ECLAIR PLAQUE CHOCOLAT!

L'eclair ordinaire is a staple of French pastry...
Eclair aquarelle...
You almost never see an eclair lurking at Pierre Herme but they adorned his window in October...

Perhaps because they adorn his new book, one even caterpillar-like.

Eclair recipe books are hot hot hot in Paris!
Edible pansys on your eclair? go for it.

Make your eclair look like sushi? Pourquoi pas?

Fauchon's master chef, Christophe Adam has a new eclair book out...

Fauchon is showing a Paris Brest eclair...

But the newest twist/tendance on the eclair is an added plaque or flattened layer instead of the usual slather of icing found at Arnaud Lahrer.

Hugo et Victor's eclair not only has an added plaque chocolat but is slit down the middle of the pate chou pastry with the filling exposed. Naughty!

I bought one of these but forgot to shoot the obligatory cross-section view. Heck! Still the thin chocolate layer adds a touch of crunchy contrast to the soft mush of the inner filling and isn't as sweet as usual.

Angelina has adopted the new 'plaque' look in white chocolate...

As has Un Dimanche a Paris...

Here's the 'New York' DIY eclair I can do without the twist...ahem
BONJOUR ECLAIR PLAQUE CHOCOLAT!

La Maison du Chocolat Onsite Sketching

Onsite sketching part deux - Ta da!
BEAR choisie La Maison du Chocolat on 1018 Madison Ave.

And BEAR choses the eclair caramel ($6.50). He is partial to caramel so what can I do..?

I LOVE the striations on this pastry - for me they are the sign of a classy eclair, though I have no proof of this.

Inside La Maison du Chocolat's eclair the creme caramel is...creamy and contrasts nicely with the caramel icing on top. Why don't I have the correct words to describe this to you? At least you can head here without traveling 3000 miles

OK, We're here to PAINT ONSITE! Voila! I decide to stick with 'thumbnails' at first go...

BEAR studies the recipes in LMDC's chocolate book while I doodle - he has not given up on b--king like some people...ahem

I'm sitting in an alcove just above the chocolate shop s0 I can hear bits of conversation wafting by...

"Chocolate is the modern miracle cure for everything!"
There is a lot of giggling in response. As I paint a smiling chef comes out of the kitchen and sneaks a quick peek but is respectful and says nothing. Other staff pass by smiling. When I go to pay at the cash register, Michael Olsen, chocolate master and New York store manager takes my money. I ask him,

"You make people happy here don't you?"

He says, "Yes we do." smiling.

La Maison du Chocolat is a little piece of Paris just waiting to tempt you. They have awfully nice chocolate classes too..

Here's why BEAR & I fell for La Maison's eclairs...

La Maison's windows are dependably witty and very Parisienne...

Oh why didn't I get their terrific chocolate macaron? I'm kicking myself a bit (and BEAR too). Especially after reading Louise of Raids Patisseries excellent survey of chocolate macarons in Paris. Don't miss it! We will simply have to return for more sketching at La Maison - Life can be tough sometimes..non?

BONJOUR ONSITE SKETCHING at LMDC!

Bosie Tea Parlor

Where are we..? What's your first guess?
Me too. Just like Paris no?

But no, it's New York City!

We're at Bosie...

Bosie Tea Parlor on 10 Morton Street in the Village.

 Kathy YL Chan of A Passion for Food told me about it.

 I doubted real French pastry could be found in NYC but I have been proved wrong again. Voila! L'eclair de creme with Chamomile tea filling.

Kathy brought along these exquisite Japanese sugars, Chambre de Sucre fit for a king. They have been supplying the Emperor for centuries and perfect for my mint tea and Kathy's Matcha Latte...

Et oui, Bosie has a full array of fresh macarons...

A darling shop just the right size for a friendly cuppa - very French in size and ambience - New York needs more tea salons like this.

At least 80 kinds of tea brewed to order...

How does one attack such a pretty eclair?

En garde! Touche!

Bonjour Bosie Tea Parlor!

Financier Pastries 2

Financier Petit Fours, watercolor, 9"x 11"
Drinking too much Champagne once-a-year is not that big a problem...
But becoming attached at the hip to a Patisserie just a short train ride away is another matter...
Dear PBers,
I need an intervention...
What started out as mere research for a petit four drawing project...
Has turned into an obsession. Ouch!

I tell myself I'm buying these delights just to paint them. Ha! They're disappearing faster than I can paint them :(
A few years ago I kept pastry temptation under control easily...

I only painted miniatures...

Under an inch high. Help me PBers.

Especially since I haven't tasted "Le Tropical. At least there is a remedy for greediness straight from Paris - Oddibil charcoal tablets created for pastry overeaters. I recommend it highly.

BONJOUR Petits Fours 2!