Bûches de Noël 2017: Top Paris Pastry Chefs Interpret the Traditional Yule Log

Foucade

Marjorie Foucade created her jewel box boutique, in the quartier Madeleine, in her image. Swing by to taste and order gluten- and lactose-free goodies. La Bûche Mandarine and Pistachio (from 27€). Raw cacao and smoked hazelnut chocolate bûche (from €42) as well as galettes, tarts, savories, granola and teas. Order from 1st December. “Eat healthy and meditate for 10 minutes daily,” is Marjorie’s mission statement.   

17 rue Duphot, 75001. Tel: 01 42 36 11 81. Website: www.foucadeparis.com

The Ritz Paris. Photo: Laurent Fau

François Perret at The Ritz

“I’m playing hide and seek with Father Christmas,” muses François Perret, chef pâtissier at The Ritz, Paris. The young talent, who does believe in Santa, has created a red and white stocking hat topped with a fluffy pompon, a white beard– it’s full of humor and good cheer. To make his hand carved log, special moulds were made by the teams of Ritz Paris. Under the bonnet and beard, there’s delicious marble cake, vanilla mousse and – in the middle – caramel with chocolate chips. “I wanted flavors that blend, but also to reflect the magical Christmas of my childhood”, smiles Perret.

For 5 people €110. limited edition. Order at the Ritz Concept Store. 15 Place Vendôme, 75001. Tel: +33 (0)1 43 16 32 74. Website: www.ritzparis.com

Fouquet’s

Pierre Gagnaire – Fouquet’s (opened 1899)

“This is my first bûche for Fouquet’s, with whom I’m delighted to say I’ve been working since 2015, and a limited edition of 500 will be available in Paris, Cannes, Deauville, Toulouse, Marrakech, La Baule, Courchevel and Enghien-les-Bains.” Eat in or take-away. Price is 65€. Order from 1st December – collect from 15th December until the beginning of January.

99 avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008. Metro: George V. Tel: +33 (0)1 40 69 60 50. Website: https://www.hotelsbarriere.com/fr/paris/le-fouquets/restaurants-et-bars/fouquets.html

Maison Lenôtre

Maison Lenôtre – Enchanted Forest Bûche

It’s a white Christmas for Guy Krenzer and his team who have baked a fairy Christmas log taking desert aficionados on a romantic journey to the heart of an enchanted forest. Available to order from 9-24th December in most Lenôtre boutiques.

Website: www.lenotre.com

Caviar de macaron pour Pierre Hermé et Armen Petrossian

Pierre Hermé 

The great chef reflects, “Macarons only weigh a few grams, enough to leave your senses quivering with pleasure”. From €15… Don’t miss the result of a chic macaron rendezvous between PH and Arman Petrossian of Maison Petrossian: beads of caviar, aromas of dried fruit, highlighted by fresh walnut eau de vie. 3,50 euros per piece

Find the entire Signature + Christmas collection at the new Champs Elysées Concept Store, Le Drugstore and at www.pierreherme.com

Angelina’s “Bûche-Boule de Noël”

Angelina (founded 1903)

Christophe Appert, the iconic house’s pastry chef, worked on a belle ball-shaped bûche covered with snowy white Italian meringue decorated with gold leaf. This very original log is flavored with clementine in two forms: tangy and creamy sweet textures blend with a lemon biscuit with a crisp flower of salt and macadamia nuts caramelized with a maple syrup mousse. Order from the boutique.

226 rue de Rivoli, 75001. Tel: 01 42 60 82 00. Website: www.angelina-paris.fr/en/

The Bûche by Maxime Frédéric. Photo: Linda Lam

Four Seasons George V

Executive Pastry chef Maxime Frédéric tapped into happy family memories for his first Christmas log in the kitchens of the George V. “A reminder of the wonderful times when I helped my grandmother in her kitchen,” he explains. Maxime, with input from George V’s super chefs Christian Lesquer, David Bizet and Simone Zanoni, decided to move from the traditional horizontal log with an edible chocolate tree on a pine cone base, topped with a golden star, on the white chocolate branches delicious offerings, “to nibble.” The 75% Peruvian black chocolate structure is sprayed with white chocolate and silver powder giving a seasonal snowy texture. Head sommelier Eric Beaumard, Director of the restaurant Le Cinq *** advises: “With the 75% chocolate and touches of hazelnut, I see a Porto Colheita 1997 by Dirk Niepoort. And for tea time, Christmas blend with cinnamon and orange peel.”

