A Sweet Retreat

Five fabulous finds to satisfy your sugar cravings
By Bonita Mok

The late winter months can be a bit of a downer. We dream of the sun and warmer weather, but are often greeted with grey skies and yet another heaping pile of snow. It’s times like these when we could all use a little boost to cheer us up, so why not chase away the winter blues with these sweet finds on the Danforth.

Crêpes Anyone?
Euro Crêpe Café
582 Danforth Ave.

You won’t have to fly to France to get amazingly delicious crêpes — they are right in your own backyard. Euro Crêpe Café offers a variety of savoury and sweet crêpes, with seven tempting creations to choose from. Not feeling like crêpes? You can also try one of their Belgian waffles or ice cream selections.

Recommendation:
Soft and Sweet, $7.00: The classic combination of creamy Nutella (a chocolate-hazelnut spread) and slices of ripe banana are folded into a thin crêpe, making for a sinfully rich and decadent dessert.

A Little Slice of Home
Sweet Tooth Pastry
508 Danforth Ave.

As you step into Sweet Tooth, you’re instantly greeted by a display of whimsically decorated cakes. The dessert shop and café features a wide assortment of homemade treats, from tarts and cupcakes, to cookies and squares. Sweet Tooth Pastry is also home to “the best apple pie in Toronto,” as voted by Michael Stadtlander of the National Post. This fun bakery offers a little something special for everyone.

Recommendation:
Chocolate cheesecake brownie, $3.50: It’s a moist, chocolate fudge bottom topped with delicious swirled cheesecake. This treat marries the best of both worlds for chocoholics and cheesecake-lovers alike.

Guilt-Free Treats
The Big Carrot
348 Danforth Ave.

Who says you can’t be healthy and indulgent at the same time? The Big Carrot makes it possible with their selection of home style treats, baked fresh daily on site. Start off your mornings with an organic croissant or danish or complete those long days by relaxing with a sweet bar or cookie. With over a dozen flavours to choose from, all baked with high-quality organic ingredients, this bakery is something you can’t afford to miss!

Recommendation:
Vegan Fudgie Cookie, $1.19: Crispy on the outside, sinfully decadent and chewy on the inside, one cookie packs a rich and intense chocolate flavour. Best of all, you won’t be able to tell that these cookies are vegan and gluten-free, made with brown rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch.

A Greek Goddess
Athens Pastries
509 Danforth Ave.

Athens Pastries is filled with the buttery aromas of phyllo, spinach and feta cheese. The bakery serves up classic, authentic Greek dishes like the popular spanakopita (spinach pie). However, the bakery’s sweet offerings on the menu, loukoumades (honey coated dough balls) and galaktoboureko (custard pie), are equally as popular among patrons.

Recommendation:
Loukoumades, $3.00/dozen: You’ll think you have struck gold when you bite into one of these Greek doughnuts. Crispy on the inside, these fried pieces of dough are soaked in honey and then sprinkled with cinnamon, giving you a burst of sweet, syrupy goodness each time you pop one into your mouth.

Blast From the Past
Suckers Candy Co.
450 Danforth Ave.

Suckers Candy Co. is every child’s dream — a store that specializes in chocolate and candy. They stock hundreds of confections from around the world. Although the company is a popular place amongst kids, the shop also attracts its fair share of adults looking to reclaim a piece of their past. The store features a wide variety of nostalgic sugary treats like Laffy Taffy, Charleston Chews, Pez, and Popeye’s Candy Cigarettes.

Recommendation:
Walnut Whip, $2.49: Recommended by Kristin Law, a Suckers Candy employee, this chocolate confection from Britain is filled with whipped vanilla cream, and then topped with a walnut half.

Photos contributed by Bonita Mok