0:00:05 > 0:00:09I was born into a family of patisserie chefs.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Did you make these?
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Yes, Chef. Yeah.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Good.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18I was even named after Saint Michel, the patron saint of patissier.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22That's fresh.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Now I'm a chef with my own London restaurant
0:00:25 > 0:00:30dedicated to French haute cuisine with patisserie at its heart.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Despite its name, patisserie is much more than just pastry.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41It can also contain fruit or even ice cream.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46A great patissier is a scientist, an artist in food.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Nothing is beyond them in their search for the perfect bite.
0:00:50 > 0:00:56Perhaps, then, what truly defines patisserie is the artistry,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59the craftsmanship and the attitude that goes into making it.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05I am passionate about patisserie.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Its flamboyance, its refinement, its Frenchness.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12And to be a great chef you have to master those qualities.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17On this journey, I will be visiting some of the most celebrated
0:01:17 > 0:01:18pastry chefs in the world.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21In French "craquele".
0:01:21 > 0:01:25- Craquele.- Yes, just a little bit crunchy. Not too much.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And I will be tracing the history of this luxurious confectionery
0:01:29 > 0:01:33from its origins in revolutionary France, to the present day masters
0:01:33 > 0:01:36striving for perfection on the plate.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41I try to make it specially for you.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Of course I will sample the classics.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48From the St Honore to the religieuse.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53From the meringue to the mille-feuille.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57All of them made from molten sugar.
0:02:00 > 0:02:06Join me as I explore the sumptuous and surprising world of patisserie.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18My father, a fully-trained patissier,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21was head chef to the Queen Mother's horse trainer at Fairlawne Estate
0:02:21 > 0:02:23where I grew up.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29One of my earliest memories is the smell and sight of him
0:02:29 > 0:02:30making ice cream.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35A key part of the patissier's craft.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38You used to wander all over the place.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41And one afternoon at about four o'clock I said,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43"Where the hell is he?"
0:02:43 > 0:02:47And there was knock-knock at the door of the kitchen,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49the door opened and who was there?
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Queen Mum with you holding the hand of Queen Mother, and she said,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57"Oh, Chef, this one must be yours,"
0:02:57 > 0:03:02pointing at your little apron, which was a painter's palette.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- Awww...- Yes.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09My dad advised me to start in pastry just like he did,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11and all the best chefs.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15I was told it would serve me well for the future, and it certainly did.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19It is said, that the French say,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23that a good patissier will make a good chef.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26A good chef will never make a good patissier.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- Why?- Pastry is not unlike chemistry.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34You have to be extremely precise.
0:03:34 > 0:03:40If you miss 20g, 50g of flour, sugar, you put it in the oven and disaster.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46It shows you colour as well. It shows you symmetry.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51Pastry is something which when it is put in front of you on the table
0:03:51 > 0:03:53it should revive your appetite.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58So the creme anglaise just chilled down, into the cylinder.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02One of my first tasks helping my father as a boy in the kitchen
0:04:02 > 0:04:04was hand-churning ice cream.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Oh! That's heavy.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Ice cream is often served alongside patisserie,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and can even be one of its ingredients.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Faster! Faster!
0:04:23 > 0:04:25God, this takes me back.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Oh, love it.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30But I didn't remember it being this painful.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35When it becomes very painful, do let me know. I'll take over.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40Breathe... Out. Breathe... Out.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43I'm thinking of a nice vanilla ice cream at the end of it.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I've had enough of this.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48I've got to taste it.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51My father's given up on me.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55But I haven't given up on this.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Mmm.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Mmm!
0:05:15 > 0:05:18So what is it that inspired me to become a pastry chef?
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Is it a heavy, badly-made Eccles cake?
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Or a rather lazy Bakewell tart?
