Paris: A Chocolate and Pastry Tour

“‘Ave you been to zee Eiffel Tow-er yet?” the shop assistant behind the pastry counter asked me, while wrapping up the rather large collection of toffees and pralines I’d assembled - I’d just told her that it was my first time in Paris. “Nope,” I replied, “I only have a few days in the city and there are quite a few other places I’d rather visit”. She looked utterly horrified - although to her credit she tried very hard to hide it. Well, I’m sorry that I’d rather eat my bodyweight in macarons, eclairs, croissants and baguettes than waste an entire day looking at a metal structure (which I’ll remind you, CAN’T be eaten!). Luckily, after clarifying that I was on my very own pastry and chocolate tour of Paris, her face lit up and she hurriedly scribbled down her list of favourite pastry shops in Paris. It was, I’d later find out, the best advice I’d ever received!

But let me back up a bit: fellow South Africans, I don’t need to tell you what our poor old rand is worth against the Euro for you to know that traveling to Paris can be pricey. But, that doesn't mean you can't experience the city! I managed to clean France out of it’s pastry, on a budget, and here’s how I did it:

The view from the tiny little apartment we rented in Le Marais

#1: Rent an apartment with a kitchenette in an up-and-coming area

An apartment is not nearly as expensive as a hotel and makes you feel like you’re living like a true Parisian. I stayed in Le Marais (in the 3rd arrondissement) which is a vibey, young area within walking distance of some really good pastry shops and restaurants. From Le Marais, it’s a short train or bus ride to every pastry shop you need to visit.

#2: Avoid eating out in restaurants

Be warned: dining out in Paris is NOT as affordable as it is here in South Africa. A simple 1 course bistro meal for 2 and bottle of cheap wine will easily set you back €100 (do the math - if you dare!). Eat in and you’ll save heaps of cash (or be able to spend more on chocolate and buttery delicious flaky things). Having a kitchenette meant that for a week we happily lived off the gorgeous baguettes, cheese, pate’s and were able to cook simple meals from the beautiful produce we found at the markets. If you must eat out, tuck into the much more affordable street food! [Speaking of street food - check out the interview WebJet did with me on my favourite street food of all time here.

#3: Order and drink your coffee at the bar - always!

You WILL be charged for sitting down and enjoying the view - don’t say I didn’t warn you! Same goes for pastries. Don’t be tempted to sit down in the pastry shop and enjoy the atmosphere - they will charge you for the air you are breathing and the fact they have to wash your plate. Instead, take your pastry to go and enjoy it on the streets of Paris!

#4: Pack your stretchy pants, people - you’re going to need them!

The best way to experience the Paris pastry/chocolate scene is to walk everywhere - that way you’re far more likely to stumble upon hidden gems and obviously there’s also the added benefit of walking off all that butter you’re consuming! While I went to Paris with a few places I wanted to visit plotted on a Google map, we ended up walking FOR DAYS! When you add up all the ‘it’s just a 5 minute walk away’s and you’re visiting 8 shops a day..? The kilometers are too much to comprehend. But hey, I’ve always said the only time I exercise is if cake is waiting for me at the finishing line, and look at that - I stuck to my word!

So you want to hear about THE BEST thing I ate on my trip?! Of course you do! 

(Just promise not to hate me for it!) 

Merveilleux 

What the heck are Merveilleux, you ask? They are light-as-air meringues sandwiched together with more light-as-air flavoured whipped cream and then 'cos that's not enough the entire thing is covered in more cream and rolled in chocolate shavings or crushed up meringue. Side note: I NEVER queue for food - but this? This was worth queuing for. These are no ordinary meringues, people! It tastes like you're biting into a ridiculously delicious cloud that evaporates onto your tongue leaving nothing but happiness behind - and you can quote me on that! 

VISIT Au Merveilleux

24 Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 Paris, France

auxmerveilleux.com

TIP Grab a box of the mini mixed flavours - Spiced biscuit, Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Cherry and Almond-Hazelnut - then stroll over to the Seine, grab a seat along the banks of the river and waft into a delirious creamy coma. 

Marveilleux are best enjoyed on the banks of the Seine! 

Here’s a list of all the other incredible things that contributed to me no longer fitting into my jeans:

Best Baguette

Now let’s just get this straight, even the baguettes at corner shops in Paris are amazing - none of that airy poofy tasteless 'bread' we get here. So this baguette? It was so good butter would ruin it! Tip: when there’s a sign like this outside a bakery (Translation: Best Baguette in Paris 2015)? You know it’s good!

