This is such a fun book. I love the history of all the recipes and the regions they came from. It was sometimes silly, sometimes a little creepy, but fun the whole time. You can tell the author put a lot of time and effort in to the research and has referenced all the sources well. I’ll admit, I’m not much of a cook or baker, so I’m not sure I’ll actually try making any of the recipes, but I liked reading through them anyway. I enjoyed this book so much that I borrowed her other one, Old Magic, which she talks about in this one. Can’t wait to read it.

My only teeny criticism, and it may not be the authors fault at all, is that there are some display errors on the Kindle version. The first letter of each word in a new chapter is missing, and the formatting is a bit off sometimes. This is definitely a book you need to buy a physical copy of so you can flip through the recipes easier and see pictures.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book. This book is a mix of stories, history, recipes, and crafts, all of which were extremely well thought out and executed. I would highly recommend this book, especially for any historical/Christmas lovers.

Really fun cookbook for the holidays! Interested to try out these recipes and learn the stories behind them as it turns to winter time.

So much history!! This book is packed with history of Christmas baking. The spices, traditions, crafts. It was very fun to read.

I received this advanced copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

I love reading books that give us a history of the food we eat! This book gave the reader insight into the history of the spices and the toll the sugar industry had on the world. I enjoyed reading the recipes and history the story behind the cookies and cakes in each recipe. I feel inclined to try some of these recipes. The book was easy to read and while it covered some of our unsavory history, there was slight humor mixed in. I found it entertaining and hard to put down.

I think readers who enjoy history, baking and Christmas would enjoy this book.

This was a mixture of random dry humor, and informational tidbits as well as recipes! I really enjoyed this compilation of recipes and enjoyed the backstories to many of them .loved the vintage illustrations as well!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Secret History of Christmas Baking by Linda Raedisch is an easy and engaging read. It has recipes, crafts and historical background on spices, some of the ingredients and how some of the recipes came to be and the places that are best known to the world for some of these recipes.

El libro está interesante y es fácil de leer, para nada aburrido ni tedioso. Los ingredientes usados en éstas recetas son fáciles de conseguir; tiene datos históricos interesantes, dónde y cómo se conseguían las especias y porqué las conocemos con los nombres que las conocemos.

Modern Christmas traditions have come down to us along a winding road, traveling through many countries and occasionally some dark corners of human history -- and Christmas baking is no exception. Raedisch explores the history behind some of the most iconic holiday treats (especially gingerbread and fruitcake), traipsing from one country to another to follow the evolution of recipes, the use and trade of various spices, and the traditions behind them. Few of the sweets we think of as essential to holiday celebrations actually started off as Christmas fare or even in Christian countries: for example, marzipan, used in the German recipe for Lebkuchen, was invented by medieval Arab confectioners.

What I really appreciated was how Raedisch didn't shy away from revealing the violent history of many of these foodstuffs. Not only did an increased demand for sugar in European markets lead to the slave trade and to brutal conditions on Caribbean sugarcane plantations, but the involvement of the Dutch East India Company in the spice trade also resulted in brutality toward workers and some questionable business (and environmental) practices. (Along with this, Raedisch also offers a brief history of the problematic Dutch tradition of Zwarte Piet, or Black Peter, Sinterklaas's blackface sidekick.) This history isn't intended to suck the joy out of holiday traditions for us today, but it never hurts us to remember that our abundance and extravagance comes at a cost we may not realize.

The book includes recipes and crafts as well as a Christmas kitchen herbal that may introduce the reader to some lesser-known herbs and spices that were once familiar.

I enjoy learning more about the history of the food on my plate, and this book really expands my understanding of many of the ingredients in my pantry. I'm sure I'll have visions of sugarplums (and comfits and gingerbread) dancing through my head well before the holidays begin. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you, Llewellyn Publications and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

I received a free copy of, The Secret History of Christmas Baking, by Linda Raedisch, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book has recipes and instructions on crafts. Some of the recipes are, Nankhatai, Speculaas, and Panforte. I have heard of many of the recipes, but want to try some. A great book about the history of Christmas baking.

The Secret History of Christmas Baking: Recipes & Stories from Tomb Offerings to Gingerbread Boys by Linda Raedisch is a great nonfiction that explores so much of what makes up a lot of the culinary traditions that we participate in today, and in days of the past.

It was very interesting to learn so much history of so many different holiday foods, traditions, spices, and the social aspects of so many different foods, recipes, tastes, and traditions through their origins, foundations, alterations, and customs throughout the world. So much is incorporated and involved, and I guess I just had no idea.

I learned a lot.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., Llewellyn Publications for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/8/23.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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Explore the Surprising and Sometimes Dark Origins of Beloved Holiday Bakes

Spice up your season by rolling, moulding, 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.

I no longer bake – I have a SIL who cannot cook to save her life (is making a Caesar salad cooking? How about wiping out ¾ of the family with food poisoning because your “gravy” is a healthy salmonella-laden bowl of turkey juice?) but she can bake. Very well … well at least she used to … now she bakes gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free as it is healthier. WHEN, except holiday time, is there ever an excuse to NOT avoid dessert? My mom baked, too --- baking is just too FUSSY for me at this point in my life…and besides….who needs the calories? (I would rather have a cheese plate!)

I did love this book – it was dark, twisty and right up my alley ad it will give me something to talk about at Christmas when hubby asks me to bake and mom asks if I baked. Dazzle them with facts, baffle them with BS? Or maybe, just maybe, I will try out one or two of the recipes in this book and then tell them the stories about what it has to do with Egyptians and witches and demons. That’s a very Poppy thing to do: I mean I am named after a narcotic flower!

Highly recommended for the stories and the recipes, whether you bake or not! #shortbutsweetreviews

The Secret History of Christmas Baking is an interesting read filled with the details and origins of Christmas traditions from different cultures.

Along with recipes, the book contains craft tutorials, and well-researched information. You’re sure to learn something new in this book, and uncover the sometimes dark meaning behind the now joyful holiday activities.