Try something different at Chocolate Zen Bakery

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This article was published 13/01/2017 (3220 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The showcase is filled with a tantalizing array of macaroons, brownies, peanut butter and chocolate covered cherries, slices, tortes and more.

Cookies, cupcakes, chocolates, tortes, slices and tarts, cheesecakes and birthday cakes await you at Chocolate Zen Bakery at 553 Osborne St., which opened in December 2006.

“Expectations are high at this bakery,” said Barbara Rudiak, one of the owners.

The other two Chocolate Zen owners, Betty Lai and Douglas Krahn, have more than 50 years of pastry experience combined. Krahn sits on the advisory committee for the professional baking and patisserie program at Red River College.

“He has a say in what the pastry classes teach and what is the latest and greatest that the students should know,” said Rubiak, who looks after the business and promotions aspect of the bakery.

The seven Chocolate Zen employees trained in Red River’s culinary arts program or in another comparable education program. Their mantra could be more flavour, not too sweet.

Cakes are baked, then filled with something delicious such as chocolate mocha mousse, lemon curd and raspberry purée mousse, Triple Sec Florentine mousse, or caramel and Skor. Then the cake goes into a freezer for a day to set the filling.

All tortes are cakes but not all cakes are tortes. A torte is mostly multi-layered and filled with something delicious, like whipping cream or coffee mousse.

Next the cakes are decorated. Some will sit in the showcase. Larger cakes may have been ordered in advance for birthday parties and other celebrations. Some people choose a favourite, custom-made cake, such as red velvet.

At Christmas, Chocolate Zen’s ovens were all busy.

“Unfortunately some orders had to be turned away. The earlier people can book the better,” Rudiak said.

Chocolate Zen’s products reach far beyond South Osborne. The bakery supplies pastries and dessert platters to the Fort Garry Hotel, the St. Boniface Golf Course, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy restaurants, Begonia Restaurant, The Gates, Rae & Jerry’s and 529 Wellington.

“We will be at the Wonderful Wedding Show at the Convention Centre from Jan. 21 to 22,” Rubiak said.

Chocolate Zen also sends slices of its flavourful tortes Chocolatier Constance Popp on Provencher Boulevard which, in turn, sends select chocolates for sale to the Osborne Street bakery.

Another St. Boniface business, La Belle Baguette, delivers bread to Chocolate Zen “every day except Sunday and Monday when we are closed,” Rubiak said. “The pastry chefs do not work with yeast.”

The lemon raspberry torte is an extremely popular Chocolate Zen product. I had a slice and while it does not contain chocolate, that did not matter. I loved it. Chocolate or no chocolate, this bakery is zen.

Dianne Doney is a community correspondent for Fort Rouge. You can contact her at diannemary@hotmail.com