By Corina Tan
A popular holiday around the world, Easter is a joyous occasion celebrated both religiously and otherwise. Chocolate has become synonymous with the celebration, most commonly seen in the form of chocolate eggs presented in multiple ways to mark the happy occasion. For this year’s upcoming Easter holidays, a chocolate lover’s dream comes true with opulent creations offered at several exclusive locations.
Cheval Blanc, Paris
At Cheval Blanc this Easter, you will find an ephemeral pop-up Chocolatier where Pastry Chef, Maxime Frédéric and his team have come up with a delicious series of creations in light of the occasion. The Limber Café on the ground floor has been transformed into a chocolate lover’s dream for the whole month of April, providing an elegant setting for chocolate eggs, signature cakes, desserts and sweets. The seductively sublime array is centred upon a signature piece called The Carrousel Egg. Incorporating a clever mechanism that sends the horses of the merry-go-round into motion, the 40cm tall creation recalls a Fabergé egg shell with its animated team of horses, and the lone Cheval Blanc (or white horse), twirling on a cocoa shell filled with crunchy hazelnuts. The creation is made with three different cocoas – Peruvian milk chocolate, dark chocolate from Madagascar, and a touch of white chocolate. Meant to be seen through the eyes of a child, and meant to be savoured with delicate taste buds to detect every musical nuance of chocolate variety arranged with dexterity and sophistication by the master pastry chef. The limited-edition masterpiece is only available to order and to take away on April 15th, 16th and 17th. Other Easter delicacies at the pop-up store are available all month long from 9am to 6pm.
(You may also like: Cheval Blanc Paris, A Quintessential Parisian Experience)
The Woodward, Geneva
In celebration of Easter this year, the talented Head Pastry Chef, Titouan Claudet draws inspiration from Guerlain’s glamourous eau de toilette’s elegant shaped Aqua Allegoria bottle. Inspired by the famous Vendôme column in Paris with its chiselled honeycomb dome topped by a metallic gold sphere, the bottle is itself a modern version of the iconic Guerlain bee bottle designed in 1853. This delicate work of art is made of grand cru chocolate from wild Criollo cacao beans sourced in Beni, Bolivia. Standing on a square pedestal of chocolate with fleur de sel, the egg is filled with caramelised hazelnuts and salted butter caramel, revealing infinitely decadent flavours in the spirit of chocolate mendiants. The limited-edition creation will be available exclusively by order from April 10th to 18th.
Le Bristol, Paris
Head Chocolatier, Johan Giachetti, has crafted a dreamy chocolate egg inspired by its permanent treasured resident, a kitten named Socrate. Open to one side, the egg is crafted from 70% dark Venezuelan chocolate, and one peek inside reveals the beautiful Birman cat made of milk chocolate with hazelnut and toasted brown rice, napping upon a silky red cushion made from white chocolate. To extend the chocolate journey, Johan offers a sophisticated selection in his assorted box of 25 praline chocolates featuring the delicate flavours and textures of buckwheat, pumpkin seed, toasted brown rice and pistachio, enveloped by robust dark or soft milk chocolate. The Chocolatier finished the box’s central row with a fried egg decoration. Exclusively available only from April 1st to 24th at L’Epicerie des Ateliers du Bristol from Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-7pm.
Royal Mansour, Marrakech
For Easter at the Royal Mansour Marrakech, Pastry Chef Jean Lachenal has designed a chocolate egg inspired by the delicate Moroccan Pastilla. At the heart of his unique Easter creation, he carefully slides a few leaves coated in chocolate and sprinkled with caramelised sesame seeds. At the base, a treasure of small praline eggs is revealed. The beautiful design is made of dark chocolate and 40% milk chocolate from Ghana, bringing us a gourmandise crunch and sweetness. To add to this delicacy, an All-Chocolate Afternoon Tea menu featuring shortbread pecan brownies, crunchy spindle almond and chocolate mousse, soft raspberry ganache tartlets, vanilla whipped cream puffs with cocoa cream, cake with milk chocolate and candied banana, Liége waffle and hazelnut cream, with a selection of savoury delights will be offered from April 15th to 18th, while the Easter egg creation itself is available from April 3rd to 24th.
(You may also like: Luxury in Morocco at The Royal Mansour Marrakech)
