This year, for Easter, why not tempt yourself with a creation from a local bakery or pastry shop? These artisans, skilled in their craft like no other, have redoubled their efforts to impart a piece of their knowledge, but above all nostalgic pleasure. Always aiming to consume less, but better, during Easter, here are the addresses where you can find detour-worthy chocolate works. Good find!
state of shock
Photo provided by Cucinomane
All chocolate lovers and connoisseurs must visit the Etat de Choc boutique. In addition to finding one of the largest selections of bean-to-bar chocolates in town, you’ll find homemade creations, chocolate menus, ice creams, spreads, hot chocolates and more. If I don’t need to mention that the Easter collection is mind-blowing, I can’t pass by the group’s main creation in silence: a large egg with a light chocolate and pecan mousse, decorated with soft caramel and crunchy pecans. The most reasonable will find their account in the range of small coconuts or chickens.
► 6466 Saint-Laurent Boulevard, Montreal
Sacher Sweets
Photo courtesy of Kik Agency
This year, pastry chef Sonia Sammuth has created two different eggs, taking her inspiration from the Japanese art of kintsuki (the act of restoring broken objects by plating them with gold). Starting with white chocolate filled with pistachio praline and passion fruit caramel. The second is 60% dark chocolate filled with miso caramel, chocolate ganache, vanilla marshmallows and freeze dried raspberries. These creations include vegan peanut butter mini-eggs and some bars in different flavors.
► 1274 de Maisonneuve Boulevard East, Montreal
In the Potters
Photo courtesy of Chez Potier
True to his habit of not taking any occasion lightly, one of Quebec’s top pastry chefs has created a delicious and delicate cake inside an egg! Designed for six people, its egg vianetta consists of a crispy praline, a hazelnut cream, a hazelnut and milk chocolate biscuit, a mousse and a milk chocolate ganache, all nicely garnished with an old-fashioned hazelnut and fleur de sel praline. As for the pastries, the theme will be honored with “all-chocolate” chocolate and stuffed with hazelnut praline. Easter cocoa worth the detour!
► 630 Wellington Street, Montreal
Gal Vitricare Pastries
Photo courtesy of Serge Leclerc
Creating a song for spring, pastry chef Gale Vidrigare designed her Easter chocolate 2023 collection.
In 43% milk chocolate or 66% dark chocolate, crocus petals, daffodil puffs and cherry blossoms are represented according to the characteristic visual features of these flowers.
We take advantage of the visit to go with a few rocks and some small cakes for the road.
► 200 Cremazie Street West, Quebec
Tamilian
Photo courtesy of Le Tamelier
Throughout the Easter weekend, baker Mathieu Lomlett and his team will be serving up a range of chocolate creations, from triple chocolate bread to reinterpretations of the most popular chocolate cake, Royale. As for the pastries, Remy, the tourer, will have created a two-tone tiger chocolate bar filled with three chocolate bars: white, milk and dark. Here’s a trio that will steal the show at your brunch!
► facebook.com/LeTamelierbakery
► 1199 Curé-Lablele Boulevard, Blainville
Odo’s house
Photo courtesy of Maison Odo
In Gatineau, for a delicious chocolate treat, you must visit Maison Odo Pastry and Bakery. The chef-owner, who won the title of Les Lauriers Best Pastry Chef in Quebec in 2021, will serve three cakes, a “hot chocolate”-style bread, a lime and Thai basil tartlet — with the support of his brigade. Sold Easter weekend only. However, my radar is at Le Caroline, a dessert that showcases the chef’s best technique in a unique design, a texture of milk jam, caramel mousse, creamy Tahitian vanilla mascarpone and candied pears, all inside a 70% chocolate shell. .
► 260 Saint-Raymond Boulevard, Gatineau
Bread is everything!
Photo courtesy of Du pain c’est tout
Du Pain C’est Tout at La Pocatière! Charles Létang, baker and owner of the bakery, has been showing his colors (and his values) from the beginning by using only freshly stoned organic flour from the historic Aulnaies mill. A traditional building. From bread to Viennese pastries to seasonal creations – including chocolate-cranberry bastard bread for Easter – this taste of terroir shines through in its ubiquity. This bastard bread (a half-pound loaf that weighs between a baguette and a kilogram loaf is called a “bastard”) consists of sourdough with unsweetened chocolate chips, but with 70% chocolate chips from Salur B. A touch of chocolate factory, dried cranberries and local honey. You have to go there to find an amazing vianoceri!
► 608a, 4th Avenue Painchaud, La Pocatière
3 Calo’pain
Photo courtesy of Les 3 Galo’Pains
Opened in 2018 by the three Burdin brothers, this bakery in Saint-Eustache quickly became a hot spot for locals and the surrounding area. For Easter, chocolate lovers can eat praline chocolate cake – only on April 7, 8 and 9 – chocolate bread filled with milk and dark chocolate and chocolates from the chocolate factory. Ruff’s craft. Carrot cake and lenten brioches complete the Easter offering.
► 116 Saint-Eustache Street, Saint-Eustache
Tommy Dion is a columnist/food critic and founder of the website and Good Food Guide www.lecuisinomane.com
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