Recipes

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 gâteau in a glass in fifteen minutes.

Nothing here is tidy, and that is the charm: crushed meringue, soft cream and sugared strawberries tumble together in the glass, shot through with shards of dark chocolate. Comptoir du Cacao’s Strawberry Dark Chocolate Bar, studded with dried strawberry, brings the bittersweet contrast.

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.

Thin apple slices folded into a rustic crust bake over a layer of chopped chocolate, and more goes on while the tart is warm: Comptoir du Cacao’s Salted Butter Caramel Blond Chocolate Bar ends on a delicate touch of salt, lovely with a Calvados.

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.

One plate for two: strawberries, soft whipped cream and chocolate broken into pieces, hearts facing up, ready for coffee or tea. Comptoir du Cacao’s Red Hearts Chocolate Bar says what words sometimes fail to.

Early mornings call for something warm and slow, like creamy oats topped with buttery apple and a spoonful of Hédène’s Clover Honey from Anjou, mild and creamy, whose caramel aroma and subtly tart finish round out the bowl.

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.

The mousse settles, airy and pink, over fresh raspberries before a few lychees crown it: Comptoir du Cacao’s Raspberry Ruby Chocolate Bar pairs naturally pink Ruby chocolate with freeze-dried raspberry, without any added colorings, for a vivid, fruity dessert.

Brushed with a lacquer of mustard, cider vinegar and Hédène’s Chestnut Honey from the Périgord, dark and surprisingly intense, with woody aromas and notes of grilled caramel, the pork tenderloin comes out of the oven glossy and copper-toned.

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.

Eight golden wedges come out of the oven, and each one, broken open, shows melting chocolate and tart flecks of raspberry: Comptoir du Cacao’s Raspberry Dark Chocolate Bar, 72% cocoa, lets the bright berry lift the deep, bittersweet chocolate.