by Noelle Love
“Well in that case,” he began, “she would be in her store late one night. She would think she was alone but really a prince had snuck in, desperately hoping to sweep her off her feet. They would get into an interesting conversation, filled with sexual innuendos and lots of pastry. The prince would be so charming that the woman would instantly fall in love.”
“Oh really?” said Margot raising her eyebrow. “And then what would happen? A horse-drawn carriage would pull up in the snow out front, ready to carry me away from all of this and back to your castle in the hills?”
“You tell me,” Jules said, gesturing out the window to the horse-drawn sleigh that had just pulled up out front. Margot froze, unable to believe her eyes. Was this really happening? She pinched her leg under the table just to be sure.
“So, does she choose the fairy tale?” Jules asked standing up and offering her his hand. Margot slowly got up from the table and put her hand in his. How could she not?
Cream Puffs
Serves 16
Ingredients
½ cup whole milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into tablespoon-size pieces
1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 large brown eggs
2 ¼ cups heavy cream
Powdered sugar, for topping
Directions
Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper and a large pastry bag with a regular ½” fitted tip. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
In a medium size saucepan combine the milk, butter, a teaspoon of sugar, salt, and water. Bring everything to a boil over medium-heat, stirring occasionally. Add the flour and lower the heat to medium-low. Continue stirring until the mixture forms a dough that pulls away from the sides. This should take a couple of minutes. Stir for another minute until a thin film is created on the bottom of the pan. Then transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Place 1 egg in the bowl with the dough mixture and stir until the egg is completely mixed in, which should take about 2 minutes. Continue the same process with 4 more eggs, working 1 egg at a time. Once the 5 eggs are added, the dough should look smooth and thick.
Transfer the dough into the prepared pastry bag and pipe onto the prepared baking sheets in 2 ½” circles. Leave about 2” between each circle.
In a small bowl combine the remaining egg with a couple teaspoons of water, whisking until smooth. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the dough rounds and then place in the preheated oven. As soon as the sheets go in, turn OFF the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the oven back ON at 350 degrees F. When finished baking, the puffs should be deep golden in color. Place the baked puffs on a cooling rack and cool completely.
Once cool, use a sharp knife to slice off the top quarter of each puff. Place the removed tops on a plate and use your finger to press down the center of each puff, which should still be a bit doughy.
Place a ½” fancy tip on a clean pastry bag. In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Beat the mixture until it holds soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream into the prepared pastry bag and fill the bottom portion of each puff with a generous amount. Sprinkle the tops of the puffs with granulated sugar and place on top of the cream-filled halves.
21
December 24th – It’s amazing how so much change can happen in one day. Love can be ignited, life can be created, death can come knocking, and hope can be restored. Another day had arrived at The Two Macarons, but Margot was nowhere to be found. Tali had opened the store that morning and ten minutes later Zenna arrived with Coty, who got to work writing a letter to Pere Noel telling him all about what he was up to today, how school was going, what the weather was like, and adding at the end, of course, what he would hope to receive tomorrow morning. Both women were having a great day, momentarily forgetting the looming possibility of the bakery closing. Love, they discovered, was more powerful than any other emotion, giving all who accept it the power of invincibility – nothing, they thought, could ruin their day.
At 9:26 in the morning a man in a suit walked into the bakery. “I represent Mr. Delroy Tasse and his new business partner, Aubin Guillory. They have just signed the papers to buy this building. Considering that the owner of…” he glanced down at the papers in his hand. “The owner of The Two Macarons is behind on her rent, I have been ordered to evict unless the rent for this month and all previous missed months is paid by Monday, December 26th.”
The man looked at Tali and Zenna to make sure they understood the significance of what he had just said and, based on their angry expressions, they had.
“You know, Mr. Tasse is considerate. I said the payment should be due tomorrow, but he said to give an extra day in light of the Christmas holiday.”
He set his stack of legal papers on the table for the girls to look over. “I’ll be back Monday,” he said as he walked out the door. “If you don’t have the money, Mr. Tasse and Mr. Guillory have ordered that this little bakery closes immediately.”
“Delroy and Aubin are buying the building?” said Zenna flustered. “Those fucking bastards.” Tali, who just realized that this could also impact the art gallery that she worked in as well as her little home above it, was speechless. What would she do? If the bakery closed she wouldn’t have a paycheck. If the art gallery closed she couldn’t get another paycheck. The chances of another gallery in town agreeing to sell her work were slim. No paycheck meant no place to live. Tali would have to move back with her aunt in Swansea and leave her City of Lights, her memories of her parents, her dream of becoming an artist all behind.
“We need Margot,” Tali said desperately, hoping that she would know what to do in light of the breaking news.
