Around the World in 80 Plates: Lyon, France

Moving right along on our culinary world tour, our next stop will be in Lyon, France! Although I’ve never been to Lyon, I have visited Paris, and am rather familiar with one French specialty in particular… Pastry! As soon as I learned of this destination, there was no doubt in my mind that another grand dessert experiment was in store. How many times do I have the opportunity to let loose and go wild with chocolate, sugar, and cake? Perhaps more than the average person, true, but French pastries are something different altogether.

Recalling towers of multi-colored macaron shells, spiraling upwards to impossibly tall heights, and glass cases lined with glittering fruit tarts so dazzling, they could easily be confused with a jeweler’s wares, all my inspiration could be found in one memory of one patisserie. Pierre Hermé, the so-called “Picasso of Pastry,” pairs daring flavors into modern pastry presentations, which is right up my alley.

On my “dream pastry challenge” list, (Yes, such thing really does exist! The pages are lined with ideas of croquembuche and napoleons, but those are for another day) there sat the scribbled title of “plaisir sucré.” An individual portion that unflinchingly packs in the chocolate in a layered attack that seems greater than each component would be capable of. Originally based on a hazelnut cake and hazelnut praline foundation, followed by waves of milk chocolate, I just had to put in my own little twist. Speculoos is my secondary flavor, playing harmony to many shades of dark chocolate instead. There’s a lot going on in each bite, so let me break it down for you…

Though far from perfect, it felt as though I had scaled Mount Everest when that final sheet of chocolate fell into place. It’s true, I could use a whole lot of work on my chocolate skills, but a nice transfer sheet covers a multitude of tempering sins. I’m not sure that Monsieur Hermé would approve of my eggless and dairy-free rendition on his masterwork, but I’m fairly certain that my tasters did, in any event. Who knows if the competitors on the upcoming episode will turn to pastry, but I would crown them the winner right then and there if they did the French tradition justice! Tune in when Around the World in 80 Plates heads to France, this Wednesday at 10/9c on Bravo, to find out.

Yield: Makes 18 - 24 Servings

Speculoos Plaisr Sucré

Name: Speculoos Plaisr Sucré
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 18
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 10 Ounces Dark Chocolate, Finely Chopped, Melted, and Tempered; 12 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, Finely Chopped; 3/4 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk; 3/4 Cup Speculoos Spread; 1 Cup Water; 1/2 Cup Confectioner's sugar; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract; 1 Cup Cake Flour; 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder; 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda; 1/4 Teaspoon Salt; 1 Cup Roughly Crushed Speculoos Cookies; 1 1/3 Cups Speculoos Spread; 6 Ounces (1 Cup) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Melted; 1/4 Cup Vegan Butter, Melted; 2 Cups Crispy Rice Cereal; Chocolate Chantilly

No Ratings

Originally based on a hazelnut cake and hazelnut praline foundation, followed by waves of milk chocolate, I just had to put in my own little twist. Speculoos is my secondary flavor, playing harmony to many shades of dark chocolate instead.

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Sheets:

10 Ounces Dark Chocolate, Finely Chopped, Melted, and Tempered

Bittersweet Ganache:

12 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, Finely Chopped
3/4 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk

Speculoos Dacquoise:

3/4 Cup Speculoos Spread
1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Confectioner's sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Roughly Crushed Speculoos Cookies

Speculoos Praline:

1 1/3 Cups Speculoos Spread
6 Ounces (1 Cup) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Melted
1/4 Cup Vegan Butter, Melted
2 Cups Crispy Rice Cereal

To Assemble:

