Food Lover's Odyssey

The Dish from Paris: Mini Macarons and Ice Cream at LaDuree

 

 

A ritual I repeat with each visit to Paris is an afternoon visit to LaDuree's tea salon.  I don't  mean walking up to the take-away counter and ordering a box of macarons and a few pastries to carry out and eat in a nearby park. Although, I do that, too.  No, a trip to Paris isn't complete without an afternoon in one of LaDuree's salons de thé.  I must nestle myself  behind one of the petite tables, with my legs tightly tucked underneath, and have dessert. 

There are many joys to visiting LaDuree that begin before you even enter the salon.  The windows, with their pastel-colored decorations and macaron towers, have you anxious for the princess-like treasures inside.  The ornately decorated belle epoque salon transports you back to a time where women wore dresses with bustles, hats, gloves and carried parasols.  I always feel an awe when inside, immagining what famous person might have sat in the same seat as I am.  The atmosphere and the pastries are definitely reasons to dine dessert (I only eat the sweets) inside.  They are not the real reason I go. No, the real reason I enter the tea salon is for a specific dessert.  It's one you can only get inside, seated at a table.

 

 

 
 

 

The dessert is the Minis Macarons Glaces (mini macarons with ice cream).  It's not really a beauty, especially compared to the colorful little jewels, those macarons and pastries, that first come to mind when one says LaDuree.  No, this dessert is an ugly stepsister to those pretties.  What she lacks in looks, she more than makes up for in taste.  I'm a sucker for contrasts both in flavor and texture, so I love this dessert.  Two delicate, sweet and crispy macarons sandwiched around dense and creamy ice cream, a little symphony of flavors.  They also offer sorbets with the macarons.  A little different contrast are the sorbets. Here bright, cold, and tangy sorbet is like a jive dance with the macaron cookies. 

Now, I have always been able to pick each of the four flavors, and I always make the tragic faux pas of combining ice cream and sorbet. A French person told me once, this is "just not done!" Oh well, that's what I like, and I made my usual request for a scoop of chocolate ice cream, two macarons with ice cream and two with sorbet, lemon and raspberry flavors.  The waiter told me I could only choose my scoop of ice cream, and they would choose the four macaron flavors.  What?!! They can't change the rules! I was certain my horrible French was causing the confusion and repeated my request three times.  Finally, my friend Karina, who's fluent in French, stepped in and asked for me.  Yep, they changed the rules, probably to keep goofy Americans like me from commiting the mortal sin of combining sorbets and ice creams. I ordered pistaschio ice cream, and with it, came chocolate, vanilla, cafe and pistachio macarons filled with the same flavors of ice cream.  It was creamy and sweet, dense and light, the contrasts of flavors and tastes I love presented in a silver cup.  I did think about ordering another cup with only sorbets but decided to do that next time.  Instead, I purchased a few macarons and other pastries from the take-away counter for later.  My trip to Paris was complete.

 

 

 Individual Saint Honore pastry from LaDuree

 

Harmonie Pastry from LaDuree

 

 

 
 

Note: Photos inside LaDuree are not allowed, but I snuck a quick photo of the macarons and ice cream dish solely to share it with you. The rest of the photos were taken outside.

 

 

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Is there a thing you must do or eat when visiting one of your favorite cities?

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Join me in Provence in 2013 for a French Pastry Culinary Vacation and learn how to create these and other classic French pastries! Details here: Pastry-Making Vacation in Provence

  

  

Related Posts:

Paris Walks for Food Lovers: Rue de Seine and Rue Bonaparte

 French Pastries and Ten Top Patisseries in Paris

Easter Chocolates in Paris Windows

Chocolate Eclairs: My Mom and Learning to Make Them 

Flaky Apple Tart - Croustade aux Pommes Inspired by Pavillon Margaux

A French Fraisier to Celebrate My Blog Birthday

Meyer Lemon Tart Inspired by Gerard Mulot

Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris

La Duree - My "Cartier" of the Champs Elysees

The Dish from France: Viennoiserie

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dish from France: Viennoiserie

 

Did you know that the croissant isn’t really French?  It’s actually Austrian.  Legend has it that after the failed attack by the Turks during the Siege of Vienna in 1683, Viennese bakers made pastries to celebrate.  They shaped the pastries in the form of the crescent they saw on the flags of the Ottomon Turks.  These “kipfel” (German name for crescent) became popular in Vienna after that celebration. 

