Royal Sweets

“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.” – Erma Bombeck

On Monday some of my friends and I took a pilgrimage to one of Paris’ most famous pâtisseries, Stohrer, on rue Montorgueil, for le goûter, which is a light meal in the late afternoon. The legendary pâtissier, Nicolas Stohrer, first arrived in France in 1725 with Mary Lesczcynski, the daughter of the King of Poland, when she came to marry King Louis XV. Stohrer served as the head pastry chef for Louis XV and his court at Versailles, and went on to open his bakery in Paris in 1730. At this shop Stohrer invented the baba au rum cake by basting brioche with Malaga wine flavored with saffron and serving it with custard, raisins, and grapes. This recipe has not changed since, and is still served at the shop today.

Stohrer has also received recognition from the French newspaper, Figaro Scope, for having the best chocolate éclairs in Paris. An éclair is a long, thin pastry filled with a flavored pastry cream, custard, or whipped cream and topped with icing. There are many options for filling flavors, but since this was my first éclair, I chose the chocolate one and it was amazing! It’s hard to find words to describe the yumminess. The pastry was light and airy and the cream on the inside was rich and smooth without being too sweet. It was so good that you didn’t want it to end. I will definitely be making a trip back to Stohrer to try another flavor.

It was so fun to discover Stohrer. The shop itself is quite beautiful on the inside. It is decorated with a large chandelier and the walls are painted with designs created by Paul Baudry in 1860. Baudry is best known for designing the decorations in the grand foyer of the Opera Garnier. Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II, visited Stohrer on April 6, 2004 and received an Easter egg from the current head pâtissier, François Duthu. It really is a royal pâtisserie!