“She’s not answering her phone,” said Zenna setting her cell phone on the counter.
She was worried too. This was the most stable her life had ever been. She was doing what she loved and her son was thriving, no longer having to spend his afternoons performing on the streets or begging for food. But her parents were only helping her and Coty now because she had this job at the bakery. They said they were proud of her, but, they reminded her one evening over a glass of wine, would fight for custody of Coty if she lost her respectable job. The bakery closing could mean that she wouldn’t get to raise her son, to wake up with him in the morning and listen to him tell her about his dreams over waffles, to kiss him goodnight and fall asleep holding his hand on the floor next to him. If the bakery closed, her life would be over.
“Is everything okay mommy?” asked Coty, looking up from his crayon-written letter and noticing his mom’s worried face. “Yes,” she said, lying. “Everything is just fine.” Coty smiled at his mom and got back to work.
“Tali,” Zenna said quietly. “I don’t know what we can do, but I know that if I don’t bake something right now I’m going to fucking lose my mind.” Tali saw the tears forming in the corners of her friend’s eyes. She realized that the bakery closing would affect everyone in the room, everyone she had come to love. “Okay,” she said, trying to be upbeat. “Let’s bake.”
The two girls headed to the back, taking out the ingredients for a simple Gateau Basque. In moments like this, where everything suddenly seemed like it could come crashing down without notice, it was important to bake something simple. On Christmas Eve, no other bakery in Paris would be spending their time baking something so plain, so unusual, but the simplicity of this filled cake, one that Zenna learned to make from her grandmother that grew up in Southern France, began to calm the girls, allowing them to believe that maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay. Christmas miracles can happen, right?
Gateau Basque
Serves 8
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablesp
oons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup jam (cherry, raspberry, strawberry, etc.)
For the glaze
1 egg
¼ cup water
Directions
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl; whisk to combine.
In a larger mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed or until smooth. Add the egg and continue beating for another 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Adjust your mixer’s speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients, working in small batches, until a sticky dough forms.
Cover your work surface with wax paper and transfer half of the dough onto it. Place another piece of wax paper on top of the dough and use a rolling pin to flatten until it is 8” in diameter. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Set your 2 dough rounds on a baking sheet (still on the wax paper) and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or up to 2 days).
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8” round cake pan by greasing. Remove the wax paper from the chilled dough. Place one layer in the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing down and up the edges if necessary. Spoon the jam on top and spread into an even layer, leaving a small border of dough. Splash the exposed dough of the bottom layer with water and then place the top layer of the cake on top. Use your finger to press the edges together to seal the jam in.
Combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and whisk. Use a pastry brush to coat the top of the cake with the glaze. Create a pattern in the top of the cake using the tines of the fork; a simple crosshatch design is traditional.
Set the cake in the preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top becomes golden brown. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Then take a blunt knife and run it around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate and then invert again onto the cooling rack so that it can cool right side up. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before slicing and enjoying.
22
Minutes before the clock in the front of The Two Macarons struck noon, Margot and Jules walked in through the front door, bundled up, arms linked. Jules didn’t look like the typical guy Margot had taken a liking to in the past few weeks, which relieved, and confused, Tali and Zenna. Jules kissed Margot on the lips and left, but took advantage of the large front window, taking one last look at the beautiful woman he spent last night with, unable to believe his good fortune.
“Who was that?” asked Zenna, hoping Margot would spill all of the beans, not leaving out one juicy detail.
“That,” Margot answered, “is what is going to help us save this bakery.”
“Did you hear we’re going to be evicted by Delroy Tasse and Aubin?” said Tali, hoping that Margot was already aware of the latest threat to her business.
“No,” she said, pausing to register what she just heard, “but it doesn’t matter. We are going to destroy Delroy Doux tonight and tomorrow, when all of Paris is left without a place to go for their Christmas desserts, our bakery will be filled.”
Zenna and Tali’s hearts sank. The plan sounded too good to be true and very much lacking in necessary details. How were they going to make all the money they needed for rent, almost 3,200 Euros, in one day? But at least, Zenna thought, they were going to try.
“So how are we going to take out Delroy Doux?” they asked.
“We’re going to Crème Brulee it,” Margot replied with a smile, apparently not hearing how ridiculous her idea sounded.
“No really, what’s the plan?” said Zenna, who was a little frustrated that Margot was making light of the seriousness of the situation. Maybe Margot didn’t really want to save the bakery, she thought. Margot knew a lot of people in Paris, many in the elite class, who would gladly get her a job. Plus, she could nab a guy with money in a second and be taken care of for the rest of her life. The fact that Margot didn’t need the bakery like she did scared the shit out of Zenna, who decided that she might need to take things into her own hands.