In 1770 the croissant came to Paris.  The Austrian Princess Marie Antoinette went to France to marry King Louis XVI.  To honor her, Parisian bakers made these same pastries, calling them the French name, croissant.  Croissants were as popular in Paris as the kipfel in Austria.  The French perfected and popularized the croissant making technique. The little half-moon shaped pastries went on to become one of the most famous food symbols for France.

There is a whole category of French breakfast pastries that fall under the name Viennoiserie (Viennese Specialties).  The technique for making them lies somewhere between the crafts of the boulanger (baker) and and that of the patissier (pastry maker). Viennoiserie are made with a yeast-leavened dough having some similarities to bread making; however, butter, eggs, milk, sugar and sometimes cream are added to the dough making them sweeter and bringing them closer to pastry making.  You will find them in a boulangerie.  Some, not all, patisseries sell them.  The more popular Viennoiserie are croissants, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins, brioche, baguette viennoise, and chausson aux pommes.

  

They are best eaten right out of the oven.  When in Paris, I like to sneak out super early in the morning and pick up one while they are still warm, preferring other types of Viennoiserie over the croissant.  Whether you are croissant faithful or not, you should have at least one (per day) of these breakfast pastries while in Paris. 

A perfect Paris morning for me: a warm Viennoiserie, a bench in one of the many lush Paris parks, the melody of children laughing, birds chirping and flowing waters from fountains in the backdrop, and flaky crumbs covering my lap once I’m finished eating. 

 

 
Flaky layers inside a Pain au Chocolat from Maison Kayser

 

Pain au Pistache (cousin to the Pain aux Raisins) from Boulanger de Monge

 

Brioche with dark and white chocolate chips from Le Grande Epicerie

 

Chausson aux Pommes from Boulangerie Gregoire at 69 rue Monge

 

Tuilleries Garden

A tip on finding the best boulangeries in Paris:

There are great boulangeries in every arrondissement in Paris.  I wouldn't get on the Metro and go across the city to search out the "best" boulangerie.  Instead I'd stay near your hotel/apartment and look to see where the the Parisians are lining up. Especiailly weekend mornings and around 7:00pm during the week, they'll line up at the best neighborhood boulangeries waiting for baguettes fresh out of the oven.  This also might be the only time you'll ever see a Parisian waiting in line.  One of best pleasures in Paris is buying a freshly baked baguette (or 2) so hot out of the oven, you can barely carry it home, if it makes it home---that's why you get two.  I usually make at least one stop at Mayson Kayser who has boutiques throughout Paris. If I'm in the 14th or 15 arr., there's the Quartier du Pain (the chef, Frederic Lalos is a MOF) and Phillipe Gosselin in the 1st, 7th and 9th arr. But, I happily stand in line to test another boulangerie's goods wherever I am.

Jardin du Luxembourg

 

Join me in Provence in 2013 for a French Pastry Culinary Vacation and learn how to create these and other classic French pastries! Details here: Pastry-Making Vacation in Provence

 

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What is your favorite Breakfast Pastry?  How would you spend a perfect morning in Paris?

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 Square Saint Medard

 

This post is part of WanderFood Wednesdays, wandering foodies that blog.

 

Related Posts:

Paris Pastries and 10 Top Patisseries in Paris

Paris Walks for Food Lovers: Rue de Seine and Rue Bonaparte

Easter Chocolates in Paris Windows

Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris

Favorite Parks in Paris to Picnic

Flaky Apple Tart - Croustade aux Pommes Inspired by Lunch at Pavillon Margaux

Celebrate Epiphany with a Galette des Rois

Four-Spice Palmiers

A Night at L'Atelier Joel Robuchon

Chocolate Eclairs: My Mom and Learning to Make Them

French Pastries and 10 Top Patisseries in Paris

The pastries.  That's my answer to about any question one asks me about Paris.  "Why did you go to culinary school in Paris?"  "Why do you visit Paris during every trip you make to Europe?"  "What's the first thing you do when you get to Paris?"  "What's your favorite thing about Paris/France?" "What does France do better than Italy?" The last question got me in trouble with a few Sicilians.  My answer to all of these questions is the same -- the pastries.

My very first trip to Paris, 13 years ago, had me gawking at every pastry window, thinking you needed magical powers to make such perfect little gems. I lived, studied pastries in Paris and worked in a Paris patisserie, so you would think the magic of these windows had disappeared. Not so, they still stop me in my tracks and have me gazing at them like most girls gaze at the windows of Dior, Chanel, Louis Vutton, and Tiffany's. My most recent trip to Paris, this summer, was not very different than my first, I'm still peeping into pastry windows.

