Butter Buns

It has been five weeks.  Five weeks since I arrived in Paris,  moving life into an apartment in the 11th arrondisement and living with my boyfriend.  It has been five weeks of adjusting my habits, rituals, ma vie quotidienne, to a new drumbeat.  For most days, I am the window licker, walking past the many intersting shops in Paris, but never growing the pair to enter and actually try something new.  Thursday was different. 

   

It has become a ritual.  After every other week of  French phoenetiques class, Kate, Frank, and I walk meander through the city to our French language course.  This Thursday, we happen to walk by seven or eight chocolate shops.  After licking the windows clean in awe, one has to try at least one shop, right?  After stepping out of Patrick Roger, a  very pricey but very beautiful shop (http://www.patrickroger.com/en/index.php) we happen to walk by one of Kate's favorite shops: La Maison George Larnicol http://www.chocolaterielarnicol.fr/.




For any caramel lovers, this is your shop.  Geroge Larnicol is from Bretagne.  Bretagne lies on the northeaster coast of France, famous for its crepes, cidre, butter (buerre), and logically following butter, caramel.  You may also know Bretagne from the little gem of a tourist destination to the right: Mont St. Michel.

Okay so from an island with castle to chocolatier...right, caramel, that is the connection.  Georges Larnicol, specializes in caramel.  Upon Kate's suggestion, I loaded up on one of his many varieties of butter buns.  True to Bretagne, these puppies of his are densely packed with butter and sugar.  When baked, the combination leads to a lovely salted caramel chewiness.  In classic form, I chose caramel buerre sale (salted butter), among the many offerings seen below.

 

The deadliest aspect of this chocolatier is not the waistline doubling bundles of buttery love, but the self service style in choosing your chocolate.  Like the Candy Factory, one can just grab a bag and go for it.

Only, don't really go for it.  Katie reminded me that her wandering eyes landed her a 45 euro bag of goodies.  I tried my hardest to be be Parisien.  I took small amounts, landing me a 3 euro bag.  I savoured the small bites, with my waistline, wallet and tastebuds in bliss.  

 The day of discoveries did not end with these little treasures, but more to come in another post. A tout a l'heure!