Relais Desserts - Les Buches de Noel 2015

It's that time of the year, early September

When we must taste the best, new Christmas Bûche de Noël at RELAIS DESSERTS.

Septembers are extra tough, PBers.
Isn't this a witty idea - turning the log on its side so you get a chocolate cake? Then pop on top an elf or two et voila from ever-witty, Frederic Cassel of Fontainebleau and president of the Relais Desserts pastry chefs organization.

This years Buche tasting was in a grand hall at Pavillon Cambon. 47 rue Cambon.

A lovely Christmas buche by Sebastien Bouillet of Lyon called 'l'Avalanche'. (I used to have a friend who called me 'Avalanche...hmm). (Mousse au chocolat blanc, huile d'olive, biscuit fondant, croustillant grandija).

The big, big difference at this year's tasting was, instead of choosing just 5 buche to taste, you could taste ALL 26! There were sample slices just beside the whole cake and they were replenished liberally. Plus you remembered exactly which cake you were tasting unlike last year's tastings.

All the chefs were tasting as well. Top chefs Pierre Herme and Arnaud Larher are obviously in a state of deep introspection.

Herme's buche I thought was a double entendre or visual pun - a chocolate log within a more realistic log. (Biscuit au chocolat imbibe au sirop chocolat, ganache et crème Chantilly au chocolat noir Pure Origin Bresil, Plantation Paineiras).

Wrong! It was an artistic reference to an artwork called 'Spacio' by Luce de Giuseppe Penone, shown in a London gallery.

'Pamplemousse Rosa' by Claire Damon was pretty and delicate in pink with pink grapefruit and rose flavored mousse.

Damon of Des Gateaux et du Pain is the first woman member of Relais Desserts. Hooray!

This cerise beauty was irresistible by Bernard Besse and called 'Coeur de Rubis'. (Crème souflee a la vanilla de Tahiti parsemee de cerises Amarena, mouse de chocolat et fine feuille craquante de chocolat noir).

An adorable choo-choo by Laurent Le Daniel. (Crème mousseline au praline, noisettes grilles et caramelisees, mousse au chocolat epice et de gingimbre fraichement etc.).

More cherries! And definitely a visual/verbal pun. Hooray! Aurelien Trottier's Bouche de Noel (bouche(mouth) instead of buche) A kiss to end your Christmas dinner. (Creameux framboise et cerise, une nougatine craquante aux amandes et une mousse de chocolat noir).

This buche from Dalloyau has a wave down the middle representing la Seine.

Pascal Lac's beautiful orange 'Buche Manon'. I will be here through Sunday(dimanche) copying out these ingredients. Sorry, you will just have to come to Paris for Christmas and taste these yourself. I can think of far worse things to do for Xmas, so why not PBers?

Jean-Paul Hevin can be depended upon to come up with a devilishly creative chocolate solution for his buche.Voila!

A very chocolaty buche with Fall leaves as a nice touch by Eric Vergne.

Consisting of raspberries, chocolate mousse, cassis, Sacher torte crunchy cake base, plus vanilla cream and nuts from Burgundy. What more could you ask for ?

Very dear to my heart was this mailbox (not full of Paris sketch letters and maps malheureusement) but still quite adorable snowmen (and women I hope hidden within the box?) by Maelig Georelin.

Chef Alban Guilmet happily posed with his tres charmant buche of orange, passion fruit and mango with a bit of hazelnut cream. Yum yum.

A sneak look back in la cuisine at Pavillon Cambon - they were supremely organized. Everything went off without a hitch.

50,000€ raised from JOUR DU MACARONS DAY for cystic fibrosis (l’association Vaincre la Mucoviscidose).

Another very well-deserved Hooray!

Best chef of 2015 went to Christophe Adams, eclair king of Genie d'Eclair.

Naturalement I tasted all 26 buches.

'I had to go to rehab' yeah, yeah, yeah.

What I ate at Relais Desserts Noel 2013

Yesterday was the grand tasting of Christmas buche de Noel for 2013 by the Relais Desserts at Hotel Le Royal Monceau.

