If you’re looking for the most traditional of Easter treats, go no further than Durban’s favourite artisanal bakery, Glenwood Bakery, whose famous hot cross buns have become an institution in the city. The secret of their success, according to baker Carin Robinson, is that they use only stoneground, GMO-free, preservative-free, unbleached flour. ‘And of course, the slow fermentation of the dough - that’s very important.’ The proof, quite literally, is in the pudding, and we highly recommend you test them out yourself.
What you really want from the Easter Bunny
Whether you observe it or not, Easter is the time to celebrate your sweet tooth. Here are five places to get a stylish fix
THE COUNTER
Johannesburg-based confectioner, Meg Pascoe, of The Counter is a familiar face to market-goers around the city. Together with her partner, Ian Vos, she specialises in a glorious array of sweets - think rocky road marshmallows, gooey chocolate brownies, and fudge in all shapes and sizes. Meg’s Easter go-to ingredients have always been ‘Creme Eggs and speckled eggs’, and this year they've released a special Easter gift box inspired by these treats. Think Creme Egg fudge, pastel striped marshmallows and even a speckled egg brownie bar.
JACK RABBIT CHOCOLATE STUDIO
Pretoria’s Jack Rabbit Chocolate Studio made the country proud last year by not only becoming the first South African company to compete in the International Chocolate Awards, but by bagging a Gold in the first round, and Silver in the finals. Known for their hand-painted masterpieces, chocolatier Stephanie Ceronio is always looking to do something wildly different for Easter, and this year opted for Dinosaur eggs. ‘I love the fact that they are fantastical but familiar, and I searched far and wide for geometric and weirdly shaped moulds to make sure that the eggs came out looking how I would imagine dinosaur eggs to be,’ says Ceronio.
Image: Supplied
OOH LA LA CONFECTIONERY
For Karen Schneid of Ooh La La Confectionery, Easter wouldn’t be the same without chocolate and bunnies, which is why she has developed a ‘grown-up Easter egg’ to satisfy even the most sophisticated of sweet tooths. The doyenne of desserts has taken her award-winning vanilla artisan marshmallows and reimagined them for the festive season. Picture fluffy marshmallow infused with Madagascan vanilla bean, smothered in Belgian couverture milk chocolate and sprinkled with vanilla-pod crystals, elegantly wrapped in gold paper and finished off with a sleek and simple Easter bunny.
COCOAFAIR
Cape Town’s original bean-to-bar chocolate makers offer handmade truffles and gourmet chocolate bars all year round, but for Easter they’ve upped the ante with their glorious limited-edition eggs. Picture a woven, yes, woven, egg made of medium milk chocolate, a white chocolate speckled egg, which is more like a marbled artwork, and a mini chocolate egg filled with caramel dulce de leche, surrounded by a chocolate rice crispy covering and drizzled with 45% milk chocolate. The first bean-to-bar producers in Africa, they sure are getting the last word with these hand-crafted beauties.
GLENWOOD BAKERY
If you’re looking for the most traditional of Easter treats, go no further than Durban’s favourite artisanal bakery, Glenwood Bakery, whose famous hot cross buns have become an institution in the city. The secret of their success, according to baker Carin Robinson, is that they use only stoneground, GMO-free, preservative-free, unbleached flour. ‘And of course, the slow fermentation of the dough - that’s very important.’ The proof, quite literally, is in the pudding, and we highly recommend you test them out yourself.
You might also like...
Welcome to the world of extreme chocolate and the duo that aim to restore the delicacy to its once sacred status
Vanilla ice: how cyclones and drought affect your ice cream