Q1: There comes that moment in holiday preparations, where we relize we have no time to bake something wonderful or traditional, or perhaps, we want to bring something fabulous to a New Year’s party. Can you help us find some sweets?

We are so lucky in Montreal to have a cross section of many nations’ treats to choose from:
Swiss, Italian, Mid-Eastern, Greek, Polish, Portuguese. Make sure to have some sugary treats downed on New Year’s Eve so that you will have a sweet New Year.

Q:2 What are some of the yummy traditions that we may not know about?

In specialty bakeries these items are only made once a year, so take advantage of them now:

-Italians love their Cassata Calabrese which is made with custard and chocolate chips. Must be ordered ahead
-Mustacciolo are diamond shaped large cookies covered with a thick layer of dark chocolate and filled with almonds, honey and cinnamon
-There’s a German New Year’s tradition of homemade donuts called Berliners which can be stuffed with prune, strawberry, lemon or raspberry jam. Only made once a year
-The buche or log cake that we love here takes on International flavors made with black forest cake, amaretto or limoncello, etc.
– Chestnut cake is popular in Hungary
– Even the Nutcracker Suite gets a salute with a chocolate hazelnut cake.

Q3: Okay, time to dish out the goodies, where can we find some of these treats?

Here’s two European bakeries:
At Swiss Vienna Pastry & Delicatessen, Christmas brings on the yule logs in vanilla, mocha and chocolate in small medium and large. They even do their famous Black Forest cake as a log. strawberry or fruit shortcake Or for a lighter ending, have a mousse cake: triple chocolate mousse – that’s white, milk and dark chocolate layers with a fudge bottom – strawberry and raspberry, Smartie or just buy some miniature pastries.

For New Year’s Eve the Gateau St. Honore and the Charlotte Russe (made with lady fingers, custard, fresh fruit and whipped cream) are quite popular. For me, this bakery sells the best mille-feuilles in the city.
After you jump into your car to get some, remember to check out their hazelnut cake, butter danish, apple strudel and florentines, too. For your party, they can prepare hors d’oeuvres and decorated platters of sandwiches (roast beef, smoked meat, turkey, ham, tuna, egg), cheeses, meats, veggies or quiches.

The store also has a selection of international groceries with imported chocolate bars, sausages (debrecinor, kielbasa) and a hot and cold salad bar with ethnic snacks. Everything that you buy in this store is freshly baked from that day, since each evening all that is left on the counters is packed up and sent over to a food bank.

Location: 297 St. Jean Blvd at Highway 20 in the Pointe Claire Shopping Center.
Phone: 514-697-2280
Regular Hours: Mon-Wed 8:30-6, Thurs & Fri 8-30-8, Sat & Sunday 8:30-5
Holiday hours: Open Dec 24th 8:30-5, closed Dec 25th, open Dec 26th 8:30-4, open Dec 31st  8:30-5, closed Jan 1st & 2nd

For Christmas, Italians love their Cassata Calabrese, made with custard and chocolate chips which has to be ordered ahead. They head for Patisserie Alati to buy it or the Mustacciolo, Susaniele or diamond shaped large cookies covered with a thick layer of dark choc and filled with almonds honey and cinnamon. Next try the Torrone Bagnara with hazelnut and almonds or the Struffoli balls covered with honey piled high in a pyramid. Yes, there’s butter cookies shaped like Christmas trees.

Very popular for parties are their mini pastries, which are bite-size versions of their pastries – then you can taste so many! They have a famous Alati cake, which is a white cake with ricotta and custard,. Everyday treats include amaretti (with pine nuts), taralli (with lemon), biscotti (cinnamon and anise), hazelnut cookies, cassatine (ricotta and almond paste), sfogliatelle, cannoli (ricotta, or cream or chocolate), baby lobster tails and limoncello, white cake with lemon custard and berries on top.  There are a couple of tables for a quick expresso and sweet or a savory pizza, panini or sandwich. They are well known for wedding cakes.

Location: 5265 Jean Talon St. East at Dollier St. in St-Leonard.
Phone: 514-729-2891
Hours: Tues & Wed 8-6, Thurs & Fri 8-7, Sat 8-6, Sun 8-5:30 (Jul & Aug Sun 8-1
Holiday Hours: Dec 24th 8-5:30, Dec 25th 8-1, Dec 31st 8-5:30, closed Jan 1st &2nd

Q4: It would be an even sweeter year if we could save money on these, could let us in on where we could find deals on cake

Wholesale bakeries made those divine cakes that we eat for dessert at restaurants or for the supermarkets. These are often large cakes great for serving crowds. Here are two of them:

If some of the cakes at Les Delices La Frenaie here look suspiciously similar to those in Loblaw’s (and Le Biftheque, Boccacinos and Chenoys), you would be a good detective. Christmas logs come in amazing flavors here: chocolate hazelnut crunch, amaretto, strawberry, marscapone, frutti de bosco, limoncello. Profiterole are made into buches, candy canes, or wreaths. Those who pine for chestnut cake, order the Chataigne. For New Years Eve, they’ve prepared a chocolate  cube cake and a white chocolate and raspberry pyramid.

Come here for: bacio, key lime cheesecake (15 others), frutti di bosco, dulce de leche, orange or walnut pound cake (16 others), limoncello, heavenly berry and Milky Way in 8″ or 10″ sizes. Some can be ordered 36 hours in advance for more than 20 people. The best deal is the apple, lemon, chocolate chip, or cinnamon marble cakes for only $8.50, and taste the amaretti biscotti. Trays of pizza (tomato, white, all dressed and vegetarian) can be ordered.    www.lesdeliceslafrenaie.com

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Location: 8405  Lafrenaie at Jarry
Phone: 514-324-8039
Regular Hours: Mon-Fri 6-5, Sat 6-2
Holiday Hours: Dec 24 xmas 6-4, 2526 closed dec 31 6-4

When you swoon over the gigantic luscious cakes you are eating at certain coffee shops and restaurants around town (think King Kong, Roche Noir, Black Jack, Avalanche, Pecan Pie, Financiers, Monster Squares), then you can love them even more when you go right to the source to buy them at Patisserie Kilo Gateaux or find them in the freezer for IGA – 6 inch Rocky (chocolate cake) or La Roche (chocolate coffee layered mousse)

They’ve come up with a red and white Christmas cupcake; it’s chocolate of course, with  cream cheese frosting and a cherry on top. Their Christmas logs are fudgy chocolate or tiramisu. The
Casse Noisette is a salute to the Nutcracker, it’s crispy, has meringue and hazelnut coffee cream.
With over 60 sweets to choose from, many serving 16 slices, you can feed a whole crowd.  Order 24 hours in advance if you want a particular favorite or if you want it personalized.  www.kilo.ca

Location: 6744 Hutchison at Beaumont
Phone: 514-270-3024
Regular Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat 10-5
Holiday Hours : Dec  24th  9-3, closed Dec 25th & Dec 26th, Dec 31st  9-3, closed Jan 1st & 2nd