Chocolate Chantilly

Instructions

Starting with the chocolate sheets, use an offset spatula to spread your tempered chocolate onto plain acetate sheets, or chocolate transfer sheets, large enough to cover a baking sheet. Mine had been rolled up for quite some time, so in order to get it flat, I had to tape down the corners with masking tape; you may choose to do the same, just to prevent it from sliding around. Spread the chocolate very thinly (thinner than is pictured- these layers were a bit tough to get a fork through) and as evenly as possible.
Allow them to set, undisturbed, until completely solidified. If your kitchen is particularly warm, you can place the whole sheet in the refrigerator to help them firm up. Once solid, warm a sharp knife to allow for smoother cuts, and slice the sheet into 2 x 4-inch rectangles. Set aside.
Next up, prepare the ganache. Simple place the chocolate and “milk” in a microwave-safe dish, and heat on full power for 60 seconds. Let sit for 60 seconds more, and then stir thoroughly, until completely smooth. If there are still a few stubborn pieces of chocolate that haven’t fully melted, heat again at intervals of 20 seconds, stirring well after each heating, until smooth. Let cool until firm enough to pipe. You may wish to hasten the process by chilling the mixture in your fridge, but don’t just leave it there, because it will set to hard if allowed to reach such a cold temperature. Set aside.
Moving on to the dacquoise, preheat your oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan.
Place the speculoos spread, water, sugar, and vanilla in your blender, and process to emulsify. Scrape down the sides of the container if any of the spread is sticking, and blend once more, until the liquid mixture is entirely homogeneous.
Separately, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the liquid mix into the dry goods, and whisk just until the two are combined to create the batter. Transfer to your prepared jelly roll pan, and smooth it out into a thin but even layer. It may not seem like enough cake to cover all that space, but just keep spreading and you’ll get there! Sprinkle the crushed speculoos cookies equally over the entire surface.
Bake for 15 – 18 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center pulls out cleanly. Let cool completely before proceeding.
For the praline, simply mix together all of the ingredients until well incorporated, and quickly spread it on top of your cooled sheet of cake. This mixture is extremely thick and sticky, so I would highly recommend lightly greasing your offset spatula before going at it. It only gets thicker as it cools, too, so don’t waste any time or let it sit there unattended! Spread it out as evenly as possible, to ensure that the rest of your layers follow suit.
Lastly, prepare the chocolate chantilly according to the recipe linked, and take a moment to thank Hervé This for his brilliance.
Okay, now we’re finally ready for assembly! Slice the praline-topped cake into rectangles measuring 2 x 4-inches. Load the ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a medium-sized round tip, and pipe ganache in a zigzagging pattern across the top of each piece. Place a sheet of chocolate on top, and pipe another zigzag of ganache over that. Add another sheet of chocolate, and now grab your chocolate chantilly. Place that into a second piping bag, this one fitted with a large round tip, and pipe two straight lines lengthwise down each piece. At long last, finish it all off with a third sheet of chocolate.
You’re done! Now, savor every single bite; this isn’t an ordinary, everyday sort of treat!

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 417Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 189mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 4gSugar: 19gProtein: 5g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

For participating in this competition, Bravo has compensated me for my time, but all recipes and opinions are solely my own.

May 14, 2012October 25, 2025

Hannah (BitterSweet)40 Comments

Heart Beets

Unromantic and full of teenage angst, I’ve hated Valentine’s Day with a passion for the better part of my “adult” life. Back in middle school, while all the other kids were still crafting cute cards to share amongst friends, I went home and embroidered the words “Love Bites” in sparkly seed beads on a black t-shirt. Paired with inky-black dyed hair and baggy pants approximately eight sizes too large for my frame, it was the perfect ensemble that said Don’t even think about talking to me today. I was simply charming as a child.

Though still fairly bitter about the rampant commercialism inherent in most Valentine’s Day celebrations, forced sentimentalism, and being single in general, I’ve warmed considerably to the concept since then. Instead of writing it off as a couples-only event, it’s become more about appreciating the people I care about most in my life, be it my mom, my dad, my dog, or what have you. Sure, there’s a good bit of love shared everyday so a holiday needn’t be necessary, but isn’t it nice to have a legitimate excuse to spoil these wonderful people more than normal? That’s my new understanding of Valentine’s Day.

The perfect V-Day dinner isn’t full of supposed aphrodisiacs or drenched in fine wine; It’s all about the care that goes into preparation. Pierogi, a delight that rarely if ever graces our table, sounded like the ideal dish. More involved than your average weeknight meal, shaping each individual potato pillow must be created with great attention to detail. If that sort of dedication doesn’t say “I love you and I want to feed you very well tonight,” then I don’t know what does.

A casual affair through and through, it’s the gesture that speaks louder than words. You don’t need to make your pierogi shaped like fussy hearts (although you certainly could) because it says enough that you would make them from scratch. Better yet, these are no average pierogi…

Made to match the occasion, they’re stuffed with an alluring pink filling of red beets and mashed potato! That savory, earthy flavor paired with the lightly herbaceous wrapping is simply irresistible, especially when pan-fried and paired with a smidgen of vegan “sour cream” on the side. Of course, you could go the healthier route and boil them more like ravioli, but come on, live a little- Treat your loved ones to a truly special meal!

