I mention it again because it is one of those wonderful things I never get enough of. Especially in England. Especially in the north of England, where the closest to fresh viennoiseries are the slightly stale industrial croissants in the Tesco Express bakery section. Luckily however, there has been the International Market in Sheffield for the past couple of days, and I found myself drawn to the French stall in particular, where I indulged in half a loaf of brioche, some palmiers and some madeleine fingers, as well as some pear and ginger jam from another stall, and some Italian/Sicilian pastry treats which I'll talk about in another post. This Sunday I decided I was in the mood for a continental breakfast, so as well as the usual bowl of cereal, I fed myself with a cup of Lady Grey tea, and a small selection of my market goodies.
In the top picture above we have what's left of a loaf of sweet, slightly chewy brioche. Below that we have 2 slices of brioche with a tart and strongly scented raspberry & lavender jam my flatmate bought in Scotland, and the mild but punchy pear & ginger jam I bought at the market. Pear jam is one of those little things I first encountered as a little girl, during my travels in Europe, which I haven't been able to find in English supermarkets. At the top of the plate is a palmier, delightfully sweet puff pastry layered with butter and sugar and rolled together. To the right of the plate are two madeleine batons, one of which is marbled, both of which I love to soak in my tea.
This plate sums up what I love about la viennoiserie even if I don't think madeleines technically fall into that bracket. Buttery, light, crispy, fluffy, moist, delicious. All it needed was a croissant, a danish pastry and really thick, European grade chocolat. I remember being in Barcelona with my mum once, and she'd gone out for an early morning breakfast run, bringing back what she thought was to be bog-standard hot chocolate. What she actually brought back was heaven. Thick and creamy, I could only drink so much before it all became too much, and I switched to using it as a dip for my croissants.
The International Market brought up so many wonderful feelings that it's a shame that it only lasts a few days. I've often longed to have a boulangerie right on my doorstep, so I could buy my daily baguette fresh, and get my morning croissant before I go to school. Get that tarte aux pommes my flatmates wanted for dessert on the way back from work, &c. This is the lifestyle that makes me want to move to Europe once I've graduated from University. 'Cause right now, Tesco Express just isn't cutting it.
Here's to the European Dream.
This plate sums up what I love about la viennoiserie even if I don't think madeleines technically fall into that bracket. Buttery, light, crispy, fluffy, moist, delicious. All it needed was a croissant, a danish pastry and really thick, European grade chocolat. I remember being in Barcelona with my mum once, and she'd gone out for an early morning breakfast run, bringing back what she thought was to be bog-standard hot chocolate. What she actually brought back was heaven. Thick and creamy, I could only drink so much before it all became too much, and I switched to using it as a dip for my croissants.
The International Market brought up so many wonderful feelings that it's a shame that it only lasts a few days. I've often longed to have a boulangerie right on my doorstep, so I could buy my daily baguette fresh, and get my morning croissant before I go to school. Get that tarte aux pommes my flatmates wanted for dessert on the way back from work, &c. This is the lifestyle that makes me want to move to Europe once I've graduated from University. 'Cause right now, Tesco Express just isn't cutting it.
Here's to the European Dream.
student_gourmand
