Home bakers gear up for the Easter orders

Expect the classic hot cross buns, fun spin on Easter eggs, bountiful hampers and also treats for your dogs

Easter goodies

Home bakers in the city are prepping up for Easter Sunday on April 17. Their ovens, whisks and cutters are out, orange peels are soaking in large vats, whole spices are stocked, and shout-out posts on social media saying ‘We are ready to take orders’ are in the works.

Metrolife dialled up homepreneurs to peek into the Easter menu they have on offer.

Classics, first

A pastry chef and teacher, Shelza Chand is known for making Marzipan Easter eggs, her take on the popular offering by Nahoum, a Jewish bakery in Kolkata, which she hails from. “These are hollow eggs made of cashew marzipan and filled with candies. As kids, we would enjoy smashing them (open),” says the Marathahalli resident. On these eggs, you will find ‘Happy Easter’ greetings, happy chicks, and ribbons done with colourful fondue. These come in large and medium-size, pegged at Rs 300, and Rs 250 apiece.

When we called on Thursday, she was dispatching her first order to customers travelling out of Bengaluru. “People started placing orders a month back. I have 150 eggs to make,” she informs.

Martin Menezes (inset) will bake six
varieties of babka, a sweet braided bread.

Cooke Town resident Martin Menezes was baking when we rang up. He has received almost 50 orders since Monday. His menu comprises the Easter must-have aka hot cross bun, a spiced sweet bun that he will be loading with cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins and selling in a box of four for Rs 375. Six varieties of babka, a sweet braided bread, are also up for order within Rs 375-Rs 475 range. Caramel, dark chocolate, cinnamon, hazelnut, peri-peri, strawberry and feta, his babkas will have these. “I can’t talk about the sixth variety. It’s a new recipe. I will launch it on Sunday,” Martin teases.

For Anahita Girish, it is her second year doing Easter treats. She will sell hot cross buns — the candied fruity one, one with chocolate and orange, a savoury take with cheese and garlic, four pieces for Rs 300. She is also mulling a raspberry-white chocolate variation. Place an order with her at least 48 hours prior because she makes slow-fermented loaves of bread. “I will use emmer in some of these buns. It is an ancient wheat and has less gluten,” she says.

It is Caroline Kumar’s debut season and she is focussing on Easter eggs and bunnies. The large egg will have a dark chocolate shell with toffee caramel and hazelnut ganache filling (Rs 300). The smaller golden egg will come with vanilla custard and mango caramel inside (Rs 200).

Also up for order are bunnies for Rs 100 and Rs 200 depending on the size, and chocolate macarons with praline ganache (Rs 400 for four). “I will deliver them closer to Easter, April 14 onwards because of the summer heat,” says the etiquette trainer-turned-artisanal chocolate.

Fun factor

Some are taking a break from the Easter staples and giving a thematic spin to popular desserts instead. Shifa Sherif will give a cutesy makeover to Pavlova, a meringue-based dessert.

“I will make a Pavlova nest, topping it with whipped cream, fruit curd, fresh berries, cake pop or egg-shaped elements,” says the HRBR Layout, who is yet to zero in on the portion size and pricing.

“Pavlova needs to be consumed within 24 hours from the time of pick up,” she points out.

Athasi Das’ team barely found customers for hot cross buns last year. So this year, they want to deck up cupcakes with Easter egg fondue and serve mini cakes in four-inch Bento boxes, a new trend. These range from Rs 350 and Rs 625 and can be customised to be eggless. April 9 is the cut-off date for pre-order, informs Athasi.

Aishwarya Aman Sagar Agarwal can make vegan treats on request. She is offering an Easter baskets, filled with cupcakes, cake jars, a cake loaf and two kinds of chocolates starting at Rs 1,800. “Every festival, I try to make something new because people are open to experiments. This time I am baking almond flour cake loaf,” says the HSR Layout resident.

Pet treats

Dog parents can rejoice. Furball Barkery on Bannerghatta Main Road bakery will put together an Easter Treat Box, coming in veg and non-veg options. Owner Roshani Subbarao hasn’t finalised the menu and price but you can expect Easter eggs, carrot-shaped sweets and chicken treats in them, she says. The boxes will be delivered on Easter Sunday.

To order

Contact these bakers on Instagram: Shelza Chand (toots1812), Martin Menezes (thesour_baker), Anahita Girish (catseyekitchen), Caroline Kumar (liquorice_by_caroline), Shifa Sheriff (theculinarycatofficial), Athasi Das (thefairieswhisk), Aishwarya Aman Sagar Agarwal (Choc-a-lot), Roshani Subbarao (furballbarkery).