0:05:24 > 0:05:29Or, worse still, a shoddy paper bag for presentation.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Even though they share certain ingredients,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35I can't see the iced buns, doughnuts
0:05:35 > 0:05:39and custard tarts which dominate the British High Street as patisserie.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49These jewel-like creations paraded on a French catwalk
0:05:49 > 0:05:50are more like it.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Pierre Herme, a true pastry master,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01has captivated the world with his creations
0:06:01 > 0:06:05and shown just how far the French are prepared to take patisserie.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29So why is it that Pierre Herme is called the Picasso of pastry
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and that his desserts reign supreme?
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Well, I'm lucky enough to have been invited to his hub
0:06:35 > 0:06:37where he devises all his wonderful recipes,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40and hopefully I'll get to taste a few too.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Herme has brought baking into the 21st century and raised it
0:06:48 > 0:06:50to the heights of haute couture
0:06:50 > 0:06:53in a dizzy infusion of fashion and patisserie.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18It is not just how Herme presents his work,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22but the cakes themselves are absolute perfection.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26A team of bakers are taught how to make the creation
0:07:26 > 0:07:28down to the smallest detail.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Just like this sugar syrup dew drop on each rose petal.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37The level of craft employed in each and every delicacy
0:07:37 > 0:07:40is what makes this true patisserie.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Herme oversees everything,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46even specifying the correct temperature for serving the cakes.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49No brown paper bags for this guy.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56This gateau combines pastry, biscuit and mascarpone,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59and no less than three different types of vanilla.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Even that patisserie classic, the humble macaroon,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33which is as aristocratically French as a powdered wig
0:08:33 > 0:08:37and a beauty spot, hasn't escaped Herme's unique touch.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43The original macaroon is just egg whites, almonds and sugar,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45and then a different filling,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48but Pierre Herme takes it to another level.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Here, for example, we have green tea and sesame.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56We have here a mind-blowing rich, dark porcelina chocolate.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59And this one, which I've yet to try,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02is what he calls a Japanese Garden,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06and it's made with cherry tree blossom.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Mmm!
0:09:11 > 0:09:12Mmm!
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Herme's shop and kitchen are very familiar to me.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22This is where I did my apprenticeship
0:09:22 > 0:09:25more than 30 years ago and there was no question that it would be
0:09:25 > 0:09:28anywhere other than in France.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Back then the place belong to another great patissier -
0:09:32 > 0:09:35my mentor Monsieur Hellegouarche.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43But is it just the French who employ such craftsmanship
0:09:43 > 0:09:45and give such attention to detail?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Now, I'm in Paris and Pierre Herme's French,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57and it does make me wonder whether patisserie by its very nature
0:09:57 > 0:09:58has to be French,
0:09:58 > 0:10:03and does patisserie differentiate itself from other forms of pastry
0:10:03 > 0:10:05by its Frenchness?
0:10:05 > 0:10:07But one thing is for sure.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11That the delicacies here are far more sophisticated than a Bakewell.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Perhaps only in France would a patissier team up with a perfumer
0:10:17 > 0:10:20to make his treats even more enticing.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Recently Pierre Herme has collaborated with the nose of
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Rochas, the perfumier Jean-Michel Duriez,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and I'm here to find out a little bit more.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Smell is often just a by-product of patisserie,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40but for Herme and Duriez, it is far more important than that.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43They have even created a cake based on perfume.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Of course Herme doesn't actually add perfume to the patisserie,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15rather he uses the same raw materials,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18like peach, rose and spice.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26I want to visit Duriez' laboratory to find out the kind of
0:12:26 > 0:12:29scent combinations that inspire Herme's patisserie.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Apparently Duriez is going to put my chef's nose to the test.