24 top pastry chefs of France offered a sneak preview of what's to come in December!
 

President of the Relais Desserts, Frederic Cassel, Fontainebleau was of course onboard to greet and meet.
 

His buche de Noel 'Etienne le Renne' is full of hazelnut and pistachio ice cream...miam
 

Arnaud Larher's 'Buche Louise' is a cheese cake inside with passion fruit and a strawberry coating.
 

'Del Lago' by Jean-Philippe Darcis of Bruxelles is...crunchy hazelnuts, cocoa from Del Lago plus, plus.
 

I loved the concept of Joel Baud's 'Blanche Neige' (Snow White) with a squiggle of blood in the snow unless I'm mistaken - mousse of white chocolate, red currents, coulis of framboise.
 

Jean-Paul Hevin can be depended upon to surprise - a chocolate cage encasing dark chocolate and passion fruit - 'Best of Passion'

I loved the crazy textures of this buche though the chef preferred I shoot it from the side...

Another mad creation, this one by Dalloyau's Yann Brys called 'Blanc et Merveilles' with meringue and bergamot, milk chocolate of Madagascar and macaron crunch on the sides.

So pretty, Laurent Duchene's 'Forest Noir' looks appropriately like a sled and full of gelee de griottes plus cremeux chocolat noir.

Silhouettes! My favorite graphic, line Richard Seve's buche. Inside - chocolat gianduja and baba au rhum with yellow raisins.
 

This Mondrian looking buche is called 'Puits Rouge' by Jeff Oberweis of Luxemburg and full of red fruits.

Well it's impossible to show every Relais Desserts buche much as I'd like to...

But not to be missed Pierre Herme's witty take off on the original classic chocolate log was intensely chocolatey with mousse, ganache and biscuit macaron all chocolate all the way.

The gentleman behind the red buche is Herme's photographer, Laurent Fau, creator of all those lush photos in his books, newsletter and little brochures that come inside the macaron boxes. Don't forget that all the Relais Desserts pastry chefs generously participate in the annual charity event, Jour du Macaron, created by Pierre Herme.
 

You might well wonder how we got to taste all these delightful creations? I've been starving myself for weeks (unsuccessfully) in preparation for this event ticking off the days on the calendar.
 

The waiters took our orders and then returned with plates to taste.
 

Clever Frederic Cassel served his delish hazelnut ice cream in a little glass bowl, while the others were served up in slices. It would have been nice to have little flags identifying each but that's perhaps too much to ask...

My date, candy man, Georges Marques of Le Bonbon au Palais. Naturally we shared bites of this and that.
 

As did everyone else including these fashion editors.
 

Awards were handed out to the best pastry book of the year, the best chef (Christophe Michelek). Then we downed pink Champagne and savory snacks.

Last but not least exquisite mini Paris-Brests filled with pistachio cream and Ispahan creamy 'puffs' all designed from Hotel Royale Monceau. You can imagine I'm in major recovery today but well prepared for the coming Christmas season.

Big Merci to Relais Desserts!

Jan 1 in Paris!

 Day one of the Paris diary commences PBers!

My search for a buche de Noel continues...

 A bear buche with ears from La Mere de la Famile
 

 Inside chocolate ganache, mandarine, praline = too fussy but Bear would love it.
 

 Lenotre has this big fruity meringue-covered buche = too big.

 And this Buche Planete Cherry = too chocolatey.
I feel like Goldilocks and the three buches..

 The mystery of Angelina's Autriche buche - an homage to their original confiseur Antoine Rumpelmayer(Austrian). Filled with flavors of the Christmas market - pains d'epice plus honey decorated with vermicelles of creme de marron ( a wink at the specialty of the maison - the Monte Blanc.

 Dear PBers,

I wish you much success in deux mille treize/2013

 And sweetness..

 Pyramids of sweetness.

 BONNE ANNEE et bonne resolutions as they say here.

 What buche did Goldilocks end up eating?

A buchette aux Marrons of course.

And I ate every bite.

My 1st buche de Noel and my 1st New Year in Paris.

On verra bien/here's hoping for the best PBers