An International Pastry Renaissance

Harbingers of Easter include Peter Cottontail doing his bunny hop down the bunny trail, the decorative painting of eggs, the donning of festive bonnets, and the smell of sweet baked goods like Hot Cross Buns or the spiced, almond-enriched British Simnel Cake rising in the oven. It's the onset of spring, which means rhubarb and pine shoots are peering out from the still-sleepy ground. It's also considered a time of rebirth.

Coincidentally, right now, an international pastry renaissance is underway. The most nimble dessert-making hands are leaving the kitchens of restaurants behind to open their own shops; they are reviving and reinventing the endangered tradition of local bakeries and patisseries. Here, three of the visionaries among this new generation offer festive confections that are as sublime to eat as they are to behold.

Kristen D. Murray
The first thing Kristen D. Murray ever baked was not a cake, or even a batch of cookies. Her Aunt Chris, who helped raise the future pastry chef in Southern California, liked to remind her niece of her humble beginnings in the kitchen.

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