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Afternoon tea, London, Patisserie, Stores

Pierre Hermé Fetish Infiniment Vanille

March 13, 2015 by cheriecity

Pierre Hermé’s creativity never fails to amaze me, but his innovation goes far beyond presenting unexpected new flavour combinations. Even classic tastes are elevated to divine new levels.

Last week, I visited the gorgeous new Pierre Hermé store on Covent Garden’s Monmouth Street for an exclusive preview of the new Fetish Infiniment Vanille collection.

Vanilla often undeservedly has the reputation for being safe and unadventurous, but Pierre Hermé sees vanilla as a ‘diva’. When done right, vanilla can be indulgent, sensuous and very luxurious. It is the second most expensive spice after saffron, of course.

Fetish Infiniment Vanille celebrates the fragrant spice with an extensive collection of gourmet vanilla treats. The tasting started with examining the appearance, textures and aromas of three different vanilla pods from Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico. Vanilla from these three origins make up Pierre Hermé’s ideal vanilla flavour (his signature ‘house’ fragrance).

The most striking use of this specially composed vanilla is in the macarons. The delicate yet robust flavour is intoxicating and the macaron is punctuated with tiny, crunchy vanilla seeds. This is pure, velvety luxury and I’ve never tasted any vanilla macaron as exquisite as this.

I’m always a fan of Pierre Hermé’s delectable pound cake and the new Cake Infiniment Vanille is very satisfying with subtle flavours of almond and vanilla. I liked the sweet vanilla ganache studded with crunchy pieces of almond and the decorative vanilla pod on the top.

We also tried a rich and mellow Bonbon Chocolat Infiniment Vanille with a velvety vanilla-infused ganache and a buttery little Sablé biscuit left a pleasant sea salt taste in the mouth.

The star of the collection for me is the green tea fragranced with vanilla. I’ve tried black tea with vanilla before, but the green tea had a fresh, clean flavour and worked perfectly with the vanilla.

Also in the Fetish Infiniment Vanille collection is a glazed croissant filled with almond paste, Paris Brest, millefeuille, Rum Baba, tart and choux. Pierre Hermé’s signature vanilla flavour is a sensation that all pastry lovers should try at least once.

The Pierre Hermé Fetish Infiniment Vanille collection is available now in-store and online until 19th April. For more information, visit: www.pierreherme.com

Christmas, Shopping, Stores

Christmas Gift Guide 2014: Foodie

December 6, 2014 by cheriecity

What better time to indulge the foodie in your life than with some tasty treats at Christmas?

Spread the festive cheer with a posh cheese hamper, decadent yule log or a cheeky bottle of Sauternes…

Verden Cheese Hamper, £40, Verden
Pierre Hermé Bûche Infiniment Mandarine, €48, Pierre Hermé
Chateau Haut-Mayne Sauternes 2008, £22.90, Amathus
Choi Time Thousand Year Red Giant Flowering Tea Bulbs, £19.95, Harvey Nichols
Carluccio’s Festa Dei Limoni, £29,95, Carluccio’s
Pistachio Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer, £379, Lakeland

Afternoon tea, London, Stores

Pierre Hermé Fetish Infiniment Chocolat

October 28, 2014 by cheriecity

Pierre Hermé is renowned for his game-changing marriage of flavours, however at the heart of his mastery is pure, unadulterated chocolate.

The new Fetish Infiniment Chocolat limited edition collection is a celebration of exquisite chocolate made with the finest cocoa from far-flung plantations around the world.

I visited the Lowndes Street boutique last week for a special preview tasting and was treated to highlights from the collection with glasses of rosé Champagne.

Our first taste of the collection were Bonbons Chocolat, each with their own distinctive flavours and notes. The stand-out Bonbon Chocolat Ampa is an intense ganache of pure origin Plantation Millot chocolate from Madagascar with a punchy bitterness and exotic notes of passion fruit and caramelised pineapple.

My favourite is the playfully-named Bonbon Chocolat Choc Chocolat (try asking for that over the counter) – a silky ganache studded with nougatine and cocoa nibs.

Other seductive chocolates in the collection are the Brazilian Bonbon Chocolat Paneiras, the crunchy Nougatine Infiniment Chocolat and the slim and elegant Galet Intense.

There are also new chocolate macarons, including the seductive Venezuelan Macaron Infiniment Chocolat Chuao with a hint of blond tobacco and the Macaron Infiniment Chocolat Pérou, which is well-rounded and easy on the palate.

