For fun … but above all to deliver a cutting-edge, tested and approved selection, we tasted one hundred and thirty holiday pastry creations.
The breathtaking: the Epi d’Hiver log by Pierre Chirac and Stéphanie Le Quellec (La Scène restaurant)
Two-star chef in the Michelin Guide and winner of the Top Chef 2011 competition, Stéphanie Le Quellec surrounded herself with Pierre Chirac, a very talented pastry chef. The two set off to meet Roland Feuillas, an atypical character and specialist in ancient wheat, to create a log that takes up the codes of living bread.
Our opinion : With their almost sweet taste, the ancient wheat flours of Khorasan which are used in this realization bring subtle flavors of brown butter with an astonishing hint of arabica on the finish. One of our favorites of the year.
Composition: crunchy caramelized crumble dough, soft bread biscuit, natural rye sourdough cream, toasted bread mousse. Price: 95 euros (for 5 people). Paris.
The classic: the Sélestat 1521 log by Mathieu Kamm (Kamm pastry shop)
Trained by Pierre Hermé, Mathieu Kamm returned to the Alsatian pastry shop founded by his grandfather in 2011. Three years later, he took over from his father with the dual creative objective of finding the right taste, balanced and elegant and making this harmony visible, so that the end result becomes a gourmet promise.
Our opinion : It was in Sélestat and in 1521 that we find the first trace of a Christmas tree in Alsace, hence the name of the log. It’s hard to be simpler and more unifying than chocolate, vanilla and caramel accords, but when it’s perfectly mastered, it results in a fine cake, not very sweet and light at the same time. Well done !
Composition: reconstituted chocolate shortbread with corn petals, chocolate-almond biscuit, Madagascar vanilla cream, soft chocolate caramel, 66% chocolate mousse. Price: 44 euros (for 6/8 pers.). Sélestat, Dambach-La-Ville (Bas-Rhin).
The regressive: the XXL peanut-caramel ice cream bar (La Fabrique givrée)
Founded in 2012 by Jérémie Runel and Martin Chauche, La Fabrique Givrée is, as its name suggests, a team of experienced pastry chefs keen on original and “ice-cream” creations. Everything is made in Ardèche with local, natural, seasonal ingredients and without any artificial flavors, dyes or preservatives.
Our opinion : Here is an XXL frozen proposal inspired by the chocolate bars of our childhood. It’s hard to resist this giant delicacy which reminds us of the Snickers, but in an artisanal version with a pastry bag.
You have 79.86% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.