Easter has passed, and with it go the sticky sweet Peeps, cream eggs and chocolate bunnies. Craving some grown-up desserts? The Logan Square Kitchen presents its Spring Pastry Market on April 10th, a chance to sample delicious artisanal pastries from some of Chicago’s best dessert shops. Many of these small chocolate, pastry, caramel and ice cream vendors do not normally sell directly to the public, so this will be a rare opportunity to sample them at the market or purchase some to take home. Both sweet and savory desserts will be available from participants like: B True Bakery, City Provisions Catering & Events, Fig Catering, Flour Cake and Pastry, Katherine Anne Confections, Macaron Chicago, Nice Cream, Pastry Freak (gluten free pastries), Porte Rouge Tea Merchant, Rich Chocolates & Candies, and Tinycakes. Many of the vendors will be preparing their treats on-premises at the Lincoln Square Kitchen, Chicago’s only sustainable kitchen. The public is invited to sample treats, watch the chefs in action and ask questions of the vendors. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Logan Square Kitchen, 2333 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Call (773) 342-2333 for details.

Truffles from Katherine Anne Confections

To see another pastry chef at work, check out a demonstration by Chef Mark Seamen at Pastry Chicago’s Fifth Annual Student Cake Decorating Competition. Chef Mark Seamen is a sugar artist and cake decorator as well as an instructor at the French Pastry School. On April 17th, high school and college culinary students will compete at the Cake Decorating Competition to create multi-level cakes around the theme of James Cameron’s hit movie “Avatar”. The event will take place at the Whole Foods Market at 3640 North Halsted. Contestants will set up the cakes at 1:00 p.m. Chef Mark Seaman’s demonstration will begin at 1:30 p.m. and the winners of the competition will be announced at 4:00 p.m. Call (773) 472-0400 for more information.

Share the power of pastry with a date during the Date Night Pastry Flight at Julius Meinl Coffeehouse. The night will feature classical music, coffee, tea and a flight of pastries on April 15th from 8 to 9 p.m. The pastry flight consists of four kleine kuchen (small cakes): the Opera Torte (Del Moro espresso-soaked almond cake, Del Moro espresso buttercream and dark chocolate ganache), the Esterhazy Torte (six layers of hazelnut dacquoise and hazelnut cream, topped with fondant and finished with sliced almonds), Lemon-Lavender Mousse, and Kir Royal Mousse Cake. A pastry chef will be on hand during the evening to present and discuss the pastries. The desserts will be accompanied by music from Naomi Culp and Tim Hager, two string musicians from Civic Orchestra of Chicago. The cost is $35.00 per couple excluding tax and gratuity. The Julius Meinl Coffeehouse is located at 3601 N. Southport Avenue. Call (773) 868-1857 for reservations.