By: Sara Wong, Peak Associate and Meera Eragoda, Arts & Culture Editor
BAK’D Cookies — Trick or Treat Cookie
There are regular cookies, and then there are BAK’D cookies. Made from scratch in Burnaby by Jessica Nguyen, an SFU alumna, and her brother Andy, these cookies are not for the faint of heart. The fact that they weigh at least five ounces each (which is about the same weight as a baseball) should be telling enough. Their October special is a junk food lover’s dream; it features salted caramel, pretzels, potato chips, and chocolate! If you’re disappointed that you can’t go trick-or-treating this year, then this BAK’D cookie is sure to lift your spirits. The cookies are super soft on their own, so I placed mine in a toaster oven while it was preheating at 350°F to give the exterior a bit more crunch while the interior remained warm and gooey.
BAK’D charges $5.25 per cookie, or you can get a box of six for $27. Delivery fees apply, but they also have a schedule of pickup locations and farmer’s market appearances.
Beta 5 Chocolates — Monster Mash Cream Puff Pack
Chocolate may be in the company name, but these cream puffs are the stars of Beta 5 Chocolates’ Halloween collection. For $18, you get a caramel and chocolate werewolf, a cinnamon and apple zombie brain, and a matcha and black sesame swamp thing. You can order this scary good cream puff pack until November 1, both in store and online. While I haven’t tried these specific flavours before, I have had my fair share of Beta 5 cream puffs, and I think this pack is worth getting if you really want to treat yourself this Halloween. If you’re looking for something smaller, Beta 5 also has a catalogue of spooktacular chocolate concoctions, like milk tea candy bars and chocolate lollipops decorated like ghosts.
Be warned: Beta 5 has a cult following in Vancouver, so if you want any of their Halloween goodies, be sure to get there early or order online well in advance.
Cadeaux Bakery — Spiced Pumpkin Praline Croissant
I love croissants and could eat one every single day, so when I found out about Cadeaux Bakery offering a spiced pumpkin praline croissant, I had to try it. Cadeaux handmakes all of their baked goods, and it’s evident in the flavour, texture, and presentation. I was worried that filling the croissant with spiced pumpkin creme would make it soggy, but it remained flaky, buttery, and soft on the inside and retained a perfect crunch on the outside.The filling is quite messy, so be prepared. But the creamy pumpkin mixture with subtle spiced notes and hints of hazelnut and praline will turn you into a Pumpkin King in your own right. The croissant is topped with a sugar pumpkin (almond-y and not overly sweet) and some shards of praline-crusted chocolate and hazelnut florentine.
These are on offer until the end of October and are $5.95. I would recommend either going right after they open (Wednesday to Saturday) or calling ahead to pre-order as they sell out fast.
