made by their giagiá, or grandmother. As an even bigger plus, Ragias works to use healthful ingredients in her baking.
“I personally feel that (my baklava) is something different,” says Ragias. “I use butter and, of course, sugar, but honey, walnuts; I think they’re more healthy than not healthy. … They’re to die for.”
Austrian
Assorted tea cookies are some of the most popular holiday treats from Mozart's. Photos by Amanda DePerro
Marzipan Peach from Mozart's
Mozart’s Café
Owned by husband-wife combo Anand and Doris Saha, Mozart’s was born to be a bakery that features international food.
Anand was born in India and Doris in Austria, so Mozart’s doesn’t disappoint when it comes to multiculturalism.
Vanilla crescent from Mozart's
Around the holiday season, Mozart’s sees a spike in popularity for its eclectic tea cookies and, of course, its Yule Log. Entirely edible, this holiday treat is decorated with fondant mushrooms, holly leaves and Christmas trees.
“Our Yule Logs are decorated really pretty,” says Anand. “A lot of attention to detail goes into each them.”
Those craving a more ethnic holiday treat may gravitate toward the vanillekipferl, or vanilla crescent. Featured in 2015 by USA Today as a top international holiday treat to try, the crescent, made with ground almonds and powdered sugar, is one that can’t be missed.
Anand attributes the café’s success to the consistency he and his wife have maintained for the 20-plus years since its opening in Clintonville.
“We’ve been consistent; we’ve been doing things a long time,” he says. “If someone came here 10 years ago and came back today, they’d find the same taste, but better. That’s the key.”
Czech
Kielbasa, cheddar, jalapeno kolache. Photos courtesy of Kolache Republic
Kolache Republic
Kolache Republic, named for the Czech kolaches that it sells, provides traditional kolaches of both the traditional and contemporary genre.
A traditional kolache is a sweet, yeasty dough with a small well in the middle, in which fillings – traditionally fruit, nut or sweet cheese – are put.
Kolaches aren’t always dessert food. During the holidays, Dusty Kotchou, one of the owners of Brewery District-based Kolache Republic, says a popular order is mini kolaches filled with spinach artichoke, barbecue pulled pork or house-made sloppy joes. However, the traditional holiday option, Kotchou says, is a poppy seed-filled kolache.
Kolache Republic's strawberry kolache
“The poppy seed is an older, traditional flavor, so you get your older folks that love it, and the flavor that grandma used to make,” says Kotchou. “You have that memory, so a lot of people tend to gravitate toward that around Christmastime. … It’s nice to bring back some fond memories.”
The key to a good kolache, says Kotchou, is in the dough. And Kolache Republic prides itself on its dough quality.
“If you taste it, it’s absolutely the dough,” says Kotchou. “It’s not sweet like a Danish, it’s not your standard bread roll dough and it really complements the fillings, both the sweet and the savory. That’s what would set us apart, in my mind.”
Amanda DePerro is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
