Passover Bagels

[Mushka]

Where can I get Passover bagels, as close to downtown as possible?

[bialy]

WHAT is a Passover bagel? I'm rtying to imagine, but my brain can't seem to make the leap...

[deelicious]

its a bagel made of matzoh meal instead of flour, and no yeast. It tastes like a baked matzoh ball.

[jonnybee]

The best passover bagel is a defrosted and toasted twister with some of that Temp-Tee (sp?) whipped cream cheese that's only available in Toronto during Passover (oh, the irony of it all). This year I will try harder, I'll shoot for four days!!!

[embee]

The Clark & Hilda Sobey's has them in a refrigerator case but, frankly, they didn't seem to be worth buying.

[Baelsette]

Oh my gosh memories of blueberry buns, yum! I remember my dad and I used to go to the OW in the Lawrence plaza and that was my treat, I always loved the sprinkled crystal sugar on top, yum!

[bjinyyz]

All,

Keeping with the Passover theme. I am looking for that fantastic Lemon filled sponge cake with that yummy bakers choc topping that is always available at Passover. Does anyone know who still makes a very good one?

Blueberry and cheese buns as a child...Steels bakery and Health Bread at Bathurst and Rockford road.

Thanks.

Brian.

[peppermint pate]

Pretty sure they sell this at Health Bread on Eglinton but you may want to call to double check. There used to be wonderful Passover bagels and cakes (like the lemon roll with chocolate) at Forest Hill Bakery on Eglinton but I think it changed hands a year or two ago and they no longer make Passover treats.

[bjinyyz]

Thanks. I will check it out. I try to get up to Bathurst and Steels and have found it over the last few years but nothing great!

[peppermint pate]

Hi bjinyyz - I was at Health Bread on Eglinton (where Daiter's used to be) this morning. They did have your layered lemon curd sponge cake with chocolate on top - looked quite tasty, actually. They didn't have Passover bagels, though they did have Passover buns that were baked in the way that Forest Hill Bakery used to make their bagels - the air filled "nothing" kind that crisp up when you toast them as opposed to the doughier style. Nortown, lined up out the door, was selling Passover bagels from Bagel World.

[bjinyyz]

Thank you so much for the info...Daiter's... I worked there when I was 13! Eglinton/Bathurst and Cedarcroft locations.

[pescatarian]

Can't help you with the lemon filled sponge cake, but I just had to add that another favourite of mine were the poppyseed danishes at Steeles Bakery - loads of poppyseed filling in yeasty danishes - mmmm - haven't had a decent one of those in years either - also seem to have less filling, etc. these days.

[bjinyyz]

The Steels bakery used to be great! The cheese cakes as well. There also was a great bakery many years ago in the plaza at Bathurst and Finch.

[millygirl]

Harbord Bakery does an excellent poppy seed ring. Lots of poppy seeds, very moist and a icing on top. Deelish!!!

[fortheloveoffood]

What-a-Bagel on Spadina (in Forest Hill Village) makes them (and I think the location of Bathurst near Wilson has them too). Not sure about the other locations - but you can call and ask...

[sherry f]

Mushka, please be forewarned that none of the places mentioned so far in this thread offer Kosher for Passover bagels. The only Kosher for Passover bakery that I am aware of in the GTA is Hermes (yes, just like the famous French designer, no relation). Hermes is located on the East side of Bathurst between Glencairn and Lawrence. They do not use matzo meal in their baking, but potato starch as they cater to the more right-wing orthodox community who many of whom don't mix matzo products and liquids on Passover.

[pearlD]

There is an OPEN WINDOW at Vaughn and St , Clair West (1 block west of Bathurst Street) I would call them first to check.

[fleisch]

Also not kosher. Open Window makes all sorts of "passover" products that aren't really up to specs. Heremes, as Sherry said, is your only real bet unless you only kinda-sorta care about Passover.

[pearlD]

Yes, if I were Orthodox I would go to Hermes but I'm not and so I do use Open Window only in an extreme pinch for a Challah (not on Passover). Of all of the Jewish Bakerys in town , it is a really desperate act for me to go to the Open Window for anything, Passover or not!

[pescatarian]

OW makes pretty good blueberry buns. At least they used to. Haven't had one in awhile.

[millygirl]

Oh what memories....OW blueberry buns. I had one last year and it wasn't nearly the same. Half the filling that they used to have, with just a couple of flakes of sugar on top. I remember them to be bursting with blueberries and loads of rock sugar on top. Sadly even the pastry wasn't what it used to be.

[pescatarian]

That is very sad. I lived in the area about 5 years ago and they were still pretty good then. They used to have good ones at the bakery at Bathurst and Steeles too (in the Price Chopper plaza). I wonder if they are still any good there.

[pearlD]

I used to LOVE the Blueberry Buns at the Health Bread (Open Window) on Eglinton just west of Bathurst but they seem to not taste nearly as good now ...they always got taken to Visitors Day at many a camp up North! A Chicago 58 Salami was also de rigeur on Visitors Day. I don't know if it was eaten before, with or after the Blueberry Buns!!

[peppermint pate]

OW blueberry bombs were a fixture of my childhood summers. I'd go with my mom to pick them up on Friday afternoons and we'd have them for dessert at the cottage. They were overstuffed with delicious filling and the little sugar crystals would add bursts of crunch and sweetness with every bite. Unfortunately, I tried them last year (I think after something was posted here) and the dough to filling ratio was reversed, the dough was thicker and chewier and there was barely any sweetness from the sugar. Very sad.

[Baelsette]

Try the harbord bakery.

[peppermint pate]

I was there today and quite surprised to find that they don't bake Passover bagels (or blintzes) - nothing really other than. Daiter's and Health Bread usually carry Passover bagels.

[pescatarian]

I can't think of anywhere that would have them other then the bakeries along the Bathurst St. Corridor (between wilson and lawrence and again near steeles).
You might be able to find them somewhere like Whole Foods or Pusateri's.