One thing on my travel "bucket" list is to attend the Meilleur Ouvriers de France (Best Craftsman in Paris) pastry competition.  The competition is fierce, exhausting, and takes every iota of your will and tenacity.  Those that "win" (achieve a predetermined score) are known as one of the best pastry chefs in all of France.  The winners show off the blue, white and red collar on their chefs' jackets for the rest of their lives, identifying them among the elite of French pastry chefs. Although I've yet to be able to see it live (I do realize it's practically impossible to view it unless you're already an MOF), today I will be able to see it on film.  The documentary Kings of Pastry comes to the San Francisco Bay Area today. 

In my giddiness and as a pre-celebration of sorts, I thought I'd share my list of ten top patisseries in Paris.  They're beyond the obvious Pierre Herme and LaDuree, and the grand maisons of Lenotre, and Fauchon.  These pastry chefs make pastries that look like jewels and taste like ecstasy.  Along with the list, you can take a virtual peak into the vetrines of Paris patisseries.

 

Sugar and Chocolate Showpieces by Chef Nicolas Bernardé - MOF 2004

 

Ten Top Patisseries in Paris:

Laurent Duchene - 2 rue Wurtz - 13th arr. - Metro: Glacière
Won the MOF title in 1997  - This small neighborhood patisserie makes some of the best pastries in the city.

Pain de Sucre - 14 rue Rambuteau - 3rd arr. - Metro: Rambuteau
My Suggestions:  Millefeuille, Etat de Choc (state of chocolate), and of course their famous marshmellows (guimauves) .

Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki - 35 rue de Vaugirard - 6th arr. - Metro: Rennes and 3 other locations in Paris.  My Suggestions: Any of the domed pastries, Matcha Eclair, Tart au Citron

Hugo & Victor - 40 boulevard Raspail - 7th arr. - Metro: Sevres-Babylone
This patisserie opened at the beginning of 2010.  Instead of haute-cuisine, think haute-pastry.  Everything is exquisite, but the triangular-shaped tarts make me think of American pie. My suggestions: Caramel millefeuille (Victor), and anything chocolate, caramel, or vanilla - the three "featured" flavors.

Carl Marletti - 51 rue Censier - 5th arr. - Metro: Censier-Daubenton
All his pastries look too good to eat, but eat them anyway. He’s a master at pate a choux; éclairs, religeuse.  I also recommend the Dome Noir, Dome Blanc, and the L'Orizaba.

Arnaud Delmontel - 57 rue Damremont - 18th arr. - Metro: Lamark-Caulaincourt
Vibrantly colored pastries. My suggestions: Mara des Bois, Adagio

Patisserie de l’Eglise - 10 rue du Jourdain - 20th arr. - Metro: Jourdain
Named the best patissier and chocolatier of 2010 by Gault-Millau Guide

Patisserie des Reves - 93 rue du Bac - 7th arr. - Metro: Sevres-Babylone
Pastry shop of dreams lives up to its name. My Suggestions:  The tarts and gateaux of the season, but especially the Tart au Citron and the Tart Tatin.

Arnaud Larher - 53 rue Caulaincourt - 18th arr. - Metro: Lamarck-Caulaincourt
Won the MOF title in 2007.  Make sure to also try the macarons and chocolates boutique at 57 rue Damremont.

Gerard Mulot - 76 rue de Seine - 6th arr. - Metro: Mabillon
When I lived in Paris, my apartment was right across the street from this patisserie.  I gawked/examined/tasted most of chef Mulot’s creations.  My favorites are the tarts citron, orange and chocolat and the Troubadour (a caramel mousse sensation).  My favorite macaron flavors are orange-cannelle, nougat, and citron.

 

Entremet Passionata

 

Box of Chocolate Macarons from Jean-Paul Hevin

 

Plaisir Sucre - Chocolate and Hazelnut Pastry

Pastry Case Featuring a Snail Macaron

Pastry Window of Laurent Duchene

Strawberry Fraisier

Saint Honore

Pastries at Sadaharu Aoki

Called Heavenly Chocolate and it is

Light Lemon Tart

LaDuree Macaron Tower

 

If you still have a sweet tooth after these photos, you can go to my Flickr page to check out even more Paris Pastries in Photos

 

Join me in Provence for a French Pastry Culinary Vacation and learn how to create these and other classic French pastries! Details here: Pastry-Making Vacation in Provence

 

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Who's going or has seen Kings of Pastry? What is your favorite Parisian Pastry?  What Paris patisserie would you add to this list?

