For most of us, Easter means hot cross buns (which come with the heated debate about how best to eat them), but there’s more to the chocolate season than that.
Whether you’re off the buns altogether or you’ve eaten your fill already and are looking to diversify your Easter intake, these are our favourite Easter treats that aren’t hot cross buns.
Hokey pokey tart at Shadow Baking, Glenelg
The haven for laminated goods – think Vegemite-and-avo scrolls and nutmeg-topped, custard-filled danishes – is turning on the Easter cheer this year, collaborating with Kiwi choc lords Whittaker’s. The hokey pokey tart goes all-in with baked chocolate custard, honeycomb Chantilly and shaved Ghana dark chocolate, held by a deeply golden croissant tart shell. It’ll knock you out (in the best way). There’s also a brownie-cookie hybrid carrying hot cross bun-flavoured custard and a coconut pain suisse. Available from April 9 till April 20.
Hokey pokey tart, $10; pain suisse, $10; hot cross cookie, $8.
Son of a Bun beer at Bowden Brewing, Bowden
This rebellious collaboration between Bowden Brewing and The Lost Loaf is a chocolate hot cross brown ale that’s “spice-laced” and “cocoa-kissed”. It’s malty, warming and pairs perfectly with an actual bun. It’s available on-tap and in tins at Bowden Brewing.
Four-pack, $19; a case of 16, $94.
Hot cross doughnut, Jenny’s Bakery, Eastwood & Norwood
The sweetest treat of the Jenny’s Bakery Easter line-up? The hot cross doughnut. It’s made with a pillowy spiced brioche dough that’s proved overnight before being filled with pistachio cream and dipped in white Belgian chocolate.
Hot cross doughnuts, $6.80 each.
Hot cross croissant ice-cream, The Sugar Man
The Sugar Man’s delivering a pair of treats this Easter. First up is the hot cross croissant ice-cream – or technically, cold cross croissant ice-cream – a dreamy scoop (or tub) of spiced, burnt butter ice-cream swirled with dried Riverland fruit and chunks of crunchy croissant. Next up is the hot cross croissant chocolate bar made with French Valrhona chocolate.
Hot cross croissant chocolate bar, $15; hot cross croissant ice-cream, $8.50 a scoop or $17.50 a tub.
Hot cross doughnut at Banana Boogie Bakery, Belair
The hot cross buns at Banana Boogie have won plenty of awards. Now, the team is taking its prize-winning HCB and reimagining it as a hot cross doughnut that’s filled with Bavarian custard.
One doughnut for $6, three for $15.
Additional reporting by Lucy Bell Bird & Grace Mackenzie.
