A little piece of Russia in Paris

There is something exquisite and Russian about Pouchkine that stands out from the rest. I stumbled upon this small corner pastry shop in the Printemps store on Boulevard Haussmann and was immediately awestruck by what were on display. The stunning creations are not only technical tours de force in pastry making, they exude an air of opulence and splendour of the past. The dome-shaped chocolate gateau, for example, recalls the characteristic cupola of the St Basil Cathedral in Moscow. Funny enough, there are even breads that have been stamped with the Russian coat of arms.

The coat of arms of Russia

Of course, the name Pouchkine should ring a bell. Who else can it be other than the great 18th century Russian writer, Alexandar Pushkin, that this patissiere is named after? Cafe Pouchkine has been a significant success in Moscow since its launch in 1999 as a restaurant and tea salon. It is now in Paris under the helm of pastry chef Emmanuel Ryon, winner of the world pastry championship.

Ryon's repertoire exhibits great originality, techniques and creative flair. The desserts are very tempting, superbly presented and no doubt, they also come with a price tag to match. 

(left) Charlotte vanille fraise caramel,
(middle) Bende Feijoa, Paris Moscou, Rose chocolate noir
(right) Fleurs Elle, Gateau citron meringue

The Russian-styled Fraisier (centre)

Whether the pastry tastes as good as it looks in a boutique is secondary to the visual impact it creates at the point of sale. Impeccable presentation plus a suggestion of deliciousness is what it takes for Pouchkine to win over the French public.

Who knows if Pouchkine will make Shanghai its next destination considering the link between China and Russia dating back to the 17th century? I think this could be a winning formula.

Who moved my macaron?

In a country that is obsessed with macarons, I am still amazed to see how Parisiens and tourists alike are queuing up in front of Laduree and Pierre Herme for their share of those precious, jewel-like almond meringues.

Pierre Herme store on rue Bonaparte on a rainy evening

No doubt they are very appealing visually, but some people think they are too sweet, me included.  I have tried making them myself by using less sugar but tweaking the proportion of sugar content in this recipe can be tricky.

The Paris macaron, as we know it today, is the creation of Laduree. Filled with a layer of ganache, buttercream, or jam and sandwiched between two almond meringue cookies, macarons have travelled far and wide in their popularity.  In Paris, perhaps the only serious competition for Laduree is Pierre Herme, whose outlets can be found in all the posh department stores. Trained at Lenotre and worked in Fauchon before he started out on his own, his constant innovations in blending new flavours and colours to stunning effects are absolute crowd pleasers!

So which one is better, Laduree or Pierre Herme? There is no question that both macarons are exceptionally airy, moist and melt instantly in your mouth. It really comes down to a matter of flavour.  For purists, probably Laduree will be your choice.  For the more adventurous, Pierre Herme's range is more exotic and varied! Try both and decide for yourself which one you prefer. My verdict is still undecided at this point...

Beware of caramel!

Coming from a cuisine background, patissiere just seems much more calm, cool and collected.  I was foolish enough to be sloppy in handling caramel and ended up with a burn - the first of many accidents to follow no doubt if I fail to pay respect to what I am doing.

Saint Honore is quite a beautiful cake only if you have mastered some basic French pastry techniques - the pate sucree, pate a choux, creme chantilly, caramel and piping PLUS a big appetite for fresh cream.