VISIT Huré (Winner of the Best Baguette in Paris 2015)

18 Rue Rambuteau, 75003 Paris, France

Best Croissant

With it's trademark chocolate swirls (how do they even DO that?!), perfect flakes and oozy chocolate praline filling it's no surprise it won Best Croissant in Paris last year!

VISIT Laurent Duchene

238 Rue de la Convention, 75015 Paris, France

http://www.laurentduchene.com/

Best Marshmallow

Marshmallows are big in Paris and by far the most delicious one I had was a Salted Butter Caramel Marshmallow from Pain de Sucre - butter IN a marshmallow?! I can't even.

VISIT Pain de Sucre

14 Rue Rambuteau, 75003 Paris, France

patisseriepaindesucre.com

Macarons are still big in Paris and fill every pastry shop window!

Best Macarons

Oh dear, this might start a civil war! I had two amazing macarons during my trip. The first was from the famous Pierre Hermé (aka the god of Macarons) who was arguably the first pastry chef to create the fussy, difficult-to-recreate perfect macaron as we know it today. I had a white truffle (as in the funghi) macaron that blew my face off. It was AMA-ZING! *sigh*

VISIT Pierre Hermé Paris

18 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004 Paris, France

pierreherme.com

The second macaron came at the suggestion of the Meert pastry assistant - remember the one who I so deeply offended with my Eiffel Tower comment?! - she claimed that Pâtisserie Viennoise is the place to go to taste what the macaron was before it became the refined, multi-coloured, multi-flavoured pastry it is today. And she was right! The two macarons couldn't be more different; the one heavy, nutty and substantial - the other light and airy. But try them both and you can decide which is your favourite. For the sake of peace I'll keep my opinion to myself ;) 

VISIT Pâtisserie Viennoise

8 Rue de l'École de Médecine, 75006 Paris, France

TIP Order an espresso with your macaron (they're big!) to cut the sweetness.

Best Authentic Patisserie

While the shop assistant at Meert was horrified I had no love for the Eiffel Tower, the list she gave me of pastry shops to visit was the cherry on top of stumbling upon this quaint, picturesque boutique. Meert is a 250 year old shop specializing in pastries, chocolates, sweets, caramels and it's famous gaufre (thin buttery waffles sandwiched together with various fillings). I felt like I'd walked into an old French movie and when she tied my package of sweet goodies with an old-fashioned ribbon I thought I would die!

VISIT Meert Paris Saint-Germain des Prés

3 Rue Jacques Callot, 75006 Paris, France

meert.fr

Best Chocolate

While we boast 3 bean-to-bar chocolate makers here in Cape Town, Paris has just one - famed Parisian chef Alain Ducasse now makes his own chocolate and my word is it good! After selling a kidney, I left with a dark 75% bar with a chopped pistachio filling that altered my life figuratively and literally (mostly because I'm still living off salticrax to pay it off!)

VISIT Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse

40 Rue de la Roquette, 75011 Paris, France

lechocolat-alainducasse.com

Remember those pick 'n mixes we had in supermarkets? This is one dedicated solely to the most delicious handmade chocolate bon-bons of your LIFE! And while you pile kilos of chocolate into bags, you can marvel at the intricate chocolate sculptures that adorn the shop. 

VISIT Maison Georges Larnicol

132 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris, France

chocolaterielarnicol.fr

Yes, that is a waterfall of chocolate!

And if you still have a kidney to spare:

Michael Cluizel

201 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris, France

cluizel.com

Maison Pierre Marcolini

89 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris, France

marcolini.com

Patrick Roger

108 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris, France

patrickroger.com

Best Eclairs

Eclairs have been the new macaron in Paris for a few years now (the trend should hit South Africa any day now) so they are everywhere! My favourite was actually the eclair's less trendy cousin, the choux. Odette Paris is the place to go for the best version - buy a few then pick a park bench in the Square René Viviani nearby and gaze at Notre Dome in the distance. 