0:14:14 > 0:14:15OK.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53I am very glad that my nose is working, and who knows,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57that scent of lemon tart might one day end up in a Rochas fragrance.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10These two alchemists are perceived to be at the cutting edge,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14but in fact they are not the first to produce confectionery which
0:15:14 > 0:15:17ensnares and seduces all the senses.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22There is one man without whom patisserie would never have become
0:15:22 > 0:15:23what it is today.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Marie-Antoine Careme was born in 1783,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32just before the French Revolution.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Careme was the first celebrity chef,
0:15:36 > 0:15:41introducing high art to French cuisine by creating extraordinary
0:15:41 > 0:15:45patisserie structures for royalty and the nouveau riche of Paris.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56He more than anyone elevated patisserie into an art form,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and transformed the eating of patisserie
0:15:59 > 0:16:00into the realms of theatre.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05His books are packed with innovative recipes
0:16:05 > 0:16:09and amazing drawings which prove just how revolutionary Careme was.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13This book is really precious to me.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Not only because it's an original Antoine Careme,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19but because it was passed down to me by my father.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26After a stint as a kitchen boy in a chophouse,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29a pastry chef Monsieur Bailly took on the young Careme
0:16:29 > 0:16:31as an apprentice.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35He would have learned how to make the staples of patisserie,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38such as croissant, brioche and madeleine.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43But Careme wanted more.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46He didn't want to be another artisan, he wanted to shine.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53The moment could not be better.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The revolution had freed up the pastry chefs who'd worked for
0:16:56 > 0:17:01the aristocracy, and cooks like Careme could go solo.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09The pastry shop, restaurant and pavement cafe really took off,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12and with them the spirit of modern France.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24At this time, neoclassicism and romanticism were the mode du jour.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28And architecture was to become hugely important for Careme.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38It was amongst these structures that he found inspiration.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52One of his favourite haunts was the Desert de Retz outside Paris
0:17:52 > 0:17:55filled with neoclassical follies.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01This rational, ordered architecture
0:18:01 > 0:18:05inspired his work and informed his aesthetic.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Careme went so far as to say that
0:18:10 > 0:18:13"the fine arts are five in number,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16"to wit, painting,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18"sculpture, poetry, music,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21"architecture - whose main branch is confectionary."
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Using pastry, marzipan and sugar
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Careme translated the castles and temples he saw
0:18:28 > 0:18:30into incredible centrepieces.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34He redefined the very nature of patisserie.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36It wasn't just pastry,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38but encompassed elegance,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40craft and spectacle.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43His creations called pieces montees
0:18:43 > 0:18:46were presented at extravagant parties here,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49at what is now the Italian Cultural Institute.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55I'm meeting chef and culinary consultant Didier Quemener.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59- Hi.- Hi, Michel. How are you? - Good to see you.- Good to see you.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02So his great creations were actually made here.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Exactly. That's the original place where it started.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09'This grand home belonged to the statesman and gourmand
0:19:09 > 0:19:11'Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15'whose society parties were legendary.'
0:19:16 > 0:19:19'It was Careme's job to impress Talleyrand's guests -
0:19:19 > 0:19:21'including Napoleon and Josephine -
0:19:21 > 0:19:24'with spectacular banquets.'
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Careme was actually the first what we would call freelancer
0:19:28 > 0:19:29for Talleyrand.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31One of the first challenges
0:19:31 > 0:19:34was to tell him to cook with seasonal products.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36He would say, "OK, now it's April, May,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39"this is what I want. this is the products available,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41"this is what we're going to do."
0:19:41 > 0:19:45And Careme would just start creating and creating
0:19:45 > 0:19:47and just taking notes and drawings
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and putting everything into shape.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53And people would come, 80, 90 people,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55and it would just, like, be a feast.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58So it wasn't just about eating pastry,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00it was all about the theatre as well.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01Right, it was a spectacle.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I mean, you would enter as if you were going to the theatre
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and you're going to watch an opera or something like that.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Then all of a sudden it was just magical.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Should you break it, should you taste it, should you dismantle it?
0:20:12 > 0:20:15People would just be mesmerised.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Ladies and gentlemen of the kitchen,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23this evening's meal consists of
0:20:23 > 0:20:25eight soups,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27eight releves de poisson,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29eight roasts,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31eight trays of hot souffles
0:20:31 > 0:20:34and 40 hot entrees.
0:20:34 > 0:20:3864 covers, ladies and gentlemen...
