Harry Potter x Tim Hortons — Back to Hogwarts Collection: Colour Changing Stir Wand, Golden Snitch Timbits Holder, Golden Snitch Caramel Timbits, and Hogwarts 6-Pack Donuts

So, the Harry Potter collaboration with Tim Hortons, Back to Hogwarts, launched last Wednesday, and the dual Potterhead-Canadian in me was DETERMINED to get it all. So I did. (Minus the drinks. Because in my world, donuts are only to be eaten with coffee or tea. Plus, if I'm going to consume that much sugar, it is damn well going to be in pastry form.)

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Colour Changing Stir Wand

I obviously got the Colour Changing Stir Wand — with a price tag of $19.99, it's the most expensive item from the Back to Hogwarts collection — which apparently turns blue when you use it to stir cold drinks. (Seems like a missed opportunity to make one for hot drinks, too, but I digress.) I got it purely as a collector's item and, frankly, it will never be used for any other purpose than to be displayed proudly on my dedicated Harry Potter bookshelf (on which all my other Harry Potter memorabilia and multiple book editions sit). 

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Golden Snitch Timbits Holder

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Timbits Box

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Golden Snitch Caramel Timbits

As with the stir wand, I also got the Golden Snitch Timbits Holder as a display item, and the lady that took my order very kindly asked if I'd like my Timbits in the holder or in a separate box. I obviously got the Timbits in a separate box because the holder was sealed in plastic, and will never be sullied by food items, much less sticky donut holes. On that note, though, the Golden Snitch Caramel Timbits are fucking delicious. Like a Honey Dip Timbit, but filled with caramel and sprinkled with sugar crystals. Like all the food items from this collab, these are definitely bordering on too sweet, but they're addictive, especially for those who love caramel. A solid 8/10. And only 50 calories each! 

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Hogwarts 6-Pack Donuts Box

I also got the Hogwarts 6-Pack Donut Box because for $11.99, I can get all four of the Harry Potter donuts as well as an Apple Fritter and a Maple Glazed in a fancy limited edition Harry Potter box, instead of getting each Harry Potter donut for $2.79 each and not getting the fancy box. (For those who can't math, you're basically getting two more donuts for $0.83.) Now, I had to limit myself to one donut a day because hi, I'm diabetic, so I ate half of one in the afternoon and the other half in the evening. And thus, it took me four days to eat all four different house donuts. 

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Ravenclaw Blueberry Donut

The first one I tried was the Ravenclaw Blueberry Donut, which is a blueberry jelly-filled yeast donut topped with blue fondant icing and "blue crunch pieces." I love jelly donuts and the blueberry flavour is quite delightful, but the fondant on such a large surface of donut on top of the jelly filling is overwhelmingly sweet, so this is a 7/10 for me. Honestly, if the topping was blue sprinkles or even just glazed with the blue crunchy bits instead of fondant, I probably would've given this an 8. 

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Hufflepuff Lemon Meringue Donut

The second one I tried was the Hufflepuff Lemon Meringue Donut, which is a yeast ring donut filled with lemon cream and custard with a "meringue crunch." I don't usually love custard fillings as much as jelly, but the lemon cream is a DREAM — it has a good amount of tartness to offset the insane sweetness — and it does actually taste very similar to a lemon meringue pie, so I give this a 9/10.

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Gryffindor Strawberry Cheesecake Donut

The third donut I tried was the Gryffindor Strawberry Cheesecake Donut. Like the Hufflepuff one, this one is a yeast ring donut with a double filling, but with strawberry jelly and a cheesecake cream filling, topped with white fondant and strawberry bark pieces. As mentioned, I am a sucker for jelly donuts, but I am ALSO a sucker for cheesecake, so this also merits a 9/10 for me, and only because I would've preferred an icing sugar topping rather than fondant. 