Blushing Beets Pierogi

No Ratings

These homemade pierogi are stuffed with an alluring pink filling of red beets and mashed potato! That savory, earthy flavor paired with the lightly herbaceous wrapping is simply irresistible, especially when pan-fried and paired with a smidgen of vegan sour cream on the side. Of course, you could go the healthier route and boil them more like ravioli, but come on, live a little; Treat your loved ones to a truly special meal!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

Herbed Pierogi Dough:

2 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
1 1/2 Teaspoons Dried Dill Weed
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
1 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Plain Greek-Style Vegan Yogurt or Vegan Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Beet and Potato Filling:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Medium Red Onion, Diced
1/3 Cup Sauerkraut, Drained
1/2 Pound Peeled, Cooked and Cubed Yukon Gold Potatoes
1/2 Pound Peeled, Cooked and Finely Chopped Red Beets
1/4 Cup Plain Greek-Style Vegan Yogurt or Vegan Sour Cream
Salt and Pepper to Taste

To Cook (Optional):

3 - 4 Tablespoons Vegan Butter or Coconut Oil

Instructions

Prepare the dough by combining the flour, dried herbs, and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Separately, mix together the vegan yogurt, water, and oil before pouring these wet ingredients in as well. Stir thoroughly until the mixture comes together into a cohesive dough, and then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand for 5 – 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes so the gluten can relax, which will allow it to roll out more easily. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet, and add in the diced onion when hot. Saute for 5 – 8 minutes on medium heat, until softened and beginning to brown around the edges. Add the sauerkraut, and cook for just 1 or 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat, and combine the contents of your skillet with the cooked potatoes, beets, and yogurt in a medium bowl. Mash together until creamy but still good and chunky, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before assembling your pierogi.
NOTE: You can prepare both components up to this point up to one day in advance. Just wrap the dough up tightly, stash the filling in an air-tight container, and store both in the fridge.
Roll out your dough as thinly as possible, pausing to allow it to rest if it continues to spring back and resist rolling thinner. Cut it out into equal circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
Place 1 – 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each circle, paint a dab of water around the edge, and seal into half-moon shapes. Crimp the outer edges with a fork to secure.
NOTE: You can again pause here and freeze the pierogi for up to a month. Just line them up on a baking sheet so that none are touching, and let them chill down in the freezer until solid. Transfer to a zip-lock bag or an air-tight container, label clearly, and fit them back into the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy. Don’t defrost; cook them as you normally would, but allow a few extra minutes.
To cook, slide them in a large pot of salted, simmering water for 5 – 9 minutes (up to 15 minutes if frozen), or until they float. Cook only 12 at a time so that you don’t crowd the pot. Remove gently with a slotted spoon. Serve, or for the more indulgent option, pan-fry them in the optional vegan butter or coconut oil until each side is golden brown; about 5 – 8 minutes. Enjoy with someone (or many someones) that you love!

Bringing a Bite of Paris Back Home

Paris.

If anyone can sum up that city in just a few succinct paragraphs, I would be highly suspicious of how much they actually went out and experienced there. Overwhelmed by all of the words that could be said, the myriad of stories that could be told, after a mere 5 1/2 days of total immersion in the capital of France, I found it impossible to pick and choose the right ones at all.

If you want to know more about the photos I posted, you can now see a few brief descriptions and explanations on Flickr.

Speechless, stunned, and yet brimming with inspiration, I was back at work in the kitchen again as soon as we walked through the door.

Suitcases still stuffed, with both dirty laundry and happy memories, the familiar scent of buttery pastries began floating through the air, as if we had never left Paris at all. This time, however, I could actually enjoy those flaky delicacies, instead of solely photographing them.

I’ll be the first to admit that these are no where near as grand as those massive breakfast confections, but for a first try, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Cut into miniature sizes, each croissant was but two bites each, but unarguably rich enough to quell any further hunger.

Despite how intimidating the hundreds of paper-thin layers may seem, croissants are actually quite simple to make; it’s the waiting and repetition that might become a bit trying. Luckily, I found a recipe for “quick” croissants, which can produce fresh, homemade pastries from start to finish in about 3 hours. Adapting it to better suit my American cups and teaspoons, while also easily veganizing it, this is definitely a good starting place for anyone who wants to give croissants a try for themselves.

Yield: Makes 8 Medium or 12 Small Croissants

Basic Vegan Croissants

No Ratings

Buttery, flaky, crisp, and light, there's nothing like a fresh, homemade croissant still warm from the oven. This shortcut technique is much faster than the traditional approach so you can indulge anytime.