Another highlight is Pierre Hermé’s latest discovery – the intense Macaron Infiniment Chocolat Paineiras using pure origin chocolate with notes of citrus, red berry and spice.

As a lover of cake, I was wowed by the the fabulously rich, moist, vanilla-scented Cake Infiniment Chocolat with pieces of dark chocolate and fleur de sel, enrobed in glossy dark chocolate.

It would make a fabulous addition to a chocolate afternoon tea, alongside the perfectly buttery, indulgent Sablés Infiniment Chocolat and a cup of thick, rich Chocolat Chaud.

The London boutiques offer an edited selection of the range, but if you’re in Paris, be sure to indulge in an exquisite Infiniment Chocolat Saint-Honoré, rum baba, millefeuille, cheesecake, brioche, éclair or ice cream.

As always, Pierre Hermé likes to keep us on our toes and is constantly innovating, so head down to Lowndes Street to pick up some treats from the collection before 8th December.

Also, look out for a brand new Pierre Hermé boutique opening next month in Covent Garden’s stylish Seven Dials neighbourhood.

For more information and to buy online, visit: www.pierreherme.com

Photos by Pierre Hermé Paris

Patisserie, Stores

Pierre Hermé Paris New Easter Collection

April 16, 2014 by cheriecity

Pierre Hermé brings a touch of elegance and fun to Easter with his festive chocolate eggs and adorable chocolate bunnies.

Not only is the Easter collection a feast for the eyes, but in typical Pierre Hermé fashion, the chocolate is out of this world.

I was delighted to attend a special chocolate tasting at the Pierre Hermé store in Belgravia this week to try a selection of dark and milk chocolate from around the world, alongside new macarons flavours.

The Oeuf Galets is the ultimate Easter egg made with Pure Origin Peruvian Dark Chocolate and studded with Pierre Hermé’s signature galets in flavours such as yuzu, raspberry, intense chocolate, vanilla, passion fruit and salted caramel. The delectable chocolate is known for its citrus notes and contains 64% cocoa.

Interestingly, we were told to forget the notion that the percentage of cocoa content reflects the quality of the chocolate, as the flavours and notes can also affect the taste.

The Oeuf Mendient is another grown up Easter egg, made with Grand Cru Caraïbes Dark Chocolate (66% cocoa) or Hermé Milk Chocolate (45% cocoa) and covered with layers of chunky hazelnut, almond, pistachio, candied ginger and orange. The Oeuf Dentelle, made using the same choice of chocolate, is chic and delicate with a pretty lace pattern.

Most charming, of course, are the Lapin de Pâques and the Famille Lapin adorned with orange or yellow ribbons. All of the Easter products come garnished with a selection of delicious mini filled easter eggs in colourful foil wrapping.

We also had the chance to try some of the limited edition Fetish Satine collection. Perfect for spring, Satine combines silky cream cheese with juicy orange and tart passion fruit.

The Macaron Satine consist of a soft mousseline cream and an orange and passion fruit compote packed inside a crisp meringue shell. It brings to mind the zesty, indulgent flavours of a fruit cheesecake and ideal for those who can’t decide between a fruity or creamy macaron filling.

The Fetish Satine collection includes a wide range of products such as the Cake Satine, Saint-Honoré Satine, Baba Satine, Brioche Satine, Confiture Satine, Calisson and Thé Satine.

Another exciting new flavour from Pierre Hermé is the Jardin des Huit Trésors macaron, inspired by Hong Kong’s art of tea. The rich, fragrant macaron is a curious mix of lotus seed, red date, wolfberry, rosebud, dried orange peel, dried longan fruit, chrysantheum, osmanthus.

It’s a complex, intriguing flavour that is sure to delight fans of the experimental Pierre Hermé Les Jardins collection. With the jewel-like colours and exotic notes, it’s definitely one of my favourites.

Fetish Satine is available at Pierre Hermé stores and online until 27th April. The Jardin des Huit Trésors macaron is also available until the end of April.

Afternoon tea, London, Patisserie

Pierre Hermé’s New Les Jardins Macarons

December 23, 2012 by cheriecity

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting the legendary Pierre Hermé, as he visited London to present an exciting preview of his new Les Jardins collection for 2013.

Les Jardins is a collection of 12 limited edition macarons inspired by the sensory delights of a garden – flowers, fruits, spices and herbs. Pierre Hermé also explores fragrances blended by master perfumers and incorporates them in his macarons.

Every month of the year, a new macaron will be unveiled at Pierre Hermé stores and at the end of the year, all of the flavours will be available to purchase individually or in one pretty presentation box.

