Sunrise Sunday

A very Happy Easter / Joyeuses Pâques 2026

 

Above: blush-pink sweet-scented “Elegant Lady” lilies a.k.a. the "Pink Easter Lily” 

 

 

Samedi saint

 Partial view inside l'Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont in the Latin Quarter.

Fat Tuesday

 

 

 A trayful of Crookies, the croissant-cookie dough hybrid sensation, tout juste sorti du four.

 

Below: at Maison Louvard, where the Crookie originated  

 

  

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Today is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, last chance to indulge before Le Carême (Lent) starts tomorrow when food austerity kicks in for the next weeks leading up to Easter. The emphasis is on feasting, using up rich, fatty foods like butter, eggs, sugar and lard before the Lenten fast so nothing goes to waste. Traditionally, crêpes, beignets (bugnes or oreillettes in some regions), gaufres and other sweets have taken center stage.

 

Enter the slightly monstrous yet irresistible newcomer, the Crookie, the ultimate jolie-laide / “beautiful-ugly” Franken-pastry creation that, for some, has become another excuse to come to Paris. The concept was simple: a croissant is split open, crammed with chocolate chip cookie dough, topped off with more, then rebaked until the edges crisp and the center stays molten. A lovable oddball (weighing in at up to 900 calories) it was inspired by Stéphane Louvard in 2022, and in 2024 went mega-viral on TikTok. Today, the Crookie is still drawing queues and has copycats worldwide. At €5.90 to €7.10 depending if it’s to be taken away or savored sur place, it's not cheap, but then again, it's cheaper than therapy - and so far, seems to be more “croissant” than "crook." Classic croissant defenders (and admittedly I was one of them) call it heresy - but then, there’s that first bite.... - BPJ

 

Maison Louvard

(Café Bistrot Restaurant Boulangerie)

11 rue de Châteaudun 75009 

 

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 Update: Paris' annual Mardi-Gras Boeuf Gras (Fat Ox) carnival and parade has been cancelled this year

  

Easter Sunset

 

 

 Joyeuses Pâques 2025

 

🐣

 

Easter Sunday

 

Joyeuses Pâques 2024

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🐣

My First Easter Egg

 photo: Cordon Bleu 

Still time

- My First Easter Egg -

Create chocolate Easter eggs w/your child / grandchild

in Paris

 Saturday March 30, 2024 - 2 1/2 hrs

Le Cordon Bleu

 

Egg sighting

 

A grand choice of chocolate Easter eggs at À la Mère de Famille, an institution in Paris since 1761.

Joyeuses Pâques - Happy Easter-Pesach 2023

💐

Easter Monday

 

Where is this?

May newsletter

Easter egg

A giant chocolate Easter egg signed Arnaud Larher, Left Bank.

 

 Joyeuses Pâques 2022

 

💐

Easter lamb

 

This gigot d'agneau, roasted to juicy perfection and served with its traditional flageolets, elicited oohs / ahs as it was placed on the table.

Below: starter of foie gras de canard w/chutney de figues maison

 

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 "Faire cuire pendant 1h à 1h30 selon la taille de la bête" ("Let cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the size of the beast")

 

Merci Christophe

Easter eggs

 

Fresh eggs are displayed in nests made of straw at the Bastille market.

 

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 Joyeuses Pâques / Happy Easter 2021

 

💐

 

Pâques

Easter Sunday's souris d'agneau au miel for two, with flageolets to accompany.

Below: dessert was my take on buñuelos de manzana with a shot of St-Germain elderflower liqueur instead of jerez (sherry), a traditional dessert in Spain during Semana Santa (Easter week) and specialty of a tiny restaurant in Barcelona's old Barrio Gótico

Empty chairs

Empty churches.

Loaves...

Thick-crusted large loaves in a boulangerie window.

 

(and tomorrow, Fishes)

...And fishes

Fresh fish supplies at an outdoor market will be depleted by mid-morning.

Chocolate and bunnies

Last vestiges of Easter fill the window of historic pâtissier-traiteur Stohrer on rue Montorgueil.

Four please

What better treat for holiday visitors than a visit to Angelina for its infamous African hot chocolate, with crème chantilly on the side.

Angelina

226 rue de Rivoli 75001

Cerisiers de Notre-Dame

Pink blossoms from across the river.

Bedazzled

 

These siblings are having a time deciding what to choose from a pastry case at Angelina.

Cake rafts

Among this Easter's pastry creations at La Grande Épicerie were "lifesaver" cakes with chocolate eggs, a dessert worthy of applause as it's brought to the table.