Happy Easter

Happy Easter

EasterIt’s Easter morning and while I know I’ll have a lovely brunch with friends, it’s difficult being away from my family in Quebec. Easter was never a hugely-celebrated holiday in my family, we still went to Grandma’s for ham cooked in beer and my beloved Laura Secord chocolate egg (read about this special treat here).

Since Grandma’s gone now and I can’t send her the traditional Easter lilies she loved so much, I bought myself a plant and it’s sitting on my kitchen island with the the two Easter cards I received. The sunshine is coming through the patio doors into the kitchen and I can’t help but smile as I bake a strawberry and rhubarb pie.

Happy Easter!

Veronique

Laura Secord Easter Cream Eggs

Laura Secord Easter Cream Eggs

Cream EggWhen I was a small kid growing up in eastern Quebec, a tradition in my family and many others was to get a Laura Secord Cream Egg for Easter. Laura Secord is Canada’s largest and best known chocolatier.

Yellow BoxThe dark chocolate-coated egg with its white and yolk-yellow creamy center was a special treat. The pale yellow box with its cute bunny on the front and paper ‘straw’ inside was always a joy to open (think Charlie unwrapping the Wonka bar with its golden ticket).

Everyone I knew had a technique for eating the egg. Mine was to place the egg in the fridge then cut slices of it with a steak knife. This method yielded a solid egg white and yolk with chocolate cold enough to snap under the tooth. Pure heaven.

Opened BoxI don’t make it back to Quebec for Easter very often and haven’t in at least 15 years. This has meant reliving my Laura Secord Cream Egg memories in my head versus my mouth. That is, until this year. When I realized my mom was coming to New Jersey for Easter, I quickly tasked her with bringing me my treat.

BasketI was so excited to have her bring me the egg that I couldn’t keep myself from Tweeting and Facebooking about it. To my complete pleasure, on Good Friday, I received a huge Easter basket from the kind folks at Laura Secord in Canada. The basket was full of delectable treats including:

This year, Laura Secord celebrates its 100th anniversary. How neat is that!? With 1,000+ employees, more than 115 stores in 7 Canadian provinces and over 400 products, Laura Secord has come a long way from the tiny storefront it opened in Toronto in 1913. Yes, they even ship to the Unites States.

For my part, I’ll create an exclusive treat using the tasty Laura Secord chocolate chips to help celebrate the centennial anniversary. It’s a small token of my appreciation for over 35 years of chocolate memories I’ve been able to forge along with the old gal.

Here’s to you Laura Secord!

Veronique