“I’m serious,” said Margot, explaining that her plan wouldn’t hurt anyone but would attract spectators, which meant lots of people in the area. When Delroy Doux would have to close to fix the damage done by the caramelized sugar coating, people would be forced to get their Christmas morning pastries at the next closest bakery, The Two Macarons.
“All we need is a ton of sugar, a giant torch, some way to reach the top of the building and we’re set!” said Margot enthusiastically.
The chime on the door announced the presence of an incredibly handsome man, dressed in a bow tie and oversized black glasses. “Who. Is. That?” whispered Margot to Zenna, both enjoying the eye candy.
“Parc!” exclaimed Tali, surprised to see him. “What are you doing here?”
Zenna and Margot exchanged glances – that is who Tali had been talking about. They didn’t realize that their quiet friend had such good taste in men.
“My boss has me working overtime with a couple of other associates at the firm today,” said Parc, glad to be in the presence of Tali again. “I needed a break so I offered to pick us up something to snack on from my favorite bakery in France,” he added with a smile. Tali’s glow returned to her face, happily boxing up several of her colorful macarons.
“Is that all you need today?” she asked Parc. Parc, who was tempted to offer Tali some sort of cheesy pick-up line (“No actually, I need you”) refrained and said, “Yeah I guess that’s it for me.”
Margot, who was anxious to talk with the attractive Parc, approached him as he was turning away from the counter. “Hey, do you know anywhere that we can get a giant torch? We need it today.” Parc tilted his head, amused with the strange question. Then he realized, yes, he actually did know exactly where to get it.
“When do you need it by?” he asked.
“Tonight would be perfect. Meet us here?”
Parc nodded - thrilled that he had a reason to see Tali twice in one day.
“Are we really going to try to do this?” asked Zenna after Parc left. “We’re not going to try, we’re doing it,” Margot smiled. “Tali, can you find your recipe for crème brulee? We’re going to need a huge batch.”
As Tali and Margot got to work on the custard mixture for their evil plot, Zenna picked up her phone and called Jacques. She relayed the idea for Margot’s ridiculous plan to her new boyfriend who laughed hysterically on the other end. “So, you need my help?” Jacques asked, knowing all to well that he was the best when it came to ridiculous. “I think we can make something work,” he said, agreeing to meet Zenna and her friends at the bakery later that evening.
Zenna looked at Coty, who was drinking a cup of cocoa and watching a movie on her computer. She had never loved anything more in her whole life and she would do whatever it took to make sure she could keep him.
Crème Brulee
Serves 4
*You will need to multiply the amounts by 150 to cover a large building
Ingredients
1 ¾ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks, cold
¼ cup + 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Special tools
Mini blowtorch
Directions
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Place 4 six-ounce ramekins in a deep baking dish (one that is as deep or deeper than the ramekins themselves). Boil water in a teakettle.
In a small saucepan over medium heat bring the cream to a simmer. Take the pan off the heat, cover, and allow the cream to sit for 12 minutes.
While the cream cools, combine the egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar, and the salt; whisk to combine.
Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature of the cream. It need
s to be below 165 degrees F before continuing. Once the cream is at the right temperature, whisk ½ cup into the egg yolk mixture. Then add the remaining cream and whisk again for 15 seconds. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture through a sieve into a large heatproof measuring cup to get rid of any solid bits. Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 ramekins set in the baking pan. The mixture should not come all the way to the top of the ramekins. Carefully pour the hot water from the teakettle into the baking pan, making sure no water gets into the ramekins. The water should come up about 2/3 of the height of the ramekins.
Place the baking pan with ramekins in your preheated oven and cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Bake the custard for about 45 minutes or until the edges have set and the center is still a bit jiggly, but not liquidy. The custards should not brown in the oven.
Take the baking pan out of the oven and remove the ramekins from the hot water carefully. Set the ramekins on a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes. Leave uncovered and place in the refrigerator so that they can cool completely. Then cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or up to 2 days).
Before serving, uncover the ramekins and set on a workspace. Work with one ramekin at a time. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar on top of the custard, tapping the sides to even the layer. Turn on the mini torch and hold about 3 inches away from the top of the custard. Moving slowly, move the torch back and forth across the top of the custard. The sugar will melt and turn a deep brown color. The sugar should cool and harden for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
23
At ten minutes past five the gang reconvened at The Two Macarons. The girls had stayed at the bakery all afternoon preparing exorbitant amounts of custard to paint the walls of the enormous Delroy Doux. Jules was the first of the men to arrive at the bakery, dressed in a black turtleneck and slacks. He had spent his afternoon writing anonymous letters to the press alerting them to a “grand surprise” that was to take place Christmas morning outside the Double D bakery.