VISIT Odette Paris

77 Rue Galande, 75005 Paris, France

odette-paris.com

My other favourite is L’Eclair de Genie who have managed to turn an oblong pastry eclair into a tiny edible work of art. The flavours are punchy and the glazes totally lickable! After selling my remaining kidney, I managed to buy two and when the shop assistant told us to "Wait 15 minutes before you eat them", we thought he said 'Walk for 15 km before you eat them" (French accents!) and so we marched an absurdly far distance before stumbling upon - I mean we didn't MEAN to, it just kind of... happened! And that's how we ended up sitting on the grass, devouring the delicious eclairs, under the... Eiffel Tower. 

VISIT L’Eclair de Genie 

32 Rue Notre Dame des Victoires, 75002 Paris, France

leclairdegenie.com

Ready to jump on a plane and eat your way through Paris already?! Head over to https://www.webjet.co.za/ to book cheap flights, accommodation and car hire!

 This post has been created in collaboration with WebJet.co.za, an online travel agent offering you a total travel solution to help you plan your ultimate trip!

Cheat's Christmas Almond Croissants

Imagine waking up to the warm smell of baked buttery, sugary, spicy goodness wafting from your oven on Christmas morning? It can be a reality, people! I'm not saying you have to make croissants from scratch - heck, ain't nobody can't time for that! But fancying up some store-bought croissants, stuffing them with festive spiced fruit mince (also store-bought) and a generous helping of almond frangipane filling can turn plain, ordinary croissants into something rather special for Christmas breakfast!

Almond croissants are any bakery's darkest secret. I learnt to make them in the ridiculous hours of the morning when I was interning at a French patisserie in my high school years. You know how you fork out a small fortune for an almond croissant? Well, sorry folks, but actually, these almond pastries are made using YESTERDAY'S croissants - jip, all the croissants that weren't sold yesterday? The stale pastries are dipped in a sugar syrup, stuffed with an almond filling and rebaked to become today's deliciousness. Oh the shock and the horror! Actually, it's a pretty darn clever way of using leftovers and one that now, thanks to me, is no longer a secret (the things I do for you guys!).

Lucky for you,  you won't have to wake up at 3am to make them! Smile and bat your eyelashes at the baker at your supermarket to give you some stale croissants (or use leftover one's - although I struggle to fathom in what universe someone would have leftover pastries) then dip and fill them, cover and refrigerate til morning. When you wake up, pop them in the oven and by the time you've opened up all your Christmas gifts, your house will smell like a French bakery. Oh and I give you full permission to pretend as though you made them from scratch - just don't tell a French pastry chef I spilled the beans!

Christmas Fruit Mince Almond Croissants

Makes 6-8

250g sugar

250ml water

6-8 stale, day-old croissants

165g butter

160g icing sugar

2 eggs

200g ground almonds

20g corn starch

8 tbsp store-bought Christmas fruit mince, to spread

Flaked almonds, to garnish

Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat until dissolved completely then bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Set aside.

Make the almond by creaming the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time beating well in between each. Add the ground almonds and corn starch and mix until combined. Place in a piping bag.

Cut a 5-7cm pocket into each croissant then dip into the warm syrup briefly. Remove from the syrup, spread a layer of fruit mince inside then pipe in some almond filling. Pipe a little of the almond filling on top and sprinkle with almonds. Place on a lined baking tray then repeat with the remaining croissants. It's at this point where you can cover and refrigerate the croissants until the next morning when you're ready to bake them. 

Bake at 170 degrees Celcius for 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy. Allow to cool slightly then serve warm, dusted with icing sugar.

Caramel Creme Horns

I remember the first time I had to make puff pastry at chef school. Actually, I'm surprised I remember it - what with our brains blocking out horrific events and all. 
No other pastry has a more appropriate name than puff;  you spend what feels like hours just hanging around waiting (for the butter to chill in the fridge), and then there's lots of huffing and puffing as you frantically roll and fold that pastry before that same butter melts. Then the waiting. Then the puffing. And repeat. I mean, it's just a nightmare, and probably the only time butter is annoying. Ever. But, you only have to make puff pastry once to come to the same conclusion I did:

Life is too short to make your own puff pastry. 

Let's add a star thingy to that statement and include phyllo pastry in there too, shall we? Don't even bother trying to make your own paper-thin phyllo pastry. It will end in tears. And tears. Gosh, English is weird. 

But I digress, back to puff pastry. The pastry that won the butter lottery. 

I've had this old box of cream horn moulds for ages which I was given by my Great Aunt and have been desperately wanting to bake a batch. Except, are they still a thing?