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Slytherin Chocolate Pistachio Donut

Finally, I tried the Slytherin Chocolate Pistachio Donut, which is a yeast donut filled with chocolate, and topped with pistachio fondant and "green crunch pieces" that apparently also contain pistachio. This was the biggest disappointment, my least favourite of the four, and the only one I wouldn't recommend. It seems like the chocolate filling is the same as what they dip their chocolate dip donuts in — that is to say, it is more of a runny chocolate syrup rather than chocolate cream or custard. The pistachio flavour in the icing so mild, it might as well not contain any pistachio at all, and then at least those who have nut allergies could try them as well. Honestly, it's a crime to call this pistachio anything. 3/10 for me, and only because it's still a yeast donut. I wouldn't pick this above any of Tim Hortons' other donuts.

Anyway, this is the most donuts I've ever eaten in the span of a year (maybe even two?) and I don't feel the need to eat donuts again for a long, long time, but I am glad I got to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first Harry Potter movie with Tim Hortons. Although, it occurred to me that they should've just waited until next year, which is the 30th anniversary of the first book — and is frankly more important to Potterheads.

Dining Out: Matcha Tasting Flight, Mandarin Mini Cake, Citron Mini Cake, Croissant Mini Cake, and Cacao Mini Cake at Evana Pâtisserie & Café

My friend Minji kept seeing TikTok videos on these super adorable, ultra-photogenic desserts at Evana Pâtisserie & Café, so in lieu of a birthday cake for Daniel's birthday, we decided to get a whole load of treats instead:

Matcha Tasting Flight v3.0: Earl Grey, Raspberry, Black Sesame, and Pistachio

If you're a fan of matcha, the Matcha Tasting Flight (Toronto's first and only!) is incredible. They're currently on their third version, which includes Earl Grey, raspberry, black sesame, and pistachio. It is on the pricey side at $25 for four short glasses, but I found the experience unique enough to be worth it. They even provide you with an instruction card on the proper way to try them as well as the recommended tasting order. Honestly, all of them were so good, I couldn't pick a favourite. (Minji's favourite was definitively the Earl Grey, and Daniel's was the black sesame followed closely by the Earl Grey.) I will say that the raspberry is the most unique and surprisingly the one I drank the most of, but I would happily order any of these separately.

Mandarin (left): Orange crémeux, orange gelée, vanilla bean Bavarian mousse, vanilla sponge, milk chocolate crunch, and vanilla shortbread crustCitron (right): Basil vanilla Bavarian mousse with lemon crémeux

We also ordered four mini cakes to share. Minji and I both agreed that the Mandarin one was our favourite, for both flavour and texture combinations (it is extremely similar to the Orange de Terre Mini at Patisserie Fleur). It starts with a Creamsicle-flavoured cream but ends with an incredible shortbread crust. On the flip side, the Citron was my least favourite, even though it was my pick because I love lemon desserts. However, the shape and name of this cake is a little misleading because it really just tasted like plain, slightly sweetened cream. (And for that reason, it was the only one they let baby Lillian try.) There is a barely-there hint of lemon on the outer shell, but that's it. Despite being really cute, it was just a little too boring.

Croissant (left): Coffee chocolate mousse, hazelnut almond praline, and almond spongeCacao (right): Chocolate mousse, chocolate cake whipped chocolate ganache, and chocolate crispy pearls

My second favourite was the Croissant (not to be confused with their croissants), which has a very similar flavour profile to tiramisu with a delightfully nutty undercurrent. It is intensely sweet, though, so I imagine it would start to get too cloying after a few more bites. Definitely one to share, unless you have an extreme sweet tooth. Finally, the Cacao — Daniel's pick because he's a chocoholic. It's the combination of textures in this dessert that keeps it unique, with the stretchy jelly-like exterior, smooth fluffy mousse interior, and crispy pearl topping — but as expected with most chocolate-only desserts, the flavour is quite one-note (though surprisingly less sweet than the Croissant). Daniel really enjoyed it, though.

Overall, an excellent experience. And judging from the constantly revolving door of customers in the middle of subzero winter, the hype is real here. I will absolutely be coming back — their croissants (not to be confused with the Croissant mini cake) look too glorious not to try. And maybe they'll be on the fourth version of their Matcha Tasting Flight by then!

