So, first things first, I'm sorry for my neglectful ways! I swear there is a good reason. The past few weeks have been a crazy jumble of last minute school projects, presentations and finals - and then, just when I thought I was done, BAM, I ended up going on the trip of a lifetime. Eight amazing (and totally unplanned) days in Paris, with four exceptional friends.
Not Paris, Texas. Not Paris, Maine. Not Paris, Illinois or Kentucky, or Tennessee.
Paris, France.
Guys, I had a pain au chocolat at least once a day. I ate cheese. I drank wine. I smothered things with so much butter and devoured countless chocolates. It was wondrous.
This trip was so last minute, I barely had time to throw things haphazardly into a bag before I was sitting next to Tom on the plane, beyond excited and in utter disbelief. After a 7 hour flight (and 32 hours without sleep), roaming the streets of Paris felt like a dream. Definitely, without a single doubt, my greatest and most spontaneous adventure to date.
Speaking of adventures ... one of the places I was most excited to visit, aside from all the places you would expect (Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, Tuilleries ... all the stunning and magical tourist spots), was a 250 year old confectionery shop, À la Mère de Famille. Well, let me tell you - this pilgrimage led us through a rather shady part of town. Hand in hand, Tom and I walked along the overcrowded sidewalk, passing the questionable tattoo parlours and sketchy looking bars, armed only with our very limited French, and an umbrella. Well, we were determined to get to this place, so we marched on, keeping quiet so we wouldn't draw any more attention to our naive and touristy, English-speaking selves. Having survived this somewhat harrowing trek, we were rewarded with an unimaginable assortment of candy, chocolate, cookies, wines, cakes, and truffles. À la Mère de Famille is a magical place. Imagine Candyland, Paris-style. Antique furniture and crooked mosaic floors creaking under the weight of PILES of caramels and chocolate bars and lollipops and tuiles and sablés, and cakes and glacéed fruits...
And since I was lucky enough to have this experience, I thought I would try and share some of the magic with you guys in the form of these tender, nutty and buttery Hazelnut Financiers from the À la Mère de Famille book, which I am currently obsessed with. Financiers are little brown butter cakelets, named because their traditional shape is like a gold bar. They're similar to a moist sponge cake, and most recipes include almond flour or other ground nuts and lots of egg whites. This hazelnut version is a little different from the classic recipe, but it is deee-licious. Crisp on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, perfect with a cup of coffee, or if you're feeling extravagant, a café crème.
And since I was lucky enough to have this experience, I thought I would try and share some of the magic with you guys in the form of these tender, nutty and buttery Hazelnut Financiers from the À la Mère de Famille book, which I am currently obsessed with. Financiers are little brown butter cakelets, named because their traditional shape is like a gold bar. They're similar to a moist sponge cake, and most recipes include almond flour or other ground nuts and lots of egg whites. This hazelnut version is a little different from the classic recipe, but it is deee-licious. Crisp on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, perfect with a cup of coffee, or if you're feeling extravagant, a café crème.
