Overview
Forget only celebrating Christmas for one day, or even just 12. Don't limit yourself to a mere 25 days of getting festive, either. At Lune for the entire month of December — including on Christmas Day at some stores — the specials menu is enjoying a merry makeover. Whether you're after croissants, cruffins or a savoury pastry, there's something to suit the occasion right through until Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
Each month, Lune Croissanterie whips up a fresh batch of limited-time offerings, giving you something tasty to look forward to when you flip over your calendar. If you've tucked into hot cross cruffins, lasagne pastries and Tim Tam pains au chocolat this year, you'll have tasted the results. Now, with festive season upon us, the Kate Reid co-founded bakery brand is dishing up appropriate treats. Start with stuffed turkey pastries, then move onto gingerbread croissants.
First, the sweet stuff. Lune's gingerbread special is a twice-baked croissant made with pecan frangipane, baked gingerbread and molasses caramel, then topped with frangipane, gingerbread, white icing and gold dusted chocolate pearls. From 2023's specials, the choc peppermint twice-baked pain au chocolat is back for 2024, featuring chocolate frangipane and a peppermint patty, then dark chocolate crumb, melted chocolate and crushed candy cane on top.
It wouldn't be Christmas without eggnog and pudding, with Lune whipping up its own versions. You can eat your eggnog, rather than simply drink it, courtesy of Lune's latest cruffin. It's stuffed with rum syrup and eggnog custard, then dusted with icing sugar, and also finished with sweetened meringue cream, nutmeg and a spiced chocolate quill.
The bakery's Christmas pudding comes filled with brandy caramel and muscovado brandy soaked fruit cake, and is then brushed with a caramel glaze, before being topped with brandy crème pâtissière, candied orange peel and grated nutmeg.
For a savoury option, enter The Stuffed Turkey. This pastry is filled with a turkey and croissant pastry stuffing, with sage powder, cranberry sauce, crispy chicken skin and fried sage leaves added on top.
Back on sweet dishes, Lune is giving Brisbane a bonus special. Befitting the River City's sultry weather, the chain's ice cream sandwich will be on offer — only at the South Brisbane store, and only between Monday, December 2–Tuesday, December 31. It takes a pain au chocolat, slices it open, then pops in two scoops of croissant infused ice-cream that's been folded with caramelised croissant pieces. After starting off as an off-menu staff snack, it's now being shared with customers.
Lune currently operates in Melbourne and Brisbane, so you'll find its December specials available at its Melbourne CBD, Fitzroy and Armadale stores in the former, plus South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in the latter — but the range varies per venue. Online pre-orders are also available at some shops, for some products.
Over the Christmas break, stores will be operating as normal until Christmas Eve, then just Fitzroy and South Brisbane will open from 8–11am on Christmas itself. All venues will be up and running from 8am–3pm from Boxing Day until New Year's Day, then standard operating hours return from Thursday, January 2, 2025.
Lune's December specials menu runs from Sunday, December 1–Tuesday, December 31, 2024, with different specials on offer at Armadale, Fitzroy and the CBD in Melbourne, and South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane. From some stores, you can also order them online.
Images: Peter Dillon.