The macarons were beautifully presented under glass domes in a lush mini garden of roses, freeze-dried moss and twigs. The colourful display looked good enough to eat, however, we were brought our very own plate of 12 macarons and every flavour of the new chocolate collection, Les Galets. Pierre Hermé sat with us to answer questions and chat about the new flavours – I was impressed to see him casually enjoying his own macarons.

Les Jardins 2013 has flavours to suit all tastes – subtly floral, rich and seductive, intensely complex and refreshingly zingy. A good introduction to Pierre Hermé’s creations is the mellow and fragrant Jardin Sucré (February) – Caramel and Rose. Another dreamy macaron is the Jardin Japonais (April) – Morello Cherry, Lemon & Tonka Bean – which captures the taste of an imaginary Sakura blossom fresh from Japan.

Chocolate macarons are made more exciting with the smoky Jardin dans les Nuages (October) – Chocolate and Smoked Salt and the warm, earthy Jardin du Maquis (March) – Chocolate and honey from the Maquis Shrubland Region of Corsica.

As a perfume enthusiast, I was intrigued by the Jardin d’Ambre (May) – Rose & Ambregris, which also happens to be released for my birthday month. Pierre Hermé told me that because ambregris is waxy and inedible, he had to work closely with master perfumer Jean-Michel Duriez to adapt the essence of ambregris for a macaron, and with spectacular results.

I loved the idea of starting the New Year with an explosion of zest and spice in the stunning Jardin Pamplemousse (January) – grapefruit, clove, nutmeg and candied grapefruit.

It’s hard to pick a favourite, which Pierre attested to himself, but the macaron that I enjoyed the most was Jardin Andalou – Mandarin Orange Olive Oil & Red Berries. Paying tribute to the sunkissed climate of southern Spain, Jardin Andalou bursts with luscious fruit and is filled with both smooth cream and a red berry pâte de fruit. Pierre Hermé told me that the olive oil and mandarin are fused together to create a more intense flavour.

The Valentine’s Day flavour is the very special Macaron Yasamine – Jasmine Tea Cream, Mango Compote, Candied Grapefruit. Pierre created this macaron personally for his wife, handbag designer Barbara Rihl, however the macaron was such a favourite that they decided to share it with us. I didn’t manage to try this romantic macaron, however, I like that the flavours are not typically what you might associate with Valentine’s Day – Pierre Hermé continues to surprise us!

Another new arrival for 2013 is a new collection of chocolate, Les Galets. The elegant, glossy wafer-thin discs come in Pierre Hermé’s much-loved flavours including Mogador, Pietra, Azur, Chloé and Infiniment Citron. Les Galets would make a fabulous gift and are a lighter version of his Chocolate Bonbons. I particularly enjoyed the Galet Chloé, made with rich, bittersweet dark chocolate and intense raspberry.

Pastry and perfume fans are in for a real treat with Pierre Hermé’s new book written with master perfumer and friend Jean-Michel Duriez. The beautifully-illustrated book features recipes based on the blends of classic perfumes and discusses the similarities in approach for patissiers and perfumers.

Pierre Hermé fans will no doubt be delighted with this intriguing garden inspired collection. If you are yet to experience the magic of Pierre Hermé, treat yourself to a new flavour each month…you might just get hooked.

For more information, visit: www.pierreherme.com

London, Patisserie, Stores

Pierre Hermé’s New Macaron Day in London

February 28, 2012 by cheriecity

Pierre Hermé brings Macaron Day to London for the first time, following the likes of Paris, New York, Toronto, Budapest and many other macaron-loving cities.

Initiated by Pierre Hermé Paris seven years ago, Macaron Day celebrates the pleasure of a macaron while raising awareness for serious causes. For the inaugural London Macaron Day, Pierre Hermé Paris is offering each visitor to the Selfridges or Lowndes Street stores a free macaron, in return for a donation to Ambitious About Autism.

This national charity helps support children and young people with autism at TreeHouse School while also raising awareness and influencing policy.

On Macaron Day, Pierre Hermé enthusiasts and first-timers will have a rare chance to sample an extended range of flavours created by Pierre Hermé over the past decade – like an art retrospective (well, he isn’t named the Picasso of Pastry for nothing)!

Macaron Day will take place in cities around the world on 20th March, the day before Spring officially arrives (or on 20th June in Japan to coincide with Summer Solstice). What better way to start the new season than with a delicious macaron and helping to sustain the good work done by Ambitious About Autism.

For more info, visit: www.pierreherme.com and Ambitious About Autism.