When you get an invitation to enjoy an afternoon with chef Nadège, you cancel your plans and you haul an empty stomach there. That’s what we did earlier this week when we had the chance to sample the entire collection of Bûches de Noël at Toronto’s haute patisserie, Nadège. Hosted in their upstairs kitchen where they make everything to feed their two locations, their two pop ups at Holt Renfrew, and their soon to open location in the PATH, chef Nadège took us on a decant journey through the traditional French dessert that starts to roll out just in time for the holidays.
It’s been a holiday tradition for over 30 years in chef Nadège’s family and this season she takes her collection into an elevated modern territory with five vastly different Bûches de Noël’s suited to just about every palette.
The three new Bûches de Noël’s include La Forêt which is an ode to autumn combining pistachio biscuit, light vanilla mousse, cherry coulis, and pistachio bavaroise. Modern marshmallows and a delicate biscuit mousse which resembles seasonal deer moss decorates the top of the pistachio rolled Bûche.
The second new addition is the Pink Addiction, a light Bûche which combines two of chef Nadége’s favourite flavours which include a 64% dark chocolate from the Dominican Republic and pomegranate. The final new addition rounds out the citrus lover at the table. The Sweet Citrus Bûche is perhaps the lightest of the line up centring on lemony chantilly, citrus biscuit, grapefruit, lime and orange coulis, with candied clementine jelly.
In addition to these three new Bûches, Nadège will also offer the crowd favourite The Great White North, the richest of the lot with pecan brownie, coffee panna cotta, maple syrup mousse, blended with a chocolate and pecan crunch and garnished with chocolate maple leaves. Finally our personal favourite, the Tendance Rouge, a light refreshing blend of lime madeline, lime cremeux, wild strawberry coulis, and a marscapone mousse.
In case you need more convincing and your mouth isn’t watering yet, Nadège’s Bûches de Noël collection is the prefect way to impress during the holidays. Place your order before December 21st to avoid disappointment and take a look at the collection a little closer below.
La Forêt
Pink Addiction
Sweet Citrus
Tendance Rouge
The Great White North
