Les Sapin de Noel Paris

Macaron Snow Globe, 5.5" x 7.5

Le sapin de Noël is a big deal in France...

New York's Tiffany & Co. likes it too. A "wooden" Xmas tree in Bloomindale's window...a pun? Fun! Bergdorf Goodman's 7th floor had everything under the sun to decorate your sapin de noel! And Serendipity3 on 255 East 60th street has Xmas ball earrings to wear whilst hanging those decorations. A few doors down these clock face Xmas balls... Were hanging on this crazy twirlie "tree" thing. Whilst out on Park Avenue, some were decorating this potted tree thing. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has its annual presentation of its Christmas tree and Neapolitan Baroque crèche.

Meanwhile in Paris this humongous sapin de Noël was already up at Galerie Lafayette in late October!!!

With manikins sporting matching sapin-shaped hairdos...hmmm

The tiniest sapin de Noël was seen on Park Avenue - enamel and all of 2" tall.
Belgian patisserie Debailleul has this typography sapin...
Click and enjoy!
BONNE Sapin de Noël!

Bergdorf's Teatime

Bergdorf's Teatime,watercolor on Etsy, sold 5.5" x 7.5

Time for another fabulous Bergdorf's Xmas window...

The 3-layer cake toute en blanche stood waiting...
Surrounded by endless gateaux up the whazoo - here a Bundt cake, there a sponge...
Some cakes already sliced, waited patiently...
While others extravagantly decorated awaited the knife....
Where was Mr. Right?
Always on time in the past. This was no time to be tardy. And on the day she was decked out in melting icing...
Monsieur Singe plunged his fork into a nearby chestnut torte, unable to contain his rampant appetite! "Gourmande!" she cried.
Other singes slurped and munched on the plethora of desserts and exotic teas, remembering their days in the jungles of Singapore...
A treasure trove of iced cookies beckoned to Jean-Jacques R....
Another singe, Jean-Paul S., balanced his tea and cake ever so delicately....

"One can't be expected to wait forever can one?" He asked.

If he doesn't show, C'est la vie... The white chocolate ganache began to drip, drip, drip...

Quelle domage.

I've never seen a "white" macaron.

Vanille, oui, mais snowy white? Non.

In the land of fantasy anything goes...

BON WEEK-END!

"Vols magique"

Fete et Fleur won with the title "Magical Flights/Vols magique" the Bergdorf's window naming contest.
It was not easy choosing the best title. If I could cut it up into 4 pieces...

Marsi said...Wings of Desire

Rosemary said.."Wondrous Winged Whimsey"

Nina said.."Flights of Fantasy"

would all win too.
BONNE JOURNEE!

My Tour du Chocolat

Paris Ritz Teddy,watercolor on Etsy,sold 5.5" x 7.5

Last weekend the New York Times had an article on taking a tour of Paris' high-end chocolatiers, though there were quite a few they left out....

For example, the Paris Ritz's chocolate bars or tablettes...
Remember "tablette" not only refers to French chocolate bars, but to a guy's well-muscled chest. Here Jean-Charles Rochoux makes a pun creating a solid chocolate sculpture of just such a chest of abs saying, "To each his tablettes..."
These shots are from the October Salon du Chocolat 2008, so naturally there were plenty of gowns made of chocolate - YUM!
The Times article mentions Michel Cluizel's marcolats - a macaron-shaped bonbon filled with chocolate ganache.
Plus they mentioned top chocolatier Jean-Paul Hevin, also at the big show...
But how could they leave out one of Paris' best chocolatiers?
La Maison du Chocolat!
The thing I love most about the Paris chocolate show is how well all France's chocolate is represented, both high-end and low...
The piles of very good and affordable chocolate that's so available to everyone, not just those carrying a Birkin bag....

Chocolate does not have to be elegant to be divine....

Here stacks of chocolate pasta!

Chocolatier Chapon was dishing out chocolate mousse by the scoopfuls...LORDIE!

Plus plenty of do-it-yourself chocolate cookbooks to browse through...

Why not nibble a "French" chocolate chip cookie while your browsing...and why didn't I get one?
BONNE CHOCO TOURING!

Pierre Herme's Noel

Pierre Herme Noel,watercolor on Etsy,sold 5.5" x 7.5

Yesterday I got Pierre Herme's latest newsletter announcing his newest holiday creations. And the Pierre Herme Dessert Collection has just come in!

Photo courtesy of Pierre Herme.com

If you can't hop on the Metro to pick up your very own Buche Ispahan

You can easily substitute this 3/4" mini version - ingredients:
biscuit macaron à la rose, crème aux pétales de rose, letchis et framboises fraîches

Photo courtesy of Pierre Herme.com

This fab green number (Buche Montebello) is also available in a mini version.

upside down and backwards.

Voila!

There are 5 sets included for the mini-mad collectors....

Photo courtesy of Pierre Herme.com

As well as very mini versiona of Herme's new perfumed candles- Sucre de Bois and Herbe d'amandes.

If you live in New York or Brooklyn you can taste some of Mitzy's lovely not so mini macarons...

She will be at a flea market in Brooklyn this weekend...YUM

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