Evana Pâtisserie & Café

390 Silver Star Blvd., Unit 118

Scarborough, ON M1V 0G5

(416) 298-1222

Dining Out: Croissant Party at Patisserie Fleur

So, my friend Minji sent me a picture of her baby daughter eating a croissant, proudly proclaiming that she LOVES THEM (actually, my baby nephew is also obsessed with croissants, so clearly, our universal love of buttery pastries starts in the womb), so we agreed: We should have a croissant party. (This is basically just going to a bakery and eating many croissants, but this is definitely our kind of party.) We were going to finally try out Cros Croissanterie, but they literally closed down this past Sunday (RIP), so we had to find a replacement bakery. After a little bit of research, we decided on Patisserie Fleur:

Iced dirty matcha latte and matcha mocha

When I got there at 3:30PM, they actually only had the strawberry and matcha croissants left. When I asked if they had any more of the other flavours, the lady who worked there (possibly the owner or manager) asked which ones I wanted to get, so I told her an almond and a chocolate on top of the other two flavours, and she just offered to make some fresh for me if I was willing to wait 15 minutes. I said it wasn't a problem at all since some friends were meeting me to eat there anyway, so she went straight to the kitchen to put some in the oven for us. I just thought it was so nice of her to make fresh ones for us because a lot of staff at other places would just say, "Sorry, that's all we have for today." So, without even trying the food or drink yet, I already had a great impression of this place.

Strawberry-dipped croissant with raspberry jam filling

Almond croissant with frangipane filling

Pain au chocolat

Matcha croissant with matcha cream filling

Luckily, all the croissants we tried were excellent. My personal favourite was the almond, but we all agreed there was not a dud in the bunch. They were especially great because the server got them fresh out of the oven for us, and there is really nothing better than buttery, flaky pastry than warm buttery, flaky pastry. The matcha drinks we ordered were also delicious — I actually had a regular, unsweetened iced matcha latte, which was delightful (it isn't pictured here because I drank half of it before Minji and Daniel arrived), but they said their drinks were really tasty (and we found out what makes a matcha latte "dirty" — a shot of espresso). 

Orange de Terre Mini: Orange marmalade, yogurt mousse, brown butter orange ganache, orange chocolate dip, chiffon, sweet tart, and chocolate leaf and steam

Minji also decided to get one of their mini cakes, the Orange de Terre, which tasted exactly like a Creamsicle and was ABSOLUTELY DIVINE. (Also, it's really freaking cute.) I said this before, but the best part of eating at a bakery is being able to get a dessert pastry to follow up your appetizer and main course pastries. (I'll let you decide on which ones were the appetizers and which ones were the mains.)

Suffice it to say, we will definitely come back for our future croissant (and cake!) parties.

Patisserie Fleur

180 Enterprise Blvd., Unit 103

Markham, ON L6G 0G4

(905) 604-8009

New York City Summer 2025 Travel Log: Day 2 — Ham and Gruyère Croissant, Mushroom and Spinach Quiche, and Almond Croissant at Julien Boulangerie

Nothing like starting the day with a fresh cup of coffee and some delectably delicious (or délicieusement délicieux, if you will) French pastries at Julien Boulangerie:

Croissant au jambon et gruyère + quiche aux champignons et épinards
Croissant aux amandes

SO. FREAKING. GOOD. As it turns out, 9:00AM on a Saturday morning is the most ideal time to come here, especially if you have a toddler in a stroller — there was a line-up for take-out, but we otherwise had the whole cafe area to ourselves. (I guess there is some truth to "the early bird gets the worm.") And the best part of eating at a bakery? Being able to get a dessert pastry to follow up your appetizer and main course pastries. 

Julien Boulangerie

1247 3rd Ave.

New York, NY 10021

(212) 401-1200

Take Out: Cappuccino Cake from Paris Baguette

Cappuccino Cake

Okay, so Minji bought the Cappuccino Cake (mocha cake filled with mocha buttercream, coated in chocolate, and topped with buttercream and caramel) from Paris Baguette to celebrate Daniel's birthday today at work and dare I say, it might just be my new favourite cake...? Now that they've finally come to Canada and are opening more locations, I will need to look into more desserts from Paris Baguette... You know, for research.

