Eating: Coconut Tarts

Growing up, I've had my share of visits to Asian bakeries. From the constantly bustling shops in Old Chinatown on Spadina to the quieter ones in East Chinatown on Gerrard and Broadview, to the many scattered around Toronto, they all sell the same things.

Silky, rich egg tarts with their bright yellow custard centre. Braids of sugary dough sprinkled with raisins. The special small fruit-topped cakes at the front behind the glass wall which beckon with their rainbow assortment. The stacks of boxes full of Mooncakes in time for the Mid-Autumn festival, with exotic fillings of lotus, durian, and red bean. I know each sight and smell by heart, the memories of my childhood forever lingering within the vicinity of these goods.

Here’s one of my favourites, the coconut tart.  A buttery, yellow tart of sweet coconut dotted with a small sliver of a sweet, bright red maraschino cherry.