Pastry with Jenn

June 28, 2013 Post a Comment

Dominique Ansel Bakery

With all the talk of cronuts, one can easily overlook the fact that it is Dominique Ansel Bakery, not Cronut Shop that has the line around the block every morning. I promised myself after my cronut adventure I’d go back to try the other items so they wouldn’t feel neglected, or so I tell myself to justify going four times in one week. For those that may be out of luck on getting the coveted cronut, the bakery has plenty to offer and those hours waiting will not be wasted. I promise. Plus, the bakery plays the best music. You cannot go in without wanting to sing along.

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June 17, 2013 5 Comments

Cronuts

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What is it? Is it worth the wait? This hybrid pastry, a combination of a croissant and donut has fascinated more than just the food community. It has become a topic of discussion on talk shows, news broadcasts and even celebrities have sought out this in-demand sweet. I must say creator, Chef Dominique Ansel is doing a remarkable job of keeping up with the media frenzy through very active communication on Twitter, to the point that I think PR has become his full time job and yet that is not true at all. I was pleasantly surprised to find the chef was right by the register, boxing and bagging cronuts this past Saturday when I ventured out for my cronut.

June 14, 2013 2 Comments

Sadaharu Aoki

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.

Sadaharu Aoki is a small patisserie that incorporates Asian flavors into French pastries, any one of which I’d recommend taking and enjoying in the nearby Luxembourg Gardens. If in the mood to make a real picnic of pastries, also stop by Pierre Herme a few blocks away for traditional French items.

The rainbow of layered cakes above: macha azuki (red bean), cheese cake citronne (lemon), chocolat pralin, sensuelle (chocolate, raspberry), cassis chocolat (blackcurrant), zen (sesame, green tea, white chocolate), bamboo (green tea, dark chocolate)

June 7, 2013 Post a Comment

Patrick Roger Chocolate

Staying in an apartment a mere couple of blocks from Patrick Roger’s chocolate shop was such a treat. Every time I passed by I was tempted to press my face up against the window to admire these chocolate hippo sculptures. Patrick Roger is the artist behind these creations. He treats chocolate like a raw material that can he transforms organically into life-size models or with incredible precision to make truffles and bars.

May 21, 2013 11 Comments

Bouchon Bakery: Palet d’Or

The gold disk or palet d’or is a rich chocolate dessert made up of alternating layers of cake and chocolate cream, covered in a chocolate glaze. So yes, A LOT of chocolate. Traditionally a few flecks of gold leaf are placed on top, hence the d’or part of the name. It was the first recipe out of the Bouchon Bakery cookbook where I felt like the challenge was more in the execution and presentation rather than the technique.