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Related Posts:

Paris Pastries Binge 2011 - Pierre Herme

Paris Pastries Binge 2011 - Some of the Best Pastry Shops in the City 

Paris Walks for Food Lovers: Rue de Seine and Rue Bonaparte

Easter Chocolates in Paris Windows

Chocolate Eclairs: My Mom and Learning How to Make Them

Journey Through the Pastries of Paris - Part 1

Journey Through the Pastries of Paris - Part 2

A French Fraisier to Celebrate My First Blog Birthday

Meyer Lemon Tart Topped with Lightened Lemon Cream 

Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris

L'Epicuriste - Dining in Paris

 

 

 

Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris

  

April has made me nostalgic for Paris.  I'm dreaming of walking along the Seine, the parks and flowers in bloom, sitting at outdoor cafes, the food markets, the chocolatiers, croissants, baguettes, and pastries - I’m particularly partial to Paris pastries.

  

  

One can certainly spend a lot of time eating your way through Paris. For those interested in learning more, or even learning how to recreate those French delicacies, there are many classes and tours available for the food lover visiting Paris.  You can get your hands dirty and create a classic French dish, learn the secrets to creating perfectly footed macarons, baguettes, or even croissants. And, if you'd prefer to stay clean and full, you can just eat your way through a guided walking (and eating) tour.  There's something for every taste and every budget. 

  

  

  

Here are some classes and tours available for the traveling foodie in Paris:

 

 

   

Ecole LeNotre - Macaron making classes, a wide selection of both savory and pastry classes and classes for teens 12 to 17 years old.

 

 

  

Le Cordon Bleu - My alma mater has both savory and pastry courses that vary in length from 2 1/2 hours to 4 days.  They also have classes where parents can bring children, a special class brought about by the movie, Julie and Julia, which is dedicated to Julia Child, and they will customize classes for private groups.

 

  

Ecole de Cuisine of Alain Ducasse - Sweet, savory, and wine classes are offered at the cooking school of the world-famous chef Alain Ducasse.

  

Ecole Escoffier at the Ritz Carlton in Paris - The swanky hotel offers courses that last 1 hour to advanced courses that last 6 weeks.  They also have courses for children, teenagers, and group and tailor-made courses.

 

 

  

   

Meeting the French - Gourmet, pastry and chocolate walks, dinners in Parisian homes, and in-home cooking classes are all available.

  

Context Tours Paris - Along with several themed walking tours, they offer a wide variety of culinary walking tours from chocolate-themed to a "Trends in Parisian Gastronomy" tour.

 

  

Paris Walks - This is the most budget-friendly of all the tours.  They offer a chocolate tour or a taste of Paris tour for only 25 euros.

 

  

O Chateau - A variety of wine tasting classes, wine and food pairings and tastings, and day trips to Champagne are available.

 

 

  

 

  

David Lebovitz - The renowned food blogger, cookbook author, and former Chez Panisse pastry chef offers behind-the-scenes gourmet tours and chocolate tours.  The tours sell out quickly, so book well in advance.

 

  

Patricia Wells - The prolific cookbook author offers week-long courses that combine market tours with hands-on cooking in Paris, and also in Provence.  Tours for 2010 are sold out, but she still has openings for 2011.

 

  

Susan Loomis - The author of On Rue Tatin offers one and three-day cooking classes in Paris along with many courses in Normandy, France.

  

  

  

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Have you taken a cooking class while traveling? What was it? What type of cooking class/culinary walk would you like to take and where? 

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Related Posts:

Paris Walks for the Food Lover: Rue de Seine and Rue Bonaparte

Paris Pastry Binge - Pierre Herme

Journey Through the Pastries of Paris - Part 1

French Pastries and 10 Top Patisseries in Paris

L'Epicuriste - Dining in Paris

Easter Chocolates in Paris Windows

The Dish from Paris: Macarons with Ice Cream from LaDuree

Dining at the Hidden Kitchen in Paris

Chocolate Shops in the 6th Arrondissement

A Night at L'Atelier Joel Robuchon

Favorite Parks in Paris to Picnic

 

 

Meyer Lemon Tart Topped with a Lightened Lemon Cream

This Meyer lemon tart is inspired by one of my favorite desserts from Gerard Mulot in Paris. When I lived in Paris, during culinary school and my apprenticeship, I lived across the street from Gerard Mulot's patisserie on rue de Seine.  Every day I would gaze at his window display, memorizing how each cake was created.  The patisserie is one of the best patisseries in Paris.

