Cinnamon Hill, Cinnamon Bear

Cinnamon goes into my hot chocolate every morning but finding good cinnamon is tough. And finding any cinnamon at all in Paris is really tough.

Yesterday bear and I set out on a hunter-gathers jaunt for cinnamon with a stop off at the pool first.

Then to nearby Patisserie Viennoise on 8, rue de l'Ecole de Medcine 75006

They've been showing off their almond torte with cannelle/cinnamon for days and we've been flirting with it post-pool for days.

 

At last pass me the CINNAMON bébé.

 

Hmmm...it could have more cinnamon in my humble opinion. Bear is not an eater of crusts either.

 

Frenchie To Go has been getting rave reviews for their American-style cinnamon buns.

 

And let me tell you

 

This is the REAL thing.

 

Walnuts and all...a perfect amalgam of caramelized heaven with just the right amount of sweetness.

 

A perfect balance. But do not go with a friend who does not eat gluten. You need absolute silence when you bite into this baby. No chattering allowed.

Eat all the burgers you want in Paris. When I'm homesick (so far never) I'm heading back to Frenchie.

 

At the Salon de l'Agriculture there was plenty of cinnamon. More than you'll see anywhere else in Paris.

 

And in the most diverse forms like these hunks of bark from the West Indies.

Otherwise head to Alsace or any Alsatian bakery for les etoiles  - one the best cinnamon cookies in all of France (usually found only at Christmas in Paris). Is it the proximity of Germany that influences Alsatian pastry?

In a Paris supermarket look high and low but forget about finding cinnamon cookies.

 

The same goes at the multi-plex of yogurt flavors. Nil, nix, nada, niente, non. NO CINNAMON yogurt.

 

"Pas aujourd'hui" they told me at Berthillon when we asked for cannelle/cinnamon glace, but there's hope in them thar hills. They change ice cream flavors everyday and someday we may hit it lucky.

 

Big surprise. French frozen food magnet Picard has a wonderful thin little cinnamon cookie/biscuit called 'feuillets a la cannelle' perfect for teatime. Is there an Alsatian in the kitchen at Picard?

 The best thing you can do is bring your own supply to Paris. And the place to get it is from the UK company, Cinnamon Hill. They have a lovely grater especially and only for cinnamon as I found out when I tried to use it for nutmeg..a no no. Honestly I thought I was getting good stuff at Kalustian, New York but no way. Cinnamon Hill's Ceylon and Saigon sticks have a more delicate flavor yet an intensity. It lifts anything you add it to including my daily cup of hot chockie. Yesterday Bear and I had a cinnamon fest chez nounours/marshmallow bears. By the way Speculous has a mere .02 % cinnamon - Quelle disappointment. Well that's the lowdown on Paris and cinnamon. Find some other reason to visit and bring along your own supply. Or go to Frenchie-To-Go for the bun of the century (4,50€).

Bon Week-end PBers.