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While France is considered a coffee-drinking country, Paris is actually the tearoom capitol of the world! Surprised it isn't London? We were. There are more than 150 tearooms nestled throughout Paris. A classic "French tea," consists simply of a pot of perfectly prepared tea and a pâtisserie, or pastry of your choice. |
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Our favorite French style tea room is "À la Cour de Rohan." It is small, quiet, elegant, refined, and French down to its very fingertips. Located at 59 rue Saint-André-des-Arts, in the cour du Commerce, in the 6th arrondissement. It is the embodiment of French tea. To enjoy a lovely French Tea without visiting Paris, set out your finest linens, Limouges teacups and tiny demitasse spoons. Arrange a few fresh flowers in a vase and set everything out on a pure white cloth table near a sunny window. Enjoy a delicious pâtisserie with your favorite tea. Our favorite recipes follow. Bon Appetit et Bon Voyage! |
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Charlotte Poire Chocolat |
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Ingredients: |
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Instructions Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add the cream and stir with a whisk. Mixture should be shiny and smooth. Combine crème fraîche and sugar, and beat with electric beaters until stiff. (Yes, it really does beat up like whipping cream. No, you can't substitute sour cream. Sorry. However, you can make your own crème fraîche by combining 2 cups heavy cream with 2 Tablespoons buttermilk in a glass jar with a screw top. Cover tightly and shake well. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.) Drain pears, reserving liquid. Line an 8-cup charlotte mold with plastic wrap, letting quite a bit extra hang over the sides, enough to fold over the top. (If you don't have a charlotte mold -- and who does?! -- use a 2-quart saucepan with flared sides.) Then, briefly dipping in pear juice first, line the pan with ladyfingers, starting with the bottom, then going to the sides. Next, do the filling: a layer of whipped crème fraîche, a layer of pears, a layer of melted chocolate, and so on, continuing until you finish with a layer of crème fraîche. (Save a little chocolate for a garnish.) Last, top with a layer of ladyfingers (also dipped in pear liquid). Fold the extra plastic wrap over the top, push down the charlotte with your hands to help "solidify" it, cover with a heavy plate, and refrigerate overnight. Gently slide the charlotte out of the pan (easily done by pulling on the plastic wrap), placing it upside down on a cake plate. Remove all plastic wrap. Warm the reserved chocolate so it is pourable and drizzle over the charlotte. Slice like a layer cake and serve (with tea, naturally). |
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Tartelettes aux Fruits |
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Ingredients: |
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The crust 1. sift the flour and salt on to a board 2. make a well in the center and add all the ingredients 3.
using your fingertips mix quickly together 4. wrap with cling film and chill for 1 hour 5. roll out the pastry, place into greased tartlets tins and chill again 6. place wax paper on top the pastry and fill with beans or pastry weights 7. bake for 7 minutes 8. remove the paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes until a pale biscuit color 9. cool on a wire rack The
filling Glaze
the base of the pastry with part of the mixture |
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Ingredients: 1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 large egg yolk 1 teaspoon Rose Water 2 tablespoons superfine sugar About 35 candied rose petals 1
extra yolk and 2 tablespoons heavy cream |
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Instructions: Pre-heat oven to 400F and bake your puff pastry shell according to the instructions, whether free form or using a tart pan. Once shell is done baking, set aside. Lower oven temperature to 350F. Place yogurt, 1/4 of the cream, egg, rose water and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Put remaining cream into bowl of an upright mixer and beat using the balloon whisk attachment until soft peaks start to form. Fold in whipped cream with the yogurt mixture and spoon into baked puff pastry shell, leveling the surface. Brush the uncovered pastry edges with the egg and cream mixture. Bake for about 15 minutes. The mixture will seem runny to the eye and touch but it will firm up once it cools. Cover and chill. Decorate with petals. Serve slightly cold. For
candied rose petals: To
make candied flowers, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a
bowl, beat the egg white until it is covered with a light foam. Using a
clean, small paintbrush, lightly and evenly coat the flowers with egg
white and sprinkle with sugar. If the sugar is absorbed after a few
minutes, sprinkle again. Put the flowers on the prepared baking sheet
and let dry at room temperature for 24 hours. Use your fingers to
transfer them carefully to a cake. The candied flowers can be stored
between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container at room
temperature for up to 3 days.
Tarts: Sweet and Savory by Maxine Clark |
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Copyright 2005 La Vie en Rose |
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