 

 

Chef Mulot does beautiful things with creme citron: macaron, tarte au citron and another dessert called Le Harliquin.  It's an individual dessert with a base of sable breton (a salted-butter shortbread cookie from Brittany France), topped with creme citron and topped again with a dome of more creme citron that has been lightened with whipped cream.  One of my favorites, it's packed full of flavor--tart, sweet and buttery, creamy and crunchy.

 

My Meyer lemon tree is in full bloom, (I just picked 150 lemons from the tree, and it's still full of ripe lemons) I made this Meyer lemon tart similar to Le Harliquin, with both a crumbly shortbread crust and topped with little pearls of lightened lemon curd.  The "lemon curd" in this recipe is more like the French creme citron, which has much more butter and eggs than its  American counterpart.  I hope you make it and enjoy it!

 

 

  

 

 

 

Meyer Lemon Tart with Lightened Lemon Cream 

 (makes 12 individual tarts or two 9-inch tarts)

 

For the Crust:

1 3/4 cups  (300 g) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (115 g) granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (240 g) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 (40 g) egg yolks

 

 

For the Meyer lemon curd:

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) Meyer lemon juice

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) (330 g) butter, room temperature and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 eggs

8 egg yolks

1 3/4 cups (375 g) sugar

 

 

For the lightened lemon cream:

3/4 cup (180 g) Meyer lemon curd

1 cup (220 ml) whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

 

 

Candied lemon peels for garnish, optional

 

 

Preheat oven to 325ºF and very lightly grease 2 baking sheets

 

 

To make the crust:

Mix together in a stand mixer on low speed the flour, sugar, salt and butter until the mixture is the consistency of peas.  Add the vanilla and egg yolks and stir together just until combined.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 

 

Remove from the refrigerator and roll the dough out to 1/8 inch in thickness.  Using a cutter 5-inch in diameter, cut dough into circles.  Place the cut circles into 3 ½- inch (90 cm) tart ring molds.  Press the dough into the bottom corners and along the sides of the molds.  Cut the excess dough off the top and form an even edge that rises just barely above the rim of the mold.  Place onto baking sheet (6 should fit on one sheet).  Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

 

 

Remove from the refrigerator and bake for 18-20 minutes, until just lightly golden.  Cool for 2 minutes, then remove the baked crust from the ring mold and place on a cooling rack.  (Don’t let the crust cool completely or it will stick to the mold and the baking sheet.)

 

 

 

To make the Meyer lemon curd:

In a non-reactive saucepan, bring the lemon juice and butter to a boil.  Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, yolks, and sugar until the mixture has lightened in color.  Once the lemon juice mixture boils slowly add a little of it into the egg mixture to temper the eggs.  Once you’ve combined the two mixtures, pour it back into the saucepan and cook to 175ºF (82ºC), or until it coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly.  Once the mixture has come to temperature, remove from the heat and cool completely, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate until chilled. (Make sure all the steam has evaporated before putting the lemon curd into the refrigerator.  This will prevent the mixture from becoming watery and help it to set up well.)

 

 

To make the lightened lemon cream:

Using 3/4 cup of the lemon curd, fold the whipped cream into it.  You should first fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the lemon curd to lighten the lemon curd.  In two more steps fold in the remaining whipped cream to achieve a light homogenous mixture.

 

 

Assembling the tart:

Fill each tart with the Meyer lemon curd so that it is even with the lip of the crust’s edge.  Place the lightened lemon cream in a piping bag with a 1/2-inch round piping tip. Pipe a ring of balls in a circle on top of the lemon curd, at the outer edge of the tart.  Pipe another ring of balls inside the first ring and one ball in the center.  Garnish with 2 or 3 candied lemon peels and serve. 

 

  

 

  

 

Related Posts:

 

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

 

When Life Gives You Lemons - Make Lemon Granita

Strawberry Fraisier - French Birthday Cake

 

Paris Walks for the Food Lover: Rue de Seine and Rue Bonaparte

 

Paris Pastries and 10 Top Patisseries in Paris

 

Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris

  

 The Dish From Paris: Macarons with Ice Cream from LaDuree

 

 The Dish From France: Viennoiserie

 

 

 

The Grand Epicerie - Everthing a Food Lover Could Want

 

The Grand Epicerie, part of the Bon Marche, is a department store foodie style.  It has everything you could want, whether you're cooking a special dinner at home or putting together items for a picnic.  There's a butcherie, a bakery, a patisserie, a charcuterie, a frommagerie, butter from every place in France, a fruit and vegetable stand, and aisles and aisles of chocolate.

