Easter in France: A Cornucopia of Chocolate

Spring has officially sprung in France, and with it, a beautiful array of Easter chocolates in the shop windows of chocolatiers and pâtissiers—each one more beautiful than the next. Beyond the traditional chocolate fish, winged bells, and chickens, tied with a bow and filled with a variety of friandises, you’ll find a number of original sweets. In fact, the country’s top chocolatiers compete in a veritable concours of creativity, sculpting chocolate statues and elaborate confections.

François Perret, the head pastry chef at the Shangri-La Hotel Paris, has dreamt up an “Egg Puzzle” made from pure dark chocolate from Venezuela and milk chocolate from Madagascar. He actually consulted a wood turner to create perfect puzzle pieces, which he fashioned into a prototype for chocolate molds.

At La Manufacture de Chocolat, the talked-about manufacturer and boutique from Alain Ducasse, you’ll find Easter Egg Boxes—real egg shells filled with chocolate and praline nestled in a carton. The “Candy Box Eggs” are also lovely- a chocolate “box”, shaped like a flattened egg, is brimming with beautiful treats.

Chocolate king Patrick Roger is up to his old tricks– with an array of impressive chocolate sculptures made with wit and whimsy. This year he’s rolled out a line of chocolate chickens, cocottes that are crowned like queens with festive plumage.

Last but not least: La Grande Épicerie, the gourmet food emporium at Le Bon Marché, will be hosting Easter egg hunts in their store on April 1.