bliss by cupcakes

reminder to stop, smile, and enjoy all the sweet things in life

[blissbycupcakes]

discovered these well-known little german cookies called zimtsterne (a.k.a. cinnamon stars or étoiles à la cannelle) at the famous Christmas markets in Colmar, France (near the German border) this past weekend and absolutely fell in love! my tastebuds were in absolute delight after the first bite as I had no idea it would be so deliciously chewy with just the perfect hint of cinnamon. cannot believe I was in the dark about these for so long as now I feel like Christmas baking will never be the same.

watch out everyone, new goal is to perfect these for next year and give them to all of those I love!

bliss scale: 5/5 (after my free sample I absolutely had to splurge on buying just a few more! and now that I've found them in Lyon these will have to be one of my go-to Christmas treats)

[blissbycupcakes]

Angelina's mont blanc history: "this absolute must cake is a wonder combining meringue, light whipped cream and chestnut cream vermicelli for the delight of your taste buds. Up to 600 are sold every day in the historical tearoom at rue de Rivoli!"

if you have yet to hear about Angelina Paris, then do yourself a favour and add trying their famous hot chocolate l'africain to your bucket list. while they are known for their ridiculously decadent hot chocolate, this time I was eager to try their specialty pastry the "mont blanc". although at first glance I must admit I thought it looked quite like chocolate spaghetti, the vermicelli is actually chestnut flavour (something quite popular in France). hidden under it all is the richest whipped cream I've ever tasted, and beneath that a thin layer of sweet meringue. while quite pricy (8 Euros) and certainly packed with hundreds of calories, the unique taste experience was well worth it. 

bliss scale: 3/5 (delicious, but perhaps a little too rich to eat all by yourself)

[blissbycupcakes]

while I am sure many of you are familiar with the traditional french "croque-monsieur" cheese and ham sandwich, I bet you haven't seen it done like this before. Voila, a croque sucré complete with nutella, pear, whipped cream and grilled to perfection for some warm, gooey goodness. 

after a big croque-monsieur (vegetarian style with feta, avocados, and tomato) for dinner I wasn't sure I'd be able to tackle another one for dessert. but boy was I ready to make room after seeing this! not only was the nutella+pear combo to die for but I loved how the whipped cream started to melt and drizzle down the sides for a trifecta of tastes. 

bliss scale: 4/5 

my reco: Crock'n'Roll cafe in Lyon for many more amazing croque creations

[blissbycupcakes]

canelé de bordeaux (a.k.a. cannelé bordelais): a small cake with a rich custardy interior enclosed by a thin caramelized shell.

while taking a stroll through the outdoor market along the Garonne river in Bordeaux, my sweet cravings led me to the famous canelle pastries. what I didn't know then was that they are actually the official cake of the city, and for a good reason. although not what I initially expected, the first bite revealed a deliciously gooey, sweet custard filling with hints of vanilla and rum. the more texturized sugar canelé-shell made for the perfect complement to the point where I think I could've eaten the whole bag!

bliss scale: 4/5

[blissbycupcakes]

perhaps a little unappealing at first glance, the famous Portuguese pastel de nata is hands down the best tart I have ever had. 

but what is it exactly? a pastel de nata is a Portuguese egg tart pastry. small in size, but loaded with history. it is believed that pastéis de nata were created at the beginning of the 19th century by catholic monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém (just outside of Lisbon) as a means of survival during the liberal revolution.

lucky for me I got to take my first bite at the original Pastéis de Belém bakery, which still to this day uses the same secret recipe.

bliss scale: 5/5 (yup it's true they're just that good)

my reco: make sure it's warm and sprinkle cinnamon and icing sugar on top!

[blissbycupcakes]

the story of the Ladurée macaron starts in the middle of the 20th century with Pierre Desfontaines, who first thought of taking two macaron shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling...since this time, the recipe has not changed.

it is this famous recipe that put the Ladurée macarons at the top of my list of things to try in Paris. 

my choice: The Incroyable Strawberry Candy macaron (pink strawberry macaron shells sprinkled with crystal sugar and filled with smooth strawberry marshmallow)

bliss scale: 4.5/5 (literally melt in your mouth!)

[blissbycupcakes]

praline: a candy made of nuts and boiled sugar.

In Lyon you will find praline candies everywhere. No surprise that their praline brioches are absolutely to die for. Perfect mix of rich pastry and crunchy candy. Next on my french food bucket list is to buy the big cake! Can't promise I will share it...

bliss scale: 3.5-4/5 (depending on the quality of the brioche and amount of praline)

my reco: Praline & Chocolate in the Croix-Rousse district of Lyon