Patisserie

Patisserie No. 8

Laurent Duchêne

2, Rue Wurtz, 13th Arr.

I stumbled upon this place while walking to a park not too far from my apartment. The storefront had earthy, christmas colored goodies arranged in the window and thought it would be a sin not to give into the holiday spirit and buy a mini bûche de noël.

Patisserie Purchased: Bûche de Noël Marron Glacé

Cost: 4€80

For those who aren't hip to the cuisinier game, a bûche de noël is a spongey sheet cake that has been layered with a buttercream frosting, rolled up like a rug, and cut into pieces to shove in yo' mouf! 

And excusez-moi? Marrons glacés? Ya, those are chestnuts glazed and candied in sugar syrup. You will either love em or spit it out in the hand of the person who gave them to you. I just happen to like the heavy, gritty texture and earthy/nutty flavor of them candied. And thankfully I do, because this patisserie was jam packed with the stuff!

 These little bûches are the thicker, haute-couturer, French versions of the Twinkie. The cake casing was a tinge dry but the chestnut cream drizzled on top and and marron glacé paste filling compensated for it- leaving my mouth in a well balanced creamy chestnut nirvana. 

Scale from ONE to TEN:

SEVEN

Kookie Scene

The Cookie Sandwich Co.

Their little sannie formula is easy as pie:

One scrumptious, chewy, moist, chunky cookie

+

Whispy, velvety, creamy filling

+

Another scrumptious, chewy, moist, chunky cookie

Some of my favorites include

S'Mores Chocolate Ganache

Graham cracker crumb chocolate chip cookies

with thick chocolate marshmallow ganache waiting inside

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice

Delicate yet rich double chocolate chip cookies

sandwiching yummy vanilla cream cheese spread infused with a 

suggestion of pumpkin pie spice scattered with tiny chocolate chips

Red Velvet

Whipped vanilla cream cheese icing smothered in between two

double white Ghirardelli chocolate chip red velvet cookies

Creme de Menthe Brownie

Ghirardelli chocolates morsels and crunchy bits of walnut folded in,

baked until fudgy in taste and consistency,

then piped with some smooth Creme de Menthe liqueur icing

Strawberry Chocolate

Chocolate sugar cookies with white chocolate chips  

then sandwiched together with 

an organic fresh strawberry cream cheese spread

Nutell-ing How Good This Is

(The most delicious pound cake I've ever made)

(Bake it now. Thank me later.)

Nutella Swirl Pound Cake

1 Large Egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 1/4 cups Sugar
1 jar (13 oz) Nutella

Instructions:
One. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour or sugar. (Sugar preferred, darling)


Two. Combine the eggs and vanilla in a glass measuring cup and lightly beat. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.


Three. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.


Four. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream. Scrape down sides here and there.


Five. Turn the mixer to low speed and add flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. After the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.


Six. Scrape 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Spread 1/2 of the Nutella over the batter and smooth with a cleaned spatula. Scrape another 1/3 of the batter over the Nutella and smooth. Scrape the remaining batter and smooth. Spread the remaining batter over the Nutella and smooth. Run a butter knife blade through the batter to create marbling. Do not overmix that bitch!


Seven. Bake the cake until it is golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let it cool for 15 minutes.


Eight. Store that baby at room temp for up to 3 days.


Serves: 8-10

Takes The Cake

After spending an afternoon whipping up a delicious pie, cake, tarte, bunt or roulade, do your baked good a favor and not disrespect it by putting it on a less than exceptional stand. 

In fact, spoil your baked goods rotten by placing 'em on one of Clara French's four fetching cake stands!

 

Push it Real Good

Trend Alert!

Cupcake Push-Pops

It is a very simple equation 

Push Pop Containers + Mini Cupcakes + Frosting

By the end of this year these babies will be everywhere.

Just remember where you heard it first

Icing on the Cake

Unfrosted Wedding Cakes

Patty Cake Patty Cake

Ladies, dolls, & damsels, behold the new dwelling of your future paychecks: Layer Cake Shop

At last!

A site that is devoted to domestic dames who wish to fritter their hours away whisking up lip-smacking goodies, baking them in little liners, and embellishing them in lustrous little sprinkles!

They carry anything from vintage cake toppers and cupcake decorations to adorable candy molds and pastry bags.

Layer Up!

Wedding Cakes

Found where our wedding cake is going to be made!

At the lovely Maggie Austin Cake shop! They even make pretty little cookies! It is not that I necessarily want these cakes in particular, but their work is so amaz-za-zing.