THE BREAD WINNER
PETITE THUET, 1162 YONGE ST.
The “tap factor” is what Haynes and Connell look for in a croissant — that is, the way the shell of a great pastry will shatter when tapped. So when mother and daughter start tapping away like journalists on deadline, we’re not too surprised. The tap factor for Petit Thuet’s winning pastry, a traditional six-fold design that takes 24 hours to make, is high.
“Golden brown with a nice shine, and there’s a nice flakiness to it,” says Connell, who studied at the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Haynes notes the nuanced transition from the crunchy, crispy shell to the moist interior and finally the rich, dark Callebaut chocolate at the core. “You can feel the layers in between. I really like this one,” she says.
FIRST RUNNER-UP
Patisserie La Cigogne 1626 Bayview Ave.
Haynes pulls at a corner, and the chocolate croissant unravels like a spool. “Ooh, I really like how it unfurls like that. There’s a good buttery taste and a little sweetness in the chocolate,” she says. Connell adores the light pastry and dark 44 per cent French chocolate.
Price: $2.10
BUTTER ME UP
La Bamboche 4 Manor Road E.
“It’s flaky, really flaky,” says Connell, but it doesn’t have that “buttery lusciousness” they’re looking for. They find the 55 per cent dark French chocolate better than La Cigogne’s and the snail-shell spiral gives it a nice appearance, but overall it’s not enough to steal second place.
Price: $2.50
HEY, GOOD COOKING
Patachou 1120 Yonge St.
“It’s like meeting someone who is goodlooking, and they turn out to be not very nice,” says Haynes, who loves the appearance — “this was sheeted by someone who knows what they’re doing” — but is disappointed by the “overworked” dough.
Price: $2.10
D’OUGH!
Grodzinski Bakery 1118 Centre Street, Unit 3
This sizable croissant with semi-sweet chocolate chips seems more like bread than pastry. “This is a real tragedy,” says Haynes. “Whoever made this should go back to pastry school, if they ever went.” “Do you smell the artificial vanilla flavour?” asks Connell.