Whatever happened to cream horns? They seem terribly out of date these days, but why? Whoever is doing the PR for them, is doing a shoddy job. Doughnuts - still trendy. Pavlova - still trendy. Tarts - still trendy. How can puff pastry and whipped cream be OLD-FASHIONED?! Well, I'm resurrecting them. With a boozy caramel cream that will knock your socks off. I reckon a tiramisu filling (the one I used in my eclairs here) would be mind-blowing too. And before you tell me you need cream horn moulds, you don't - simply cover ice cream cones in foil. The only thing difficult about making these, is figuring out how to eat them gracefully. 

Caramel Cream Horns

Makes 10-12

1 x 400g packet ready-made puff pastry (I used Today's)

Milk, for brushing

White sugar, for sprinkling

1/2 cup (125ml) cream

2 tsp (10ml) almond liqueuer (optional)

1 tsp (5ml) caster sugar

1/2 tin (200g) caramel or dulce de leche (do I need to tell you what to do with the other half)

Icing sugar, for dusting 

Preheat your oven to 200C and grease or line a large baking sheet. 

Spray your cream horn moulds with cooking spray (if you don't have, simply wrap ice cream cones in foil and spray the outside). 

Start by unrolling the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. No need to roll it out with a rolling pin, it's just the right thickness for the cream horns. Less work - yay! Cut 1cm strips lengthwise from the puff pastry then starting at the tip of the horn, wrap the pastry around, making sure it overlaps slightly. Brush a little milk on the end to make sure it sticks then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with more milk and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat until all the puff pastry is finished. 

Bake the horns for 20-25 minutes or until they're a lovely golden brown. Remove from the baking tray (or the sugar will make them stick) and allow to cool on a cooling rack. 

Make the filling by whipping the cream with the liqueuer and sugar until thick then place in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. 

Whisk the caramel in a bowl until smooth. 

Fill the horns with a little (or a lot of) caramel then pipe the whipped cream on top - do this just before serving so they stay nice and crunchy. Don't forget the dusting of icing sugar! 

Chocolate peanut butter mousse tart

DISCLAIMER: The below text and images are not for sensitive viewers. Content contains large amounts of fat, sugar, chocolate and decadence. Just looking at this recipe will most likely expand your waistline. You have been warned!

On Expresso Breakfast Show, I'm known for creating incredibly sweet and utterly indulgent recipes. Sometimes, so much so, that I almost feel guilty making such sugary delights so early in the morning. Almost.

Photography by Gunther Schubert of Vorsprung Studio

Because it's National Slipper Day today, I got thinking, what would I enjoy while wearing my favourite fluffy slippers? 

Well, chocolate of course, and peanut butter straight out the jar, or perhaps a slice of caramel cheesecake. So why not combine them all! This weekend, slip on your comfiest pair of slippers while whipping up this recipe, then put your feet up and tuck in to a slice or three! And if you needed some convincing? 

It is Friday after-all, so spoil yourself!

Photography by Gunther Schubert of Vorsprung Studio 

Chocolate peanut butter mousse tart
Serves 10-12

Chocolate pastry
¼ cup cocoa, plus extra for dusting
185g cake flour
125g Stork Bake, chilled and cubed
½ cup icing sugar
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp ice cold water 

Peanut butter mousse filling
1 cup chocolate spread
170g smooth cream cheese
¾ cup icing sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ¼ cups smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups cream, whipped stiffly

To decorate
Chocolate spread, melted
Smooth peanut butter, melted
Caramel sauce (optional)
Chopped chocolate peanut butter bars
 
Place the cocoa, flour, margarine and icing sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Gradually add the egg yolks and water to form a dough.
Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll the pastry out to 3mm thick and line a 24cm loose-bottomed tart tin, trimming the edges and prick the base with a fork.
Refrigerate again for 30 minutes then bake blind* at 180C for 15 minutes, remove the paper and weights and bake for another 10-15 minutes until crisp. Allow to cool.
Spread the base with the chocolate spread.
Make the filling by beating the cream cheese, icing sugar and salt until fluffy then beat in the peanut butter and vanilla. Fold in the whipped cream gently and spoon into the chocolate crust.
Drizzle with melted chocolate spread, peanut butter, caramel and decorate with chopped chocolate bars.
 
*Baking blind refers to the process of placing baking paper inside the lined tart tin the filling the tart with baking beads, beans or rice to weigh it down and prevent the pastry from puffing up.