1. Daring duos: The Eatery
“I actually wasn’t super-big on candy when I was younger,” says David Chow, chocolatier at the Eatery. “Ironic, I know.” Chow studied computer engineering before making the jump over to pastry. Positions at a luxe Tiger Woods–owned Bahamian resort and the Trump Hotel helped Chow hone his technique. Despite all this, Chow likes “really simple things,” though he has maintained a Valrhona chocolate habit picked up at the Trump. For Halloween, Chow is offering trick-or-treat duos to share. In one set, he’s paired up caramel apple with pumpkin pie, one of Chow’s top desserts. (“Everyone says my choices of favourite desserts are lame considering I’m a pastry chef,” he says.) Apricot ginger jelly meets caramelized pineapple in one and habañero caramel in the other, warm toasty flavours “that everyone loves this time of year.”
200 University Ave., 647-352-7328, $9
2. Gummies for gourmands: Squish
Who said gummy bears can’t be gourmet? Montrealer Sarah Segal posed this very question to herself when on the hunt for bonbons that strayed outside the basic berry realm. When she couldn’t find anything worth its weight in sweet, Segal took matters into her own hands. She opened Squish, a one-stop candy shop that spins out creatively flavoured and organic candies — the antithesis of Haribo. The smart-looking bio paint can boasts a medley of organic picks: bears (fancy black currant or lemon?); cherry-watermelon hearts that are both kosher and vegan; and sour rainbow fries. No artificial flavours or colours? We dig it. “Halloween was my original candy hunt!” Segal says. These ones you may just want to keep for yourself.
176 Yonge St., Concourse Level, $14
3. Corner store dash: Richmond Station
Wunderkind pastry chef Farzam Fallah is recognized around town for his deft dessert manner.
Come the weekend, Fallah always conjures up a chocolate bar–inspired menu creation. Growing up in Iran, the chef wasn’t immersed in trick-or-treating like Canadian kids of the same age. Instead, Fallah’s Halloweeny inspiration stems from a childhood game dubbed the “7-Eleven run.” “We went to the corner convenience store and bought whatever we wanted,” Fallah explains. Using Valrhona chocolate, chef has created what’s essentially a chocolate mousse on a crunchy feuilletine base that’s finished with a dark chocolate glaze. Wedges of Coca-Cola meringue skewer the bar, which is also strewn with Skor bits, lime-flavoured jelly, Lays ketchup powder and a purée of Sour Cherry Blasters — all the elements from a stellar 7-Eleven run.
1 Richmond St. W., 647-748-1444, $9
4. A real slice: The Golden Apple
Ever since tasting her very first caramel apple at Canada’s Wonderland, Golden Apple chocolatier Stephanie Waites has had a candy crush on them. Hers are a far cry from the fairground fare one typically associates with the treat. The process begins with non-GMO Granny Smith apples, which Waites selects for their tartness (“tart and sweet go really well together”). A big copper cauldron houses the made-from-scratch caramel before it is transferred onto the apples themselves. As for the chocolate, Waites holds a preference for Swiss: “It’s always smooth and rich but not overwhelmingly so.” Try a strawberry shortcake number or a s’mores version featuring fluffy ’mallows. As for how to eat, slice the sphere around the core, divide into eighths et voilà!
171 E. Liberty St., Unit 142, 416-531-4664, $7
