Glee Boutique Café in Vilamoura is celebrating Halloween by launching a limited-edition collection of skulls, brains and one-eyed monsters – all thankfully made from mousse, chocolate, fruit and praline.
Created by Patrick Mestre, Executive Sous-Chef of Pastry at Tivoli Marina Vilamoura, the collection will be available from October 26 to 31, with prices ranging from €3 to €8.
The most striking creations include The Skull (€8), made with vanilla mousse, wild strawberry compote and coconut dacquoise, “creating a harmonious balance of smoothness, fruity freshness and coconut texture.”
Meanwhile, The Brain (€8) is a sweet pastry tartlet filled with pecan cream, redcurrant compote and cheese and redcurrant mousse, bringing together “buttery notes, creaminess and a refreshing touch of acidity.”
Then there is the One-Eyed Monster (€8), featuring red berry and basil crémeux, red berry gel, almond financier and pistachio praline. “This creation explores the contrast between the intensity of the berries, the freshness of herbal notes and the richness of nuts,” says Glee Boutique Café in a statement.
For something smaller, the Skull Bonbon (€3) is made from white chocolate with blackberry jelly and yoghurt ganache, “offering a surprising contrast between the sweetness of the chocolate and the acidity of the filling.”
The idea is to give traditional French pâtisserie a playful Halloween twist, with presentation playing almost as important a role as flavour.
Mestre, who was born and raised in France, has led Glee’s pastry kitchen since the café opened in 2021, regularly creating seasonal and special-edition ranges.
Located inside Tivoli Marina Vilamoura, Glee is open to hotel guests and the general public and also serves speciality coffee, sandwiches and Afternoon Tea alongside its pastry and chocolate creations.
The Halloween pastries can be purchased directly at the café between October 26 and 31, with pre-orders already available.
They can also be ordered online through gleeboutiquecafe.pt.
Michael Bruxo
Journalist for the Portugal Resident.