#breton-butter-cake

#breton-butter-cake

"We're bringing our childhood memories to the table, and now people are paying attention," said Erick Rocha, pastry chef at Corima in Manhattan and the all-day cafe Vato, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where conchas regularly sell out.

Fashioned after a traditional French gateau Breton, the gateau Basque and even the galette des rois—all cakes made of sweet or quick puff dough doubled up and filled with fruit or cream or nuts—this cake, uniquely Louisianan and lovingly called gateau nana, takes inspiration from each.

To create cinnamon roses, fold the dough in half, cut into strips, twist them together, and roll up like tape. The result is a beautiful floral shape.

When you first walk into the heart of Pont-Aven, you're greeted by a natural soundtrack of the River Aven that runs through the centre, tumbling over large boulders along its way towards the sea. One hour northwest of Vannes, it's a microcosm of so many elements of a Breton town, with its harbour of sailboats, charming huddles of granite dwellings and surrounding woodlands framing the scene.

I love a rich chocolate ganache, which is usually a blend of sugar, heavy cream, dark chocolate, and salt. The ganache in this particular cake slice is ganache cream that layers the cake. I like the richness of the cream and the appearance of the chocolate layer on top. The cream is denser and more flavorful in the Ganache Cream than in the two previous cakes, too.

Suddenly, a strange, loud, rhythmic, prolonged noise, like the dying moan of an organ, then the dying wail of the breeze sighing in the cloisters, struck the indignant ears of the nuns with astonishment. The nuns all turned to stare at Sister Agnès, who in her embarrassment, tripped and let fly a spoonful of her chou pastry dough into a pot of boiling fat, and the doughnut-like pet de nonne, 'nun's fart' was born.

Let's talk about holiday baking that goes beyond cookies! These are the festive winter bakes to try. The list includes an ultra fragrant gingerbread cake, a bright citrus loaf, and the perfect flourless chocolate cake. Few people love baking holiday cookies more than me, but a good amount of my favorite December baking happens outside the cookie platter. Think fragrant spice cakes, all things citrus, buttery, and bright - or deep, melty chocolate on the frostiest nights.

This family favorite is as simple as it's iconic - sponge cake rolled over vanilla ice cream, with a layer of raspberry jam between the two. Think Swiss roll, but from the frozen aisle. The dessert became so popular that more than 25 miles of Arctic Roll were sold per month during the 1980s.

Every year on February 2nd, France celebrates La Chandeleur, also known as Candlemas Day or Crêpe Day. This centuries-old tradition was once linked to candlelight processions and good fortune rituals, but today it is mostly about something far more delicious: making and eating crêpes with family and friends. A famous French custom says that you should flip a crêpe with your right hand while holding a coin in your left-if you succeed, prosperity will come your way in the year ahead.

Irish desserts are, in one word, resourceful. They have to be; in a nation that grappled for centuries with conflict, famine, and outright war, luxurious ingredients were not accessible to most people. Instead, the Irish turned to local ingredients like sea moss, apples, and an impressive array of dairy products to satisfy their cravings for something sweet.