0:20:39 > 0:20:42'Ian Kelly is an actor, author and food historian
0:20:42 > 0:20:44'so consumed by Careme
0:20:44 > 0:20:47'that not only did he write the famous cook's biography,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49'but he also starred
0:20:49 > 0:20:52in a self-penned Broadway stage play about him.'
0:20:52 > 0:20:54And towering over it all,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57eight extraordinaires,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00eight temples to our craft
0:21:00 > 0:21:02and to the glory of eating.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06An Italian sugar belvedere,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08four feet tall,
0:21:08 > 0:21:09a Russian hermitage,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12a Grecian temple, the Coliseum,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14a galleon in full sale,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16the Prince of Wales' feathers.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18A romantic ruin of a Welsh cottage,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22or how we imagine such a thing might be -
0:21:22 > 0:21:24he's prince of the place, but nobody seems to have been there.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26The Brighton Pavilion itself -
0:21:26 > 0:21:30all of them made from molten sugar.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38- Well.- That was brilliant.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40I really enjoyed that.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41Truly driven.
0:21:41 > 0:21:47He must have been incredibly focused and wanting to achieve.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Yes. But it's also an era when that was possible,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53and in a slightly different way, because, of course,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57it slightly predates the restaurant in a classic sense.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00But people did care passionately about food,
0:22:00 > 0:22:01but in particular about patisserie,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05because that was the way you could mark an occasion.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07A great meal, an important chef,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09your skill as a cook,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12your generosity and status as a host.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14So that was the signal issue
0:22:14 > 0:22:16for somebody who's aspiring to
0:22:16 > 0:22:18greatness in the kitchen at the time.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20His gifts are various,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23he was clearly a wonderful chef
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and that's what he became famous for initially
0:22:25 > 0:22:28and as a sculptor in sugar and pastry
0:22:28 > 0:22:30and he gets called the Palladio of Pastry
0:22:30 > 0:22:32and he's very serious
0:22:32 > 0:22:35about confectionary as an art form.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37He was a great democrat as well.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40And that's his legacy - the writing of these wonderful books.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Even if you couldn't...
0:22:42 > 0:22:44You were never going to eat in the Brighton Pavilion
0:22:44 > 0:22:46or, you know, with Napoleon or Josephine,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49but you could have a little taste
0:22:49 > 0:22:52of that world and that life.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53And to that extent,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56we can maybe thank him or curse him
0:22:56 > 0:22:58for the trope of the celebrity chef,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01but we can certainly thank him for saying,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04"You can have a little bit of this yourself,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06"anybody can aspire to this."
0:23:06 > 0:23:08He coins the phrase in his first cook book
0:23:08 > 0:23:10"you can try this yourself at home."
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Careme's influence has not diminished.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Master patissier Eric Lanlard,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21who trained with my father at La Gavroche,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24is working his way through the great pastry chef's recipe book.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30HE LAUGHS
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Wow. My...
0:23:32 > 0:23:35A little something I made for you!
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Just going to slide it down carefully.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41My word! That is unbelievable.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44That's a proper homage to Careme.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47It's beautiful. So how did you make that?
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Well, I did it the proper Careme way.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50He's famous for his piece montee
0:23:50 > 0:23:52in his early age.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Base to sit on the middle of the table
0:23:56 > 0:23:59and for people to pick petits fours
0:23:59 > 0:24:01or sweet out of it.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03So it's actually a dummy base,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06because in the old days they used to be made of wood
0:24:06 > 0:24:08and covered with royal icing and piping
0:24:08 > 0:24:11and what we call turn sugar work,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15where you whisk the sugar at the right temperatures
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and you just pour inside a mould.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20In his days, you would have a wooden mould,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22but I'm using silicon mould
0:24:22 > 0:24:24because this is modern times.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27But, apart from that, the technique is exactly the same,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29gold leaves and the decorations.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33And very fragrant dessert as well.
0:24:33 > 0:24:34Careme loved having the smell,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38so he always put a bit of perfume in his piece montee.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And if you go across, you can smell,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44I put some rose oil on the top.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48- That's unbelievable.- And if you think, that was over 200 years ago,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50and look at these new chefs now
0:24:50 > 0:24:52doing molecular gastronomy, what are they doing?