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

Dough:

2 1/4 Cups Bread Flour
1 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1/2 Cup + 2 Teaspoons Water
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons + 2 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Melted Vegan Butter

Butter Block:

9 Tablespoons Vegan Butter, Frozen

Instructions

To make the dough, start by combining all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl until well distributed. Mix everything together and knead until a smooth dough is formed. Let rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Add in the water and melted vegan butter and stir thoroughly to incorporate. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and kneed by hand for about 10 – 15 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
While the dough chills, you can go ahead and prepare the butter block.
It helps to start by cutting the frozen vegan butter into sizable chunks and arranging them right next to each other in as even of a rectangle as possible on top of a silicone baking mat or piece of parchment paper. Sandwich the butter between another silicone baking mat or sheet of parchment paper, and using your rolling pin, whack it into submission. You want to flatten the block out to about 1 cm or so high, and try to keep the sides even and rectangular. Allow it to chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Once properly chilled, roll the dough out into a rectangle about twice as large as your butter block. Place the butter block in the center, diagonal to the sides (not parallel.) Enclose the block like an envelope, bringing the corners of the dough in to meet at the center. Roll the whole thing out gently to a thickness of about 1 cm again, and fold the short sides in by thirds.*
Return it to the fridge so that it can chill for another 20 minutes before proceeding. Don’t be tempted to hasten this time, as the heat from your hands and the rolling pin will make all of the butter melt and run out. It’s essential to keep this dough as cool as possible before it hits the oven!
Roll out the dough into a rectangle yet again, and fold in thirds as before. Chill for the same amount of time, and then repeat this process once more. Chill the dough for 20 more minutes before shaping it.
To shape your croissants, roll the dough out into a rectangle as before, but cut it with a very sharp knife into equal triangles. If you want mini croissants, cut the dough in half lengthwise first, and then cut your triangles. Roll each triangle up, starting at the widest side, and the place each one on a fresh silpat or piece of parchment paper. Once all the croissants are cut and rolled, let them rise in a warm place for about 75 minutes, until nearly doubled in size.
After rising, move the croissants into a preheated 415 degree oven.
As soon as they’re safely inside, reduce the heat to 350 degrees, and do not open the door again until 15 minutes has elapsed. They should be golden brown, but if not, bake for an additional 5 – 10 minutes as necessary. Let cool before enjoying the fruits of your labor!

Notes

*The folding and shaping process is rather difficult to describe in words, so don’t worry if you’re a bit confused. Just check out the very helpful photos over at WikiHow if you need a visual aid.

Let Him Eat Trigona

Cake? Not for my father. Although he may be an undisputed sugar addict with a sweet tooth the size of an SUV, my dad has very particular tastes in desserts that make it nearly impossible to bake for him. Cakes are almost always too dense and rich; Pies very rarely make the cut, and even then, never with custard or cream; Even chocolate is an iffy subject, only the cheap milk chocolate being acceptable. The only sort of baked good that he might request has been angel food cake… And here is where the problems begin.

One of the only things that I cannot seem to replicate using vegan ingredients is angel food cake. I haven’t even found a single recipe, written in text, online, or otherwise. Sure, some may say that pound cakes or sponge cakes are practically the same thing, but not to my most discerning critic. So as his birthday ominously loomed in the near future, I had to think quick… And stumbled upon an idea nearly as non-traditional and quirky as the birthday boy himself.

I present my trigona, the perfect sweet for my picky dad. Loaded with pure maple syrup and an entire bag of pistachios (His favorite nut, no less), he can achieve his sugar high in record time. A lot like baklava, trigona has layers of flaky philo dough layered with nuts and sugar. I was truly amazed – Before the two-day stretch of weekend had come to an end, 2/3 of the entire dish had somehow disappeared! If you make this recipe, be warned: It makes a lot of pastry, and is quite dangerously addictive.

May 2, 2006November 18, 2025

Hannah (BitterSweet)2 Comments

Chocolate Peanut Butter Scones

…And as always, I return to the world of chocolate. Nothing sinfully rich, but definitely a treat nonetheless. I wanted to congratulate my mom on making it through the whole week of passover without having any wheat or leavened items, so I baked her scones with a new recipe. It’s something I ear-marked a long time ago from Baking Sheet and converted easily to veganism.

With peanut butter mixed into the batter and chocolate chips speckled throughout, this recipe may be a bit much for breakfast and could even be considered a dessert. Whenever you choose to eat it, though, these delicious scones will have you coming back for seconds.

April 21, 2006November 19, 2025

Hannah (BitterSweet)Leave a comment