Maxence Barbot, pastry chef at Shangri-La Paris, shows his enormous imagination with La Cullière à Miel, a unique Christmas log with which he not only wants to give a nod to his Breton origins, but also to bees, a symbol of the Bonaparte family.

Balanced in both colors and flavors, this creation features a wood-effect handle and an interior garnished with chopped raw hazelnuts and crunchy buckwheat. Shiny spirals can be seen on the dark chocolate coating of the entremets. These entremets are also adorned with thin layers of buckwheat honey mousse from Barbot’s homeland, a joconde biscuit sprinkled with Piedmont hazelnuts and bits of buckwheat. A subtle fresh touch of confit lemon is added to this pairing.

Tasting it is surprising and fun. Once the handle is removed from the Dulcey chocolate spoon, each entremet is tasted individually. For the most gourmand, the dark chocolate supports of the entremets can be melted in a saucepan and mixed with a touch of milk, thus obtaining a delicious hot chocolate.

Inspired by its Breton origins, Barbot also presents a galette composed of a soft frangipane infused with buckwheat seeds, raw almond powder, and a light touch of dark rum, all hidden in the hollow of a classic puff pastry of fine arlettes for Three Kings Day. The puff pastry brioche is garnished with a touch of buckwheat caramel and fleur de sel that covers the frangipane. A wavy puff pastry brioche emerges at the top.