Profiterole Chérie and the Very Cream-Filled Day
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| Caramel. Cream. That's all you need to know. |
Macarons, éclairs, cream puffs, madeleines – there’s no shortage of shops dishing out one product, and doing it well. I love an éclair from Eclair de Génie or a cream puff from Popelini, but when I stumbled upon Profiterole Chérie, I was intrigued.
The last time, and maybe first time, I had a profiterole in France was at the iconic Chez Georges restaurant, where Julia Child used to dine. Choux pastry filled with ice cream and covered in chocolate – how can you go wrong?
President of the MOF distinction for pastry, Philippe Urraca, decided to take profiteroles to the next level. With ten varieties including those filled with ice cream, pastry cream, lemon curd, and one rifting off the Paris-Brest, he has reinvented the profiterole. Having chosen the pastry based on his belief that it was “neglected” in France, he literally wrote the book about them before opening his shop in Paris this year.
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| Made to order and super fresh. |
Surrounded by soft pink décor, his four smiling pastry chefs whip up your pastry as you order it, with fresh choux pastry coming out of the oven about every 45 minutes. Urraca, from the southwest of France (he’s got the accent!) said that he wants to reassure his customers by making the profiteroles in the open-air kitchen. He was inspired by Joel Robuchon’s restaurants that do much the same with their dishes.
At 6 euros a piece, they aren’t a steal, but they are a worthwhile experience. Be sure to ask about the variety of the moment, or else go for a Chérie-Vanille or Paris-Brest, two of the best-sellers.
Take them away in boxes outfitted with dry ice to keep them chilled, or enjoy them in his cozy shop with a coffee or tea. They look gorgeous, until you pour the sauce on top of them and start digging in, at which point it’s all about the flavors and creamy decadence anyway. Bon appétit!