Niemi Family Farm

Bakery: Niemi Family Farm
Address: 18463 Highway 48, Mount Albert ON
Website: http://niemifarm.vpweb.ca/
Style: Finnish
Price: $-$$

When on the subject of Finnish baked goods in the GTA, two places regularly pop up: Milbree-Viking in Newmarket and Hillside Cafe on Mount Pleasant Rd; however, there is a third destination for your Finnish musts: cinnamon buns, traditional rye breads, and other baked goodies and that is Niemi Family Farm, about 10 minutes east of Newmarket. Yes, this may not strike you as a go-to destination for Finnish treats. After all, they're a nursery and grow trees and flowers. But at their market, they also have baked goods! :) I actually bought my specimen at FinnFest and found them the most reasonably priced of the three Finnish bakeries, so I have yet to visit them on their home turf.

At first glance, they look notably different from other bakeries with their rustic look. Really, with everything laid out together, the goodies almost look like they came out of a stone or wood-burning oven! I was especially drawn to this large cinnamon loaf ($7), which was like a mix between a pulla (cardamom bread) and a classic Finnish cinnamon bun. Mmm... this was so good!!! A nice amount of cinnamon, a hint of crumble on top -- the only minus I could find was that some of the cardamom was a little too coarsely ground and kind of gave an unpleasant sensation when you bit down on a piece (reminiscent of catching an egg shell). I froze it and enjoyed delicious cinnamon bread for days. *-*

In terms of GTA residents, this may be a little out of the way, but add a nice country drive into the mix and head on over to just south of Mount Albert. I know I will one day.. and will, naturally, come away fully stocked. ;)

Rating: ***1/2