Valentine Cream Tea Deluxe

Welcome, Dear Friends of The Tearoom,
It is so very nice to spend time with you again!! A Most Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

Won't you please have a seat? For a lot of us, it is still cold and for some of us, there's a lot of snow where you are (for others like me, a lot more!!). I have hung tapestries around the room to make it cozier for us!



And to remind us that spring is only around the corner, I have placed a fountain with a profusion of violets growing around it, in the middle of The Tearoom!


Today, we are having a traditional British cream tea (with just a few revisions of my own)!

Of course we start with lovely Devonshire scones,with clotted cream and jam. Traditionally, scones are served with either strawberry (or occasionally, raspberry) jam or lemon curd. But who can say no to a bit of Pierre Hermé's Ispahan Confiture instead, his beautifully passionate red jam made of two layers, rose-scented litchi and raspberry, which you mix upon opening the jar? What a romantic combination and entirely appropriate for our Valentine Tea, don't you think?


And we must not have a Valentine's tea that does not include some sort of macarons! Here are some very interesting ones from a patisserie in Paris called Acide. These are fraise/poivre (strawberry/pepper)! Just imagine that sweet, yet slightly hot flavor! I would definitely try these, should we find ourselves in the 17th Arr. in Paris!

From the House of Ladurée comes a religieuse griotte (sour cherry religieuse).

And you must try the Black Forest Cheesecake from the blog Tastes of Mine!

To pair with all of these beautiful red flavors of raspberry, rose, strawberry and cherry, I thought it best to have a black tea, which should also go well with the pepper in the macaron and the chocolate in the cheesecake, perhaps a Ceylon from Kusmi or an Earl Grey with Blue Flower Petals from Monsieur Hermé. Do you take yours with cream?



To end our lovely party, won't you please have some beautiful chocolates from Rococo Chocolates in London? They must be as yummy as they look. One of these must be the favorite you didn't know you had yet...

...Jasmine tea, Manjari Madagascar, lychee rose and raspberry, Irish coffee, sour cherry with dark chocolate, and Jivara marc de champagne, passionfruit and mango, crushed lemon praline with milk chocolate and these four very special flavors, invented just for this collection:

And, because I can never spoil you enough, I have added Acide in Paris and The Cake Opera of Toronto to the ever-growing list of beautiful sweets and teas to peruse in the "Tea and Sweets" links to the right!

Please keep checking back as I have many new projects coming up including the opening of my new vintage shop just down the rue d'Etsy from The Gossamer Tearoom, called Mirabella Morello and new collections of silk brooches just for spring!!


I wish you all A Most Happy Valentine's Day

For a really beautiful description of a proper cream tea, please read Nigel Slater's excellent description in The Guardian, complete with recipes for scones and plum jam.

Happy Saint Valentine's Day!

Very Dear Blogging Friends,
I would like to wish you a most happy Saint Valentine's Days and invite you to my virtual tea party! Won't you please have a seat? As you can see, The Tearoom is decorated just for the holiday!



Won't you please have a piece of something delicious to celebrate? I have scoured the Houses of Haute Patisserie for lovely things for us for today!

Of course, our very favorites have out-done themselves again! Pierre Hermé has an Ispahan creation for us, in his ever-romantic combination of rose, litchi and raspberry.



Dalloyau has brought us "Petit Chou", which is a large Saint-Honoré decorated with cream Chantilly and raspberries ("petit chou" is a term of endearment in French).



Also, from Dalloyau (for all the chocolate-lovers here with us!), "Mon Macaron d'Amour", a heart-shaped chocolate macaron filled with creme praliné!



And what is waiting for you in the samovar? After all the beautiful teas from everywhere, today I hope you will allow me to serve you my very favorite black tea that I have for everyday, Tazo's Earl Grey.



As for that question I asked you...what person would you bring to this celebration? Of course, my first answer would be the love of my life, My Most Beloved Mr. V! But if you will indulge me, I would also love to invite two ladies that I have always wanted to have tea with! First, I would love to invite Sade. I have been listening to her newest CD "Soldier of Love" non-stop since we received it and would have to say that her music perfectly sums up the mood of the day. My second special guest would be another great lady of British music, Tracey Thorn. For many years, she and her partner Ben Watt created the amazing music of Everything But the Girl. In 2007, she released an amazing solo album "Out of the Woods" and this spring, she will release her next solo album, this time on Ben's label Strange Feeling Records. We cannot wait! Please welcome our two very special guests to the party!

