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Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Les Fees Patissieres - in the labo

Last week in the afternoon I went back to Les Fees Patissieres to visit the labo and look behind the scenes.
 
On 21, rue Rambuteau 75004
 
Les Fees means fairies. Inside the shop is a sophisticated wonderland
 
Beautiful little bites or bouchées, so pretty on the outside, layered and complex inside.
 
There is a new flavor every month. For Saint-Valentines meringue with framboise and roses awaits
.
This banana-caramel bouchée was calling my name.
 
Upstairs in the labo the elves and fairies had left for the day. They start at 6:30 and leave by 3. Still the pristine mixing bowls and utensils.
 
Reminded me of a Chardin still life.
 
Though not the very pink Kitchen Aide.
 
One of I creators, Deborah Lévy drew me a diagram of the inside of a I - a many layered affair.
 
Time to taste the tarte vanille. All 12 creations in the collection are takeoffs on classic French pastry like Paris Brest, tarte au citron, baba, religeuse, Saint Honoré, Opera, fraisier. Top pastry chef Eddie Benghanem of the Trianon Palace, Versailles drops in twice a week to brainstorm on new flavors and shapes.
 
The other partner, Sarah Harb does the hands-on sugar sculpting. I asked her to cut my vanilla bit in two to shoot it.
 
Perfect! Anything vanilla has become irresistible since I moved to Paris and learned the ways of the real bean. This charmer has 3 different beans represented - Tahiti, Bourbon and Indian throughout it's 4 layers.
 
Next taste up, banana-caramel
 
I decided to cut it in two myself. Uh oh. These are like sushi. You can eat them in 1-2 bites easily, but stop to savor the multi-flavors and textures.
 
Sarah and Deborah make special occasion cakes with the lightest of touches.
 
Almost too pretty to eat.
 
Sarah learned to do sugar paste work on London and New York.
 
Boxes for the little bouchées. Fait Attention! Please do not swing or bounce your mini cakes.
 
And pretty boxes for party cakes. Very clever of Sarah and Déborah to have caramels on hand since it's used often in the little cakes. Les Fees Patissieres is fun and fanciful - a don't miss in my opinion.
 
 

23 comments:

  1. This IS a fairy land. Thanks for sharing you little pastry elf you.

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    1. Elf-size calories too for a change ;))

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  2. Wondrous!
    Deborah Lévy petite caramel bananr bouchée made me feel weak in my knees. Just to look at them is sinful already, I'm sure. Must be heaven, to actually taste them!

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  3. Very cute little shop with the delicate bouchées!
    I like the watercolor at the top, & the collection of paintings done for your clients on the sidebar. Very cute paintings!

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  4. These are just the sorts of food(s) that my doctor has ordered me to eat, since he feels I am becoming "too svelte".

    It's just coincidence that he is also a partner in a diabetic supplies store.

    My blood sugar has elevated 20 points just from drooling at the delectable photos.

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  5. These look fabulous! I would love to try the banana pastry.

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  6. I'm drooling over the caramel banane. So I must member, a minute in the mouth a month on the hips. and boy do I need to be told that ! every time I put something so tempting as those delicious petite bouchees.

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  7. Heavens! I thought they were the size of our cupcakes till the photo with Sarah doing the cutting (BTW on your blog the photos are so narrow they don't show fully, but in my email version, they are perfect??). What tiny gems! Do you think the English training influenced the name "Les Fees" because the Brits call cupcakes "fairy cakes"?

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    Replies
    1. Jeanette ... I just found that if I double tap the photo on my iPad that the full Landscape Mode photo will appear. :-)
      CarolH-NY

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    2. Yes of course! I'm posting from the APPLE store. No wifi so I cannot fix anything or add links bla bla. Very limited controle ;((
      But they are coming tomorrow!
      Yay

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    3. No no non. These are NOT cupcakes at all.
      But they are delicate and pretty...

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  8. Oh, that tarte vanille has me swooning. And four types of beans! Such a clever idea to make them bite-sized...I must visit this heavenly little shop. x Katie

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  9. This is the first place I'm heading when we arrive for April! Will you come with me? I love miniatures!

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  10. Diane Dorrans Saeks10:11 AM

    Love this new patisserie...wow...all the new people understand LIGHTNESS...so divine.

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  11. How do you get through the day with such drudgery? J

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  12. Lynne C11:13 AM

    I would be therefor several hours attempting to sample everything.....

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  13. Bonnie1:24 PM

    You are so right about vanilla, Carol! I never cared for vanilla pastry until I went to France. No fake flavor there - you always see the dark flecks of seeds from real vanilla pods. Mmmm...dreaming of a Pierre Hermè vanille macaron!

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  14. This is all so tempting. Yes, about the vanilla bean - nothing compares.

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  15. Anonymous1:58 AM

    I would love to sit down to a couple of these little darlings! They look so delicate that I am sure if I ate them slowly they wouldn't do anything to my waistline! Must go there. Carolyn

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  16. Tres petite! Oh, they all look so very delicious -- but too pretty to eat!

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  17. Marshall9:00 PM

    This "Paris Breakfast" is FANTASTIC!!! You have shown Les Fees Patissieres beautifully, and it is definitely a "DO NOT MISS" place when in Paris!

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  18. These look good enough to get fat for.

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