 

They have some rare or hard-to-find stuff for the everyday shopper.  They had salt that was in it's original rock form, maybe weighing about a kilo.  They sold that with a cheese grater.  They had small jars of nappage (A shiny final coating mainly used by pastry professionals--very hard to find, if not impossible, at a retail store in the U.S.) What was truly unbelievable to me was the vacuum-packed duck confit.  Unable to get enough fat to confit your duck legs? Just go to the Grand Epicerie and it's already done for you.  I can spend hours in the store just looking through each aisle.  They also have foie gras, both duck and goose in many sizes and prices to match.  The largest size of goose fois gras was priced at 367 euros. 

 

Since it's right around the corner from where I'm staying, I have, walking around in awe at all they have.  When I took these pictures I pretended to appear as though I were actually shopping for something.  For some reason, photos are not allowed.  I had to get a photo of the duck confit though, so I took my little camera with me, turned off the flash, and took as many pictures as I could before I got caught. 

 

And get caught I did, right in the chocolate aisle.  The man who stopped me was a very serious suited fellow, normally he stands guard at the front with his earpiece in.   He rushed over and said, "Madame, no photo."  With a shocked look on my face in English, I said, "Oh, I'm so sorry."  I don't think he was buying it.  He glared at my camera, and I'm sure if we were anywhere near the Seine, he would have thrown it in.  I was able to get a few pictures to share.

 

If you want to put together a picnic lunch and don't want or have time to spend going to the outdoor market, a boulangerie, charcuterie, frommagerie, and patisserie separately, you can go to the Grand Epicerie and find all you need.  The price is a little higher, but you pay for the convenience.  The staff at the frommagerie was very helpful in helping me choose cheese that fit my particular taste.  I purchased a triple-creme Brillat Savarin and a hard Tomme di Pyrenees.  

The Grand Epicerie, located at 38 rue de Sevres, is right behind a park where rue Sevres, rue Raspail, and rue Babylone intersect (Metro:  Sevres-Babylone).  You are also within walking distance to the Champs des Mars, the park next to the Museum Invalides, and a short walk from the Seine.  They also have pre-made hot foods, sandwiches, and individually packed salads. 

Chocolate Shops Abound in the 6th Arrondissement

My name is Kathy and I am a chocoholic.  They say recognition is the first step.   I really don't want to recover from this addiction and have no plans to go through any 12-step process to help cure me.  I like being a chocoholic.  

I wanted to go on the Paris-Walks chocolate walking tour.  I had been on a few of their historical walking tours and really enjoyed them, but their chocolate walking tour schedule didn't work with mine, so I created my own.  I didn't really need to venture out of my area to do it.  The 6th arrondissement has chocolateries everywhere, quite possibly there is one on every block. 

Jean Paul Hevin is usually the place I go if I want to give someone or myself a special chocolate gift.  He's very pricey---remember the 36 euros chocolate Easter egg? (My friend Karina bought one and said the egg was worth every centime.)  I usually go to his shop near the Place de la Concorde, so I can also visit La Duree and Pierre Herme's macaron shop in the same area. Jean Paul Hevin also has a shop in the 6th arrondissement. That's where I started my chocolate tour.

 

I stopped at each shop, purchasing a few chocolates at each, between 3 and 5 pieces.  The cost was between 2 and 6 euros, depending on the shop and how many I bought.  The box of 12 chocolates from Jean Paul Hevin pictured above was 13.40 euros.  After three or four chocolate shops, I realized that I'm not the full-blown addict of this dark and creamy drug like I claimed to be.  Instead of wanting more and more, my purchases became smaller and smaller as I went along.   Now, I'm experiencing sugar blues, but I'm sure I'll be jonesing for some more chocolate later tonight.  (I'm glad I saved a few pieces from my walk.)

 

 

Below is a list of the chocolateries that I visited, mainly in the 6th and 7th arrondissements.  If you, too, are an admitted chocoholic, or even a closet one, you can create your own chocolate walking and tasting tour.   See if you can outlast the chocolate.  If you like more organized tours you can try Paris-Walks.  My favorite blogger in Paris also has a chocolate tour, which he talks about here.

Jean Paul Hevin, 3 rue Vavin, 6th arr., Metro: Vavin

Jean Charles-Rochoux, 16 rue d'Assas, 6th arr., Metro: Rennes or Saint Sulpice --Small and stylish boutique.  There is a Cuban tabacco flavor ganache-filled chocolate.

