This post is one of many documenting my week in Paris, a present to myself for graduating pastry school in the fall of 2012. Every moment was spent eating and one post wasn’t enough. It’s now a short novel. Kidding. I hope.
Another drizzly day in Paris meant it was time for my troisième afternoon tea, this time at Un Dimanche a Paris. Not only is the location romantic, tucked away on a side street in an otherwise bustling city but the name “A Sunday in Paris” is adorable and would it not be the perfect place for a meet cute? Stepping inside I was in awe at the size of the place. The main floor is home to the retail shop, pastry kitchen and restaurant. Upstairs a cocktail lounge and cooking school. Seated by a window, I enjoyed my pastry and cup of chocolat chaud while watching the people go by in their trench coats and umbrellas.
When I entered a host greeted me and told me to select a pastry from the display case in the retail shop before proceeding to the cafe area for tea service. The selection was decent, about 6 or so items to choose from. Le Péché d’Adam was so beautiful with the glittery gold I had to get it. I had been leaning toward that option after reading about it’s conception from the blog, Paris Patisseries. Can I get a pastry named after me?
I loved the idea of taking peanut butter, a very American ingredient and designing a pastry around it. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything with peanut butter in Paris before. I’d say the hazelnut spread, Nutella is the equivalent there and all of Europe. The pastry consists of two sandwiches of a nutty cake base with salted caramel. The middle was a layer of gold-dusted chopped peanuts and a dollop of peanut butter cream adorned with crispy chocolate pearls and a few more gilded peanuts. It’s amazing how edible glitter can turn an ordinary ingredient, at least for us in America, into something so beautiful.
The pastry overall was a bit heavy, which fit the concept well because I find American desserts are sometimes overly decadent. I really enjoyed the cake portion with the salted caramel and wish that caramel flavor was incorporated more. I thought the buttercream was a bit too much, like how I feel when a cupcake has too much frosting. Overall a really beautiful piece but rich for my taste.
Probably not a good idea to pair that dessert with hot chocolate. It was however, the best version I’ve had perhaps even more than that at Angelina’s Tea Room. I was tempted to buy the porcelain chocolate pot in the shop. I believe it was around 60 euros. It’s so beautiful with the wooden handles and it really does enhance the experience. Oh gosh I like kitchen things way too much.
Now I know why it is tea for two. You can try two desserts rather than just one. My friend selected the Tartlette Framboise-Estragon. I’ll admit my French isn’t great. I thought that translated to “estrogen” but really it is tarragon, a raspberry tarragon tart.
I really like the trend of making pastries in long rectangle strips or squares. I envy how super thin and even the sablee crust looks. They must have a sheeter. And the way that the raspberry confit looks in contrast to the white chocolate ganache is just beautiful. The crust was perfect, crisp and buttery with a delicate, creamy filling accented by the tangy raspberry confit. This is the kind of dessert that I expect in Paris, just the right balance of flavors, never too sweet or too indulgent. Maybe I’m just a Parisian at heart and can’t appreciate good ol’ PB.
After the tea I went to the retail shop to peruse and sad that I didn’t buy the chocolate pot, I picked up some nice quality stainless chocolate dipping tools. They had a nice weight and feel to them, better than the ones here in the states.
Un Dimanche à Paris
4-6-8 Cour du Commerce Saint André – Paris 6ème
Saint-Germain-des-Prés