A Friend's Baby Shower: 3:15 Cake from Daan Go Cake Lab

My friend Minji's baby shower was today!

3:15 Cake from Daan Go Cake Lab

We hosted it in the party room in my building because it was the most central location for everyone invited, but between liaising with concierge, decorating, and meeting and socializing with over 20 new people, I kinda forgot to take photos. But there was a tasty spread of Korean food (two kinds of japchae, bulgogi and rice, gimbap, Korean-style potato salad, etc.), baby games (don't say the word "baby," guess what's in the baby food, etc.), a whole lot of mingling, and the incredible 3:15 cake from Daan Go Cake Lab (which contains Hong Kong milk tea mousse, Vietnamese coffee and evaporated milk crémeux, and the most incredible Ovaltine "pineapple bun" crumb crunch) which was as delicious as it looks.

Loot bag goodies

We even got little loot bags to take home that included the most adorable towel shaped like a bear, a bag of caramel popcorn, and a little trinket box filled with Ferrero Rocher chocolates and Hi-Chew candies. SO FREAKING CUTE.

Congratulations to my very good friends, Minji and Daniel. You're going to be amazing parents!

Unboxing: Birthday 2024 Gifts

So, as it turns out, my friends know me really well and gifted me some AMAZING things for my birthday this year:

Harry Potter: MinaLima Edition Boxed Set

Harry Potter: MinaLima Edition Boxed Set
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone — MinaLima Edition(Left: Cover, Right: Interactive element)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — MinaLima Edition(Left: Cover, Right: Interactive element)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban — MinaLima Edition(Left: Cover, Right: Interactive element)

Easily the most beautiful books I have ever seen in my life. They are designed by MinaLima (the studio behind the visual graphic style of the Harry Potter films), featuring stunning covers with elaborate gold foil, full-colour illustrations on every page, and eight interactive elements in each book. I had actually saw these MinaLima editions at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando last month and really wanted to get them, but they are really heavy and I knew my luggage would go over the weight limit, so I left them and promised myself I would order them when I got back. As it turns out, I didn't have to because Minji ended up getting me the box set. Only the first three books have been released by the MinaLima Studio so far, but I will absolutely be buying the other four once they come out. This collection is a must-have for every Potterhead.

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

I re-read the Harry Potter series every year, and as I was tucking into my hardcover copy of The Philosopher's Stone last month, the first page FELL RIGHT OUT OF THE SPINE. (Okay, mind you, it's from 1997, BUT STILL.) I was complaining about this to my friend and colleague, Samuel, and I said, "I guess I need to get a paperback set just for re-reading purposes." But then he beat me to it and got me the 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set, which is the complete series in paperback featuring cover art by Kazu Kibuishi, and they are GORGEOUS. (It's definitely because I have had my Harry Potter books from their original years of publication — yes, starting with The Philosopher's Stone in 1997 — but I never realized there were so many beautiful editions of these books out there. I mean, comparatively, the UK first editions that I have are actually quite hideous so it's really no wonder they went out of print...)

LEGO x Harry Potter 76414 Expecto Patronum

Knowing my love for LEGO as well, he also got me the LEGO x Harry Potter Expecto Patronum set, which coincidentally, is my favourite of all the sets released so far. I had, admittedly, been avoiding the LEGO x Harry Potter collection because I know once I start, I can't stop, and between BTS merch, Harry Potter merch, and Lego, I HAVE NO ROOM (OR MONEY) LEFT. But now I can't help it and I'm eyeing this one as my next set. Damn it.

Harry Potter Wand Chopsticks Set

My colleague, Seema, who quite literally started at the company right when Minji and I came back from Orlando (and therefore were talking about Harry Potter ad nauseam), bought Minji a Harry Potter onesie for her maternity leave gift and got me a set of Harry Potter wand chopsticks for my birthday, which was just freaking adorable of her. I will obviously not use these chopsticks for their intended purpose — they will join my Harry Potter display, right by my Collector's Edition wand.