Maison du Chocolat, 19 rue Sevres, 6th arr., Metro: Sevres-Babylone -- This was the very first chocolaterie I visited the first time I was in Paris twelve years ago.  I was daunted by the fanciness of the chocolate boutique and walked out without purchasing anything, too afraid to disrupt the beauty of the chocolates under the display case.

Philippe Pascoet, 52 rue Saint Placide, 6th arr., Metro: Saint Placide -- Extremely friendly shop and the clerk told me what the specialties were, in English even.

Pierre Marcolini, 89 rue de Seine, 6th arr., Metro: Mabillon--When I went to school in Paris, I lived above this shop.  He's from Belgium and his chocolates are petite pieces of art.

Patrick Roger, 108 boulevard Saint Germain des Pres, 6th arr., Metro: Odeon -- He won the very prestigious Meilleux Ouvrier de France (Best Worker of France) in chocolates in 2007 and seems to be the celebrity chocolatier of the day.  Every food show in France that focussed on chocolate had him in it.

Michel Chandun, 149 rue de l'Universitie, 7th arr., Metro: Pont de L'Alma

Debauve et Gallais, 30 rue des Saint Peres, 7th arr., Metro: Sevres-Babylone -- This is the oldest chocolaterie in Paris.  It started out as a pharmacy and then became the favored chocolaterie of kings.

Riding Along the Seine on the Batobus

 

I found yet another way to avoid the Metro and see Paris.  I spent the day on the Batobus.  It was like walking in another person's shoes and seeing the city, or should I say sitting in another person's boat.  It was Paris from an entirely different perspective.

Paris became smaller and more tranquil, where lovers linger along the banks of the Seine or those wanting solitude sit under a tree with a book.   It was a sunny and warm day, and I took two trips  around the Seine without getting off, just sailing under the bridges and past the many monuments, buildings and churches.  One thing is certain, if you don't already love Paris, you will once you see it this way. 

The Batobus is a budget-friendly transportation option.  Your ticket is good for the entire day, or you can get a 2-day, 5-day, or even a year-long pass.  You can do the "hop on/hop off" thing or keep going around and around the Seine.

The Batobus is a better value than the Bateaux Mouches and other boats like it.  Their tickets are for just one trip around the Seine.   The one drawback to the Batobus is that the seating area is enclosed, so if you want to take pictures, you need to stand in the back.  I did both, one trip around when I stood in the back and took all the photos I wanted, then another trip around the Seine, relaxing and watching Paris go by.  This is as good, if not better, than sitting at a cafe in Paris.

The Batobus has 5 stops along the Seine (Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre, Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Notre Dame, Hotel de Ville, and Jardin des Plantes).  You can buy tickets at each stop and hop off, see the sites, and hop back on when you're ready to move on to the next stop.  If you have a Navigo card, which I talk about here, you get a reduced price. (Be sure to show the card and ask for the discount.) Price for a 1-day pass is 12 euros (8 with a Navigo), for a 2-day pass is 16 euros (11 with a Navigo), and for a 5-day pass is 19 euros (13 with a Navigo).  All information for the Batobus you can find here.

La Duree -- My "Cartier" of the Champs Elysees

 

 

I headed over to the swanky 8th arrondissement and the Champs Elysees with one thing in mind.  No, it wasn't to get a Louis Vutton bag, a Cartier watch, Chanel suit or Dior dress.  There are several sites in the area,  like the Arch of Triumph and the massive Avenue Champs Elysees,  but it is most popular with the fashionistas of the world because of the many haute couture boutiques in the area.  Long lines to get into Louis Vutton are normal as are women walking out of the boutiques with their hands full of shopping bags.  Many times their car and driver are waiting for them curbside. Since I'm more of a pastry-nista, my Cartier of the Champs Elysees is La Duree.  La Duree is a salon de the and has been around since 1862.  It started as a bakery, became a patisserie, then a tea salon for the wives of the Paris elite who wanted to socialize while their husbands were at work. 

Out of all the tea salons in Paris, La Duree is the one I like best.   I  love the ornateness of the salon, with the green paneling, green velour chairs and gold accents.  I sit down and feel like I've been transported to another time and am a woman of leisure with nothing else to do but have afternoon tea and desserts.  All I need now is my corsetted petticoat dress, gloves, and parasol.  They use the same decoration in their boxes, packaging each box of macarons in the green or purple box and wrapping it up as if they were  jewels from Tiffany's.

