A Sweet Taste of Paris

My family and I recently had the pleasure to visit Paris.

I could not travel to the city of lights, aka, the city of magical-sugary-concoctions, without a trip to Angelina’s. I’ve been daydreaming about their infamous rich, thick hot chocolate and decadent sweet pastries forever.

We arrived at Angelina’s late in the afternoon. It would have been my first stop, but the others had some other petty things to complete first. (Something about the Eiffel Tower and Louve😉).

To our dismay, the cafe was quite busy and the pastry case almost empty.

Life lesson: Always visit bakeries first thing in the morning for the most variety.

(Priorities, right?)

Thankfully, there were still a few things left for us to sample.

The hot chocolate, l’Africain, was served in its own cute little ceramic pitcher…but, was missing the notorious side of whipped cream.☹️The flavor was sweet, rich, and slightly more bitter than an American hot chocolate, (which probably would have benefited from a hefty dollop of whipped cream. Not that I’m bitter). But still, good stuff.

Next up were the pastries.

Although it wasn’t chocolate, I had to sample their house speciality, The Mont–Blanc. Filled with a pleasant chestnut cream, and a meringue crust, it was like nothing I’d ever had before.

But of course, I’m partial to chocolate. So, the next confection was even more appreciated.

The Choc Africain cake was layered with brownie, chocolate mousse, and bitter dark chocolate cream. Although I enjoyed the richness, the chocolate flavor was so intense, I had no problem sharing.

My favorite of the day? This little beauty…

The Trocadéro. This pastry was on the seasonal dessert menu. But, I could eat it all year long-each and every day. The Trocadéro is a hazelnut biscuit topped with layers of chocolate and hazelnut cream, and finished off with a coating of milk chocolate and crushed almonds. The flavors, plus the textures, created chocolate perfection.

Been to Paris? What’s the best thing that you ate?