Paris Patisseries: History, Shops, Recipes

Strawberry Suprême by Laurent Duchêne	Macaroons	La Grande Epicerie du Bon Marché vertical mille-feuilles
Tonka: the vanilla flavors of ylang-ylang and Tonka bean	Sébastien Dégardin's frasier--a traditional cake	Le Gâteau

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An exquisitely photographed introduction to the great French tradition of baking--from the simple croissant to the light and flaky mille-feuilles, drawn from the best pastry chefs in Paris. Temptations abound for the sweet tooth in Paris, from the hottest culinary trends to time-honored classics. Pâtisserie is an integral part of the city’s culinary tradition and the source of countless delectable creations that combine fruit, cream fillings, icings, frostings, mousses, and pastry. More...

About the Authors:

Pierre Hermé, leading French pastry chef, is internationally renowned for the quality and creativity of his pastries. Christian Sarramon is a distinguished lifestyle photographer. His work has been featured in Axel Vervoordt: Timeless Interiors, Provence Style, Living in Paris, Living in Provence, Gourmet Shops of Paris, Gourmet Bistros and Restaurants of Paris, and Yquem.

The Foreword by Pierre Hermé

Pastries are a promise of sweetness, a tangible expression of a pastry maker’s audacious dreams. Their tastes and fragrances evoke memories.

The creative dimension of pastry making means that it is an art form. It is a craft too, involving the daily making of cakes, tarts, macaroons, ice creams, candies, and other treats. In the kitchen of each of the pastry shops mentioned here, craftspeople who are passionate about their work devote themselves to transforming prime ingredients into sublime creations.

Paris Patisseries gives a complete overview of the pastries of Paris: from the traditional rum babas, madeleines, éclairs, and mille-feuilles to the creative innovations that will certainly become classics. There is a special place for chocolate and for the oh-so-Parisian viennoiseries.

This book lists all the best pastry shops, from the most famous and well established to those that have come into being over the past two decades, and includes some of their recipes. Let yourself be guided through Paris to discover its best, most delectable treats.

Copyright © 2009 by Pierre Hermé and Christian Sarramon. Reprinted from Paris Patisseries with permission of Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.

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Flower Power

Pomme d'Amour

Bisounours

CHOCOLATE AND COCONUT VERRINE
Jean-Paul Hevin

Yield: approximately 8 individual glasses

Special equipment: ramekins with a smaller diameter than the glasses in which you will serve the desserts, a candy thermometer.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CHOCOLATE FONDANT
7 3/4 OZ (220 g) chocolate, 70% cacao mass, chopped
Scant 3/4 cup (2.5 OZ, 70 g) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (1 OZ, 30 g) potato starch (obtainable in the kosher section of your supermarket)
6 eggs
3/4 cup (2 1/2 OZ, 70 g) sugar
2 tablespoons (l0 g) shredded coconut
1/4 cup (1 3/4 OZ, 50 g) unsalted butter for the molds

FOR THE CREAMY CHOCOLATE GANACHE
1 1/4 cup (300 ml whipping cream
3 3/4 oz (110 g) chocolate, with 55-70% cacao mass, chopped

FOR THE COCONUT CHANTILLY CREAM
3/4 cup (200 ml) whipping cream
2 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons (60 ml) full-cream coconut milk, well chilled

FOR THE GARNISH
Sifted cacao powder, toasted
shredded coconut, or chocolate shavings

Melt the chocolate in a water bath until it reaches between 105°F (40°C) and 113°F (45°C). Sift the flour and potato starch together. In another mixing bowl, whip the eggs and sugar together. Pour in the sifted flour and starch and chocolate and combine delicately until just mixed.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C).

Butter the ramekins and fill them with the batter. Bake for about 25 minutes. Check for doneness with the tip of a knife. If it comes out with hardly any batter on, remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool.

TO MAKE THE GANACHE
Heat the cream and let it boil for just a few seconds.
Allow it to cool to 167°F (75°C), then pour it over the chopped chocolate and mix thoroughly.

Pour some of the ganache into the bottom of each glass, leaving enough for another layer. Gently unmold the chocolate cakes. Place them above the ganache and pour a little more ganache over the cake layer.

Chill for 30 minutes, until the ganache has hardened.

TO MAKE THE COCONUT CHANTILLY CREAM
Whip the cream using an electric beater until it forms soft peaks. Fold in the confectioners' sugar and the chilled coconut milk. Spoon the coconut chantilly cream into each glass. Dust with a little sifted cacao powder, toasted'shredded coconut or chocolate shavings just before serving.

Copyright © 2009 by Pierre Hermé and Christian Sarramon. Reprinted from Paris Patisseries with permission of Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.

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