[Review] Edmonton, AB - Duchess Bakeshop

10718 124 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5M 0H1

Duchess is probably one of my favourite long-running pastry shops in Alberta. I remember living in Calgary, when I first heard about it, and I would make an annual drive up to Edmonton every summer just to get a taste of french-inspired baked goods. The fresh ingredients they choose to use make everything seem to taste so much better! When I found out their Valrhona chocolate came straight from France, I knew that there were no other bakeries which could compare. However, now that I live in Edmonton I don't go as much, mainly because it seems to have lost its novelty, but I still enjoy all the baked goods and savoury foods that they sell! This time, I ended up trying one savoury item and one sweet item. Actually, that's a lie. We also ordered a key lime tart, but we got so excited that it got consumed before a photo was taken... I also grabbed a couple of things for my friends that were not taken here, but I'm sure I'll get around to eating them again!

For my first selection, I ordered a savoury mushroom brioche because I did not have lunch before my trip and wanted something to fill me up. I am a big fan of mushrooms and did not want any savoury puff pastry because I am trying to cut down on the butter... But who am I kidding? The French love their butter and there was no way I was leaving Duchess with something healthy!

MUSHROOM BRIOCHE:

• Rating: 3.5/5 starfishes

• Price: $3.50

• Deliciously creamy mushroom and cream cheese jam!

• Roasted mushrooms on the top adding a bit of a chewy texture.

• I don't know how much I enjoyed the combination of cream cheese and mushroom, just because the taste of the mushroom was already so strong.

• The brioche was enjoyable because it reminded me of a Chinese bun.

• Even with the cream cheese, it was not overwhelming because they did not put an excessive amount on it.

After having something for lunch, we decided to indulge in some sugary goodness for the weekend! I have a weakness for chocolate, so we ordered this one after we finished our key lime tart! I am not too much of a fan of chocolate fondant, so it actually took me a while to get used to the exterior.

THE DUKE:

• Rating: 4.5/5 starfishes

• Price: $8.00

• The inside has salted caramel and whipped chocolate ganache.

• Very dense Valrhona chocolate cake and fondant on the exterior.

• Super rich chocolate that you might not be able to finish in one sitting. It isn't as dense as a brownie, but it is still very rich.

• Salted caramel adds an extra flavour to it, but not too much and it still lets the chocolate stand out.

• Also comes in a larger cake size for $48.00 - which is what I got for my sister's birthday and they even wrote on it for me! PS, they have really nice cursive writing.

These are only a couple of things that Duchess offers, but there is such a large selection that it might take some time for you to choose what you want! To get the best of bunch, and to get what you want, it is best to go at opening time. I've had to line up at opening before because people actually go crazy for this place, even on a weekday!!! If you ever go, let me know what you get and which ones are your favourites! I haven't gotten to try everything yet so I would love to get some feedback on what else I should try.