Desserts

Spoon down through the layers and you meet soft chocolate cake, clouds of cream and a ribbon of tart cherry. Maison Perrotte’s Black Forest Jam, morello cherry set against deep dark chocolate, rebuilds the famous cake in a glass in fifteen minutes.

A cocoa-dusted truffle, a glossy dark ganache, and on top a few crystals carrying wood smoke and Cognac: Binet 1660’s Smoked & XO Cognac Flamed Fleur de Sel, smoked over oak and chestnut, is a finishing salt made for dark chocolate.

A gentle tap of the spoon and the panna cotta quivers, pale and cool, under a little lemon zest; Dammann Frères’ Organic Rooibos Lemon-Vanilla Tea Bags, caffeine-free rooibos with organic lemon essential oil and natural vanilla, give the cream its sunny, rounded sweetness.

Still warm and gently puffed from the oven, a vanilla flan waits for its crowning spoonful. Maison Perrotte’s Black Cherry Jam, rich and generously fruity, made from the ripest black cherries, turns each slice into a clafoutis of sorts.

Triangles of brioche puff and turn golden in their custard, crisp at the edges, their layers streaked with marmalade. Maison Perrotte’s Bigarade Orange Jam, made from bitter oranges grown in the Var, brings its vivid balance of bitterness and sweetness.

Pineapple sliced so thin the light shines through, lime, honey and torn mint, then Place des Épices’ organic green Kerala peppercorns, hand-picked before ripening, whose herbaceous, lemony freshness adds a gentle heat.

Apple wedges turn tender and golden in butter and sugar, then Granhota’s Apple Balsamic Vinegar, aged five years and naturally syrupy, adds a gentle apple sweetness and balanced acidity just before the vanilla ice cream starts to melt.

Warm pear and chocolate sauce sliding over cold vanilla ice cream, toasted almonds on top, all in ten minutes: Maison Perrotte’s Belle Hélène Jam, created by Stéphan Perrotte, puts a whole timeless French dessert into a spoonful.

Strawberries, kiwi and apricot slices fanned over mascarpone cream, then a brushstroke of warm jam that makes everything shine: Maison Perrotte’s Apricot Jam, velvety and sun-warmed, gives this fresh fruit tart its final gloss.

The moment the fork breaks through, a warm river of chocolate runs onto the plate, and François Pralus’s Tanzania 75% Dark Chocolate Bar, woody and spicy, gives that molten heart its depth.

Figs soften in the oven until their juices run into the dish, a spoonful of cool mascarpone waiting beside them. Laurent Agnès’s Fig Vinegar, rich and warmly spiced, deepens those juices into a glossy, sweet-tart sauce.

Glossy after a gentle whisk, then cool and smooth after a few hours in the fridge, these little pots carry the woody, spicy depth of François Pralus’s Tanzania 75% Dark Chocolate Bar, made from organic Forastero cacao.