NJ Baker Brings ‘Truly Authentic’ Hungarian Dessert To Nutley – Patch.com

NUTLEY, NJ — You know that you’re creating some seriously tasty – and authentic – Hungarian food when you’re invited to the embassy in Washington D.C. But that’s just a small taste of the international flavor that Nicole Shaw-Provillon has brought to Nutley with her boutique bakery, Kurly Kürtősh.

A lot of the bakery’s success has been with one of its signature desserts, the chimney cake (also known as kürtőskalács). A “truly authentic Hungarian experience,” Shaw-Provillon and Kurly Kürtősh have baked more than 15,000 of the doughy, sugary treats since 2018, when the business operated mainly via pop-up shops, private catering and corporate functions.

But now the idiosyncratic desserts have a new home in Essex County. After previously operating in Essex, Bergen and Union counties, Shaw-Provillon eventually settled on Nutley after driving around the area and coming across the shop’s current location.

Kurly Kürtősh celebrated a soft opening at its new, dedicated storefront at 74 East Passaic Avenue in September.

Shaw-Provillon told Patch that she sources her ingredients from a prominent local spice purveyor, as well as international gourmet wholesalers in her quest to “curate the best flavors from around the world.”

So far, the recipe has hit the spot – and then some. Kurly Kürtősh has worked with brands such as Bloomingdale’s, Williams-Sonoma, The Nutella Cafe-NYC, Lord & Taylor, J. Crew, Citigroup and Unilever. The combination of this unique dessert and creative concept even caught the attention of Bank of America, which used their Women Business Owner feature to spotlight Shaw-Provillon in 2019.

The new shop in Nutley gives Shaw-Provillon a chance to spread her wings in other ways; the menu includes locally roasted coffee, locally grown herbal tea and the popular Kurly Kones (cone-shaped chimney cakes served with ice cream).

The business will continue its soft opening phase through the winter with retail service Wednesday through Sunday from 1 to 7 p.m.

Shaw-Provillon offers more background about the origin of Kurly Kürtősh on its website:

“It all began in 2013, when my husband accepted an international assignment in Budapest, Hungary. With little knowledge of Central Europe but a love for travel and adventure, we packed up our two young children and jumped at the opportunity. Budapest seamlessly became our new home with countless produce markets (food first!), a host of close Hungarian and International friends and a city with lots to discover. But it wasn’t until I tried my first chimney cake did I truly fall in love with Budapest. I could not understand why this secret treasure was not all over America. In the midst of a corporate job search, I decided to embark on an adventure that would change my life forever.”

Shaw-Provillon continues:

“It all started outside a local market in Bosnyák tér with my non-English speaking chimney cake teachers. With little communication, I quickly got the hang of making chimney cakes. But it wasn’t until I was introduced to an authentic chimney cake baker, with an award-winning recipe, did I experience the passion and care that goes into the art of chimney cake baking. (This time with a Hungarian translator by my side.) I spent countless hours baking chimney cakes only to further fall in love with this secret treasure that instantly made everyone happy. I catered parties for friends and spent countless hours baking chimney cakes with my mentor and at home. I also participated in an effort to set a chimney cake record for the Book of Guinness World Records in Hungary. I traveled with Hungarian-Romanian friends to Transylvania, one of many theories of its origin, to experience numerous extra long chimney cakes with fluffy dough baked over charcoal. Best experience ever!”

When it came time to return to the United States four years later, Shaw-Provillon adapted the recipe and refined her baking skills at the Culinary Institute of America. Now, with the help of an extensive support system coined the “Dream Team,” Kurly Kürtősh has made the journey into brick-and-mortar sales.

And local foodies with a desire to learn more about the cuisine of Hungary – or who simply want to indulge their sweet tooth – are glad she did.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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