Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Pain Au Sucre


Recommended Posts

Can someone point me in the direction of a recipe for pain au sucre? I just came back from my first visit to Paris, primarily a pastry orgy, and this was the big revelation for me (besides kougin amman, which I also loved and would like to attempt to replicate).

The one I had was round, and had thumbprint-size indentations. Filling the indentations was what seemed to me to be butter and sugar creamed until light and fluffy. Not wholly melted, either, just blobs of sugary butter.

That was the most outrageously delicious thing and should be sold on street corners of New York from those little quilted metal carts . . .

I bought a kougin amman from the corner pastry shop by the metro, took the metro to Fauchon and bought another kougin amman. Went outside to eat it. Threw the first one away and then went back in to buy three more. With no embarassment whatsoever.

I like to bake nice things. And then I eat them. Then I can bake some more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it's usually a piece of brioche that is made into a tiny "pizza" and dotted with butter and sprinkled with sugar. it's baked quickly and often the butter/sugar mixture does not completely melt into a homogenous sauce....

you can see pix in "Special and Decorative Breads" by Kayser etc...a great book btw and worth getting for any serious baker.

like most wonders in France, it's all about the "matieres premieres" or basic ingredients.

happy baking

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, thank you so much! That's it, not quite melted, so decadent, actual butter. I will try those two sources.

I like to bake nice things. And then I eat them. Then I can bake some more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not eaten one?

Has a crispy carmelized coat to the outside, soft buttery interior and then a custardy sort of dollop or something, more like a hint of custard. I haven't read the recipe yet, this is just going by how it tastes.

It's the chewy carmeley taste and texture with hint of eggy custard that seals the deal. Just a really nice thing to eat.

I like to bake nice things. And then I eat them. Then I can bake some more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...