Four Seasons Hotel George V’s log to enjoy in the three restaurants Le Cinq *** Le George * and Orangerie *. Price is €160 for 4 to 6 portions and €180 for 6 to 8 portions.

31 avenue George V, 75008. Tel: +33 (0)1 49 52 70 00. Website: www.fourseasons.com

Café de la Paix

Café de la Paix Provençal Christmas

“I love Provence and have always been fascinated by their tradition of treize desserts (13 desserts),” says Executive Chef Laurent André. “Christmas dinner in Provence always ends this way although the desserts vary, it’s an homage to Jesus and the 12 apostles,” he explains. André’s delicious creations take the form of Christmas wreaths – a savory bûche combines foie gras, apricots and confit of figs (€85 for 6) and La Bûche Sucrée is a divine calisson almond mousse combining soft cookies, dried fruits, mandarins confite, pistachio with hints of acidity to revive the palate (60€ for 6 people).

Decorating the Christmas trees with the colors of Provence – limited edition baubles – as well as the Edition 2017 of Fragonard’s fragrant candle lending an olfactive experience to the hotel.  Available from 11 December-1st January.

5, place de l’Opera, 75009. Website: www.cafedelapaix.fr/en/

Café de la Paix

Grand Véfour

Art aficionado superchef Guy Martin’s log is inspired by the iconic Buren columns adjacent to the restaurant, which he admires daily. The litchi mousse is enhanced with Timut pepper and a fine pink grapefruit jelly on a grapefruit zest biscuit. Ganache tubes of white chocolate with grapefruit stand out, with an insert of lychee and grapefruit. The log is decorated with sponge biscuits, grapefruit jelly cubes, litchi and fresh grapefruit quarters. A triumph! The log’s price is 90 €.

17, Rue du Beaujolais, 75001. Tel: +33 (0)1 40 69 60 50. Order on the website: www.grand-vefour.com

Grand Véfour

Adrien Bozzolo, Camélia – Mandarin Oriental, Paris

A fairytale sugar free Hansel and Gretel style house is the talented Bozzolo’s bûche interpretation. “I used the natural sugars from my ingredients, apple, ginger, creamy yuzu, diced granny Smith apples, enveloped in a mousse of white chocolate and vanilla. Match with Louis Roederer rosé champagne or Japanese Sencha Tea,” he suggests. Taste it (€15 per portion or €8 to take home) at La Camélia restaurant, Mandarin Oriental (tea-time daily €48) or order (from 11th-25th December) 48 hours ahead – €78 for 8 people.

251, rue Saint Honoré, 75008. Tel: +33 (0)1 70 98 74 00. Website: www.mandarinoriental.com/paris 

Mandarin Oriental Paris. Photo: Mathilde de l’Ecotais

Anne-Sophie Pic 

The multi Michelin star chef gambles on a dessert inspired by a deck of cards, decorated with diamond, clubs, heart and spades logos. The fragrant cake is made with perfumed notes of citrus, jasmine and fresh pine sap, in perfect harmony with the Itakuja chocolate and Ethiopian coffee – available in limited edition – to order (from 1st -15th December) at the Paris restaurant. €54 euros for 6 to 8 people.

La Dame de Pic, 20 rue du Louvre, 75001. Tel: +33 (0)1 42 60 40 40. Website: https://www.anne-sophie-pic.com/en/content/la-dame-de-pic-paris 

Anne-Sophie Pic

Hotel Plaza Athénée

Pastry chefs Angelo Musa and Alexandre Dufeu are inspired by the forest of Fontainebleau with their rustic chic six section bundle of chocolate firewood made with cocoa biscuit, almond and hazelnut crisp, chocolate and cocoa mousse with notes of banana and ginger jelly. Serves six: available on order from December 1st. The price is €110

25 Avenue Montaigne, 75008. Tel: +33 (0)1 53 67 66 65/ Website: www.dorchestercollection.com/en/paris/hotel-plaza-athenee/ 

Hotel Plaza Athénée. Photo: Studio des Fleurs

Lead photo credit : Foucade. Photo: Géraldine Martens