The orange blossom pistachio tart from the Sweet Garden, the impression of biting into a cloud

HAS what do you recognize as an emblematic dessert these days? It is often the work of a big name in pastry and a long patient queue in front of the shop that sells it. But not always. Its notoriety can also be measured by the profusion of glowing images and comments on Instagram. This is the case of the orange blossom pistachio tart from the Sweet Garden, a creation with an enticing aesthetic: a white dome sprinkled with shards of roasted pistachios, all comfortably placed on a well browned sweet dough and its pistachio ganache . The key to this plebiscite, however, is nestled inside the tart, with a flowing pistachio praline heart skillfully staged with close-ups and slow motion shots.

To taste it, head to one of the two Le Jardin Sucre shops, in Cernay-la-Ville (Yvelines) or in Paris. No queuing on this Friday noon in front of the address on rue de Courcelles, in the 17^e district of the capital, but a continuous flow of customers leaving with the precious tartlet. On the storefront, no famous name either. Instead, a sober inscription indicates that we are dealing with a “French macaroon champion”. At the head of the Sweet Garden, Arnaud and Mélanie Mathez, a couple in the city as well as in the kitchen, were actually first known for their macaroons. The distinction dates back to 2014 but the cupcakes are still there. The orange blossom pistachio tart too, the only unchanging element of a menu that changes with the seasons.

The object of delight measures barely 10 centimeters in diameter. He is as we imagined him after many viewings of Instagram photos. Of course, you can order a version to share if you take care to reserve at least twenty-four hours in advance. And so what ? This dish is often a stolen pleasure. The most impatient will not wait to get home, they will taste it on one of the two small tables on the terrace while sipping a White Pomelo tea from Lydia Gautier with notes of rose and grapefruit. Passersby will watch the scene, intrigued, hesitate to enter and, perhaps, will leave in turn with the elegant entremets.

A first incision with a knife reveals the famous flowing heart, the mere sight of which sends a deluge of dopamine to the brain. The body then takes control and, from the first fork, the magic happens. The orange blossom whipped ganache, ultra-airy, gives the sensation of biting into a cloud. An enveloping sweetness counterbalanced by the crunch of roasted pistachios. In the middle, the pistachio praline, seasoned with a hint of fleur de sel, completes the symbiosis between saline and floral notes. This is where the cortex takes over, scrolling through memories of Levantine pastries and other baklavas. And we understand that behind simplicity and delicacy hides a luminous reinterpretation… and wanderlust.