La Duree is most famous for its macaron, the meringue and almond flour cookie with creamy fillings. I've sampled many of their pastries, many times getting them at the to-go counter.  When I actually sit down and order, as I did today, I almost always get Les Mini Macarons Glaces, which isn't available at the to-go counter.  This is a dish of ice cream with 4 mini macarons.  You choose the flavor of the ice cream and the 4 mini macarons from a selction of 8.  The mini macarons have the ice cream filling that corresponds to the flavors you've chosen.  I ordered chocolate ice cream and macarons of vanilla, pistachio, raspberry and coffee.  All I can say is YUMMY.  Sweet macaron cookies surrounding creamy ice cream centers---now that's an ice cream sandwich.  The raspberry flavored macaron has raspberry sorbet in it, which is very refreshing, and I always save that one for last.

La Duree also serves lunch daily and they have a formula menu, so you can get an entree, main dish and dessert for not too bad of a price.  They have brunch on Saturday, Sundays and holidays.  You can check out their menu here.  I would say sitting down to tea and a La Duree dessert is a must-do while in Paris, along with sampling their famous macarons.

La Duree has 3 tea salon locations (Rue Royale--the original, Rue Bonaparte in the 6th arrondissement, and the one on the Champs Elysees).  They also have a store in the Printemps Department Store.

  

 

  

 

 

Journey Through the Pastries of Paris -- Part 2

I'm still visiting patisseries almost daily and have recorded them for you in this medley of photos. Enjoy! You can also take the  French Pastry Quiz -- see if you have the potential to become a Pastry Chef.  (The quiz is in French.)

Above is the "Infinitely Vanilla" from Pierre Herme.  It's a crunchy crust (sable) with white chocolate and vanilla ganache and a mascarpone cream with vanilla.  It is sinfully creamy with vanilla flavored throughout.

 

Again from Pierre Herme, this is called the Desire.  It's a crunchy cookie (sable) at the base, next layer is a cake, then a wild strawberry gelee, surrounded by a light lemon curd (lemon curd with whipped cream) and a pistachio glaze.  It's the essence of spring, and the tiny wild strawberries are so sweet here, I try to get as many as I can.

From the chocolatier Jean Paul Hevin, this is a chocolate and coffee dessert.  Layers of chocolate cake and coffee-flavored chcolate mousse.

 

A classic French pastry, the Fraisier can be found at almost all patisseries this time of year.  It's strawberries and creme mousseline (pastry cream mixed with butter) sandwiched between two slices of genoise cake---after drenching the cake in a Kirsh simple syrup.  This Fraisier came from Gerard Mulot.

 

 

Also from Gerard Mulot, another taste of spring called "Perle et Rubis" (Pearls and Rubies).  It's white chocolate, berry coulis and cake.

 

 

From Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki, this is a chocolate caramel tart.  Chef Aoki's pastries use many Asian flavors, which sometimes are a little far out for me.  I stay with his more traditional pastries.

 

 

I walked by Carton and saw this pastry simply titled "chocolate."  It was an overdose of chocolate---cake with chocolate bits, chocolate mousse, topped with chocolate glaze and little "tableaux de chocolat" and a chocolate dome.  Even for a chocoholic like me, this was a lot of chocolate.

 

 

Another classic, this is the Religieuse (named this because they resemble nuns' habits).  Religieuse use the same pate a choux (eclair paste) as eclairs, but they are just piped out differently.  With a religieuse you get more filling of pastry cream per pastry than you do with an eclair.  The most common flavors are coffee or chocolate, but I've also seen pistachio, vanilla, rose, violette and caramel.

 

Information on each patisserie is listed below:

Pierre Herme, 72 rue Bonaparte, 6th arr., Metro: Saint Sulpice  and 185 rue de Vaugirard, 15th arr., Metro: Pasteur

Jean Paul Hevin, 231 rue Saint Honore, 1st arr.,Metro: Concorde and 23 bis avenue Le Motte Piquet, 7th arr.,Metro: Ecole-Militaire and 3 rue Vavin, 6th arr., Metro:  Vavin

Gerard Mulot, 76 rue de Seine, 6th arr., Metro:  Mabillon and 93 rue de la Glaciere, 13th arr., Metro: Glaciere

Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki, 35 rue de Vaugirard, 6th arr., Metro: Saint Placide

Carton, rue de Buci, 6th arr., Metro: Mabillon

Related Posts:

Journey Through the Pastries of Paris -- Part 1

French Pastries and 10 Top Patisseries in Paris

The Dish from Paris: Macarons with Ice Cream from LaDuree

Pastries in the Park in Paris

Buying Easter Chocolates in French

Chocolate Shops Abound in the 6th Arrondissement

La Duree - My "Cartier" on the Champs Elysees