When one thinks of croissants, one does not tend to think of vegan-friendly. After all, the lamination of delicate layers of butter and dough gives its infamous flaky texture.
Self-taught baker Drissilla David unsuspectedly takes the classic french patisserie to the realm of being completely free of dairy, eggs, and gelatine while still having the traditional taste and texture, if not better.
For David, this was their major success within their business, receiving feedback from people who are not on a plant-based diet that the pastries were better than non-vegan ones. If vegan pastries aren’t a dietary challenge, she is currently working on a gluten-free choux pastry recipe.
The biggest confrontation for David is the constant rise in ingredient prices in the current climate.
“We are using high-quality ingredients and do not want to compromise on that," explains David.
“As well as shortage/delays, we are using some specialty ingredients from Europe, and it is pretty scary when something goes out of stock, and we do not know when/if it will be available again.”
At Maison De Lys, you can expect an array of unconventionally-flavoured, sweetly filled croissants such as biscoff, strawberries and cream, praline cream, and vegan milk chocolate. The Bakery uncompromisingly holds the authentic French feel in the suburb of Grey Lynn, Auckland.
