Chennai’s raddest Easter treats in an ‘egg shell’ 

From a Victorian-inspired Simnel cake that dates all the way back to medieval times to a new-age Ice Cream Easter egg that is stored at -16° celsius, there is an eclectic feast to be had this Easter
Chennai’s raddest Easter treats in an ‘egg shell’ 

So we decided to go on an Easter egg hunt. But what one didn’t expect was to find real treasure outside the ubiquitous marzipan  shell. From a Victorian-inspired Simnel cake that dates all the way back to medieval times to a new-age Ice Cream Easter egg that is stored at -16° celsius, there is an eclectic feast to be had this weekend, if you know where to look. 

The Eskimo

Ever heard of an ice cream Easter egg before? Well, Srinath Balachandran of chocolate cafe Zuka certainly hadn’t, which is why he decided to create it in their Mylapore kitchen this weekend. Stored at -16 ˚ celsius, this chocolate egg houses a mini-scoop of low-fat ice cream (chocolate again) on the inside. “We’ve added some cake in there as well, so the ice cream better holds its shape,” he explains. Also, not to miss is this cafe’s Rock ‘n’ roll Easter egg filled with butterscotch-chocolate pearls, so the egg rumbles when you give it a shake. Available at Zuka outlets in Chennai and Puducherry. Price: Rs 190. Details: 42061404
 

We love: Hey, what’s not to love about ice cream in an Easter egg? 

Egg-cellent idea

Thirty five years ago, a pastry chef at the then newly opened Cakes ‘n’ Bakes had an idea. Why not give customers the chicken and the egg? Thus was born the delightful Easter hen. A signature at this cafe, the head and tail are made of marzipan, while the body is a real egg — except the yolk is swapped for chocolate! Going back in time to this reporter’s own childhood memories, this chocolate egg was simply fascinating, and neither of her grandparents could explain the phenomenon. However, owner Vishumber Nichani finally solved the mystery. “We insert a tiny 3mm tube in the eggshell, drain its contents and pre-wash it. This has to be done very carefully to ensure there are no cracks. The liquid chocolate is injected in till the egg is full and we leave overnight to set.” He adds, “The marzipan tail covers the tiny opening so it looks like the egg came in straight from the market.” At Cakes ‘n’ Bakes. Price: Rs 120. Details: 28205554.

We love: The fact that this Easter egg is not hollow, and the shell is the real deal.

Crossroads

We’ve heard of limited edition fashion watches and apparel. But hot cross buns? Homebaker Sara Koshy, who has expanded her baked goods for family to clients by request over the past decade, is entirely worth the order-in-advance policy. Wholesome with raisins, currants and spice powders — she never makes more than 50 buns, and it’s always fresh out of the oven on the morning of Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Price: Rs 50 per bun. Details: 8124145884
 

We love: That the cross is made of a piped icing sugar glaze instead of traditional hard pastry.

Apostles' Creed

A recipe passed down from the Victorian era, the Simnel cake is rather uncommon — possibly why 
hunting it down in Chennai was such an exciting prospect. The second reason we can’t wait to dig into this light fruit cake one is the fact that it has not one but two layers of marzipan — one for embellishment on top and the other that goes along with the cake in the mid-section. “Baked marzipan is twice as rich and really brings out that almond flavour,” says Sundari Saritha Subramaniam, a homebaker in the city, who discovered it by chance on TV a few years ago. Price: Rs 1,600 for a seven inch cake. Details: 9884841414
 

We love: The symbolism on this one. Twelve marzipan balls on top are meant to represent the 12 apostles.

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