BTS Wootteo x RJ Cushion Doll

BTS Wootteo x RJ Plush Mini Pouch and Plush Keyring

BTS Wootteo x RJ Pajama Pants

Okay, so I love Wootteo (the character Jin designed for The Astronaut) and I love RJ (the character Jin designed for BT21), so obviously, I was obsessed with the Wootteo x RJ collaboration collection (basically, it's Wootteo dressed in an RJ costume, and IT IS SO CUTE, I DIE). My friend and fellow ARMY, Iris, knowing how obsessed I was with this collaboration, got me pretty much the entire collection, including the cushion doll, the plush keyring, the plush mini pouch, and the pajama pants. This collection was on pre-order in JULY and was delivered in September, so this was planned FOUR MONTHS IN ADVANCE. BLESS HER.

Homemade matcha macarons with anko filling

Finally, my friend Daniel, who got really into baking during the pandemic and was particularly good at making macarons, made me a massive box of matcha-flavoured macarons with anko filling. I had asked him last year if he would make me macarons for my birthday and I would pay him for it, but he had to undergo surgery during that time so he couldn't. And thus, he made up for it this year with these macarons, and I gotta say, the texture of the meringue cookies are on par with some of the best macarons I've had from Ladurée, Daan Go Cake Lab, or The Social Blend. The matcha flavour wasn't overpowering, and the anko wasn't too sweet — just perfection.

Oh, man, turning 28 for the 10th time was really quite awesome. 

Dining Out: Key Lime Pie, Churro Ice Cream Sandwich, and Salted Caramel Cheesecake from Moxies

I haven't been to Moxies in a long time (no, seriously, it's been at least five years), but Minji really wanted dessert this evening after dinner so we headed to the closest restaurant that served desserts, which just happened to be Moxies.

Key Lime Pie

Churro Ice Cream Sandwich

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

We shared three of their four desserts (they've had the White Chocolate Brownie for ages, so we didn't feel the need to get it), and while I still haven't forgiven them for discontinuing their Sticky Toffee Pudding a few years ago, these were, admittedly, pretty damn delightful. I also don't know a lot of places that serve key lime pie (one of my favourite desserts), either, so they get extra brownie points (no pun intended) for that. Anyway, it never occurred to us that we could go into any restaurant just for dessert. We may have to reconsider how to dine out...

Moxies

159 York Blvd.

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3B4

(905) 764-9500

Pingle's Harvest Festival Apple Picking at Pingle's Farm Market

Minji and Daniel randomly invited me to go apple picking this weekend. I don't recall going apple picking after the age of 10, so I agreed to go in the spirit of fall, and we drove about an hour outside of Toronto to go to Pingle's Farm Market:

Pingle's Harvest Festival

Pingle's Harvest Festival

Pingle's Harvest Festival

Pingle's Harvest Festival

Apple trees at Pingle's Farm Market

Apple trees at Pingle's Farm Market

Apple trees at Pingle's Farm Market

Apple trees at Pingle's Farm Market

Apple picking haul!

House-Made Butter Tarts (Maple Walnut + Pecan) and Bumbleberry Blast Jam from Pingle's Farm Market

We picked ten pounds of apples (I got two each of Ambrosia, Honey Crisp, Empire, and Cortland varieties and had to stop myself from getting more because I live by myself and cannot eat that many more apples before they start to rot), indulged in apple cider and apple cider doughnuts from the cafe stall (I didn't take photos because we scarfed them down before I could even remember to, but you'll just have to trust me when I say THESE WERE DELICIOUS), and stopped by the market to get some house-made goodies to take home: a box of butter tarts (Minji and I split the pecan and maple walnut varieties) and a jar of bumbleberry jam. My only regret is not trying more pastries from the bakery because we were on our way to lunch and didn't want to get full. But conclusion: APPLE PICKING IS AWESOME. I think I will officially make this a new fall tradition. 

Pingle's Farm Market

1805 Taunton Rd.

Hampton, ON L0B 1J0

(905) 725-6089