Sade


Tracey Thorn


I wish you a very happy rest of your day. May you be spending it with your very dearest ones.

Valentine hugs to you all,

Betty

Aren’t They Divine?

Dear Friends,
Recently, a new line of pastries was unveiled at The House of Pierre Hermé. He announced a whole range of millefeuilles, based on his fetish flavors. In case you are scurrying to look it up on Epicurious, millefeuille is a dessert made of layers of puff pastry between layers of flavored custard or fruit. The literal meaning of the word “millefeuille” in French means “a thousand leaves”, a reference to the many tiny layers of the pastry.

Puff pastry is one of the more complicated items to make in a patisserie and because it is somewhat tedious and time-consuming to make, very good puff pastry is difficult to find. A dough is made and is rolled out until the layers are nearly paper thin. The surface of the dough is dotted with butter and then another layer is added. This process is repeated several times. Then, the dough is folded over and more butter is dotted where it will be folded. It is chilled for a brief time and then rolled out. Then, more butter is dotted, then there is more folding and rolling out. The chilling, and then folding and rolling out process happens several more times before it is ready. When the puff pastry is cooked, the heat of the oven causes the butter to expand and cook the layers, but also to add air between them in pockets, resulting in the super-thin layers and layers of crunchy dough that make up the delicious puff pastry!

And now, I have made you wait long enough! As usual, I will attempt to translate Monsieur Hermé’s deliciously purple prose!:

Millefeuille Ispahan
(Caramelized puff pastry, rose-flavored mascarpone cream, compote of raspberry and morsels of litchi)

The dream pastry? A Provocation? Fruity notes, rounded by the tart sweetness of the rose, the crispness of pastry and caramel creaminess of the mascarpone cream together for the best of indulgence.


Millefeuille Montebello
(Pistachio puff pastry, pistachio-flavored mascarpone cream with bits of raspberry, compote of strawberry)

Between two layers of delicate puff pastry with caramelized pistachio, the roundness of the mascarpone cream with pistachio bursts with tangy raspberry and strawberry compote. A millefeuille of pure light.


Millefeuille Eden
(Caramelized puff pastry, white peach-flavored mascarpone cream with saffron, compote of white peaches and luscious apricots)

Between two layers of caramelized puff pastry, the combination of peach in agreement with the apricot expresses all its softness, warmth and sensuality in a way that is creamy and tangy with a touch of acidity. The subtle touch of saffron - a valuable Eastern spice - gives an effect which is buttery, sensuous, and adds a surprisingly compatible note. The millefeuille of summer.


Millefeuille Mogodor
(Passionfruit puff pastry, milk chocolate chantilly cream with passionfruit, compote of passionfruit, roasted and caramelized pineapple)

The lightness of the whipped cream. The crispness of the pastry. The tart and fruity notes softened by the sweet roundness of milk chocolate ... An outrageous indulgence.


Millefeuille Carrément Chocolat
(Caramelized puff pastry, mascarpone cream with chcolate, bits of bittersweet fleur de sel chocolate)

The millefeuille plays first on the buttery side, with light, sweet and crunchy puff pastry. Then comes caramelized contrast and powerful mascarpone cream with chocolate chips. The ultimate pleasure for fans of intense bitter chocolate.


2000 Leaves
(Caramelized puff pastry, Piedmont hazelnut praline puff pastry, praline mousse)

The 2000 Leaves plays with harmonious textures. Soft cream with praline mousseline. Crispy puff pastry and caramel praline with thin crepes like broken Breton lace give it its unique flakiness. Sublimely delicious.


Millefeuille Infinite Vanilla
(Caramelized puff pastry, mascarpone cream with vanilla)

Vanilla in its purest form. The contrast of textures. Crispy puff pastry, the creaminess of mascarpone cream. Infinitely delicious. Infinite Vanilla is made from a blend of different varieties of vanilla (Mexico, Tahiti, Madagascar). This “House” vanilla reinstates the ideal taste of vanilla to Pierre Hermé.

Epiphanie

Good Evening, dear friends,

Just one of many reasons that we should chuck it all in and just move to Paris!  As is traditional during the celebration of Epiphany, most patisseries make their version of the Galette de Rois.  Of course, Pierre Hermé is one of the most innovative creators of delectable desserts and his galettes are no exception.  His offerings include not only the traditional one with almond paste, but also two with his fetish flavors:  Satine (passionfruit) and Ispahan (rose, raspberry and litchi), which is pictured above.  For more information on these delicious wonders and all the rest of the wonderful things he makes, please look at his website here.