0:24:52 > 0:24:56They're spraying the air. Nothing new. He was doing it already.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01So the edible bits are these little pastries around here.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Aw, look at that. Oh, yes.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07A pistachio financier, one of Careme's classics.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08He absolutely adored financiers,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11there are pages of financiers in his book.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Mmm.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Oh, yeah.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25The rose is there, but it's not too strong. It's wonderful.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Absolutely delicious. Pistachio, nutty, buttery.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Creamy.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32Delish!
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Other patissiers began to copy Careme,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41albeit on a smaller scale,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45and so, from the Cour de Versailles to the salon of Bourgeoisie,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48these sweet perfections were slowly but surely being democratised.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Careme paved the way for the patisserie boom,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58which exploded in the latter part of the 19th century.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Creativity and visual impact were the key ingredients of success.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05Rivals learned fast,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07triggering a mouth-watering race
0:26:07 > 0:26:10to provide the most sumptuous shop-window display.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Huge and often inedible piece montee
0:26:15 > 0:26:18gave way to smaller, edible creations
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and many of the classics we enjoy today were born.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27An alternate litany of viennoiserie.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Mille-feuille, tarte,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32macarron, meringue,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Saint Honore.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37And the opera, another one of my personal favourites.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I've bought myself a little treat.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43The gateau opera.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Bitter chocolate, coffee cream, and gold leaf on top.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Very extravagant, very Parisian and very delicious.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54I shall save it for later.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55Delicacies like these
0:26:55 > 0:26:58frequented the homes of the 19th century well-to-do
0:26:58 > 0:27:00and became a Sunday lunch-time ritual.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09But although we may think of patisserie
0:27:09 > 0:27:11as French through and through,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14in fact the oldest patisserie in France was run by a Pole.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Stohrer was pastry chef to the exiled King Stanislas of Poland.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24It was Stohrer who invented the rum baba,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26another French pastry classic,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30with a bit of help from Stanislas his master.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32He brought back these brioche,
0:27:32 > 0:27:33this yeast-leavened dough,
0:27:33 > 0:27:38and it was a bit dry and he gave it to his chef to do something with it.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40And originally he thought that it would go well
0:27:40 > 0:27:43with Malaga raisins and Malaga wine,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45and it's kind of evolved over the years
0:27:45 > 0:27:49and now soaked in rum and served with Chantilly cream.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54But Stohrer's religieuse is worth crossing Paris for -
0:27:54 > 0:27:57in a blizzard in bare feet.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01This showpiece example of the French patisserie canon
0:28:01 > 0:28:03is made up of stacked layers
0:28:03 > 0:28:06of chocolate-covered choux pastry and cream.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08The name religieuse
0:28:08 > 0:28:09actually means "nun",
0:28:09 > 0:28:13due to the smaller version's apparent resemblance
0:28:13 > 0:28:14to a nun in a habit.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21The religieuse is often served up at ceremonies such as baptisms.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22Whatever the size of the cake,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26the intricate piping is a key part of the process.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30I've made religieuse as an apprentice pastry chef,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33but using the base here
0:28:33 > 0:28:34and then the little one to go on top,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37and the piping, which is very important as well,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40but I've never actually made one like this.
0:28:40 > 0:28:41I think it's majestic.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48'Lovely though this one is,
0:28:48 > 0:28:52'it's the stunning example on the counter which has caught my fancy.'
0:28:52 > 0:28:55TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH:
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Mmm.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- Merci.- Thank you.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25- Ah, oui.- C'est bon?- Parfait. Merci. A bientot
0:29:37 > 0:29:41Patisserie did not remain within the confines of the pastry shop and the private home for long.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46By the turn of the 19th century it spread to a new social space,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49the salon du the or the tea shop.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54And the French women's movement followed closely behind.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58The salon du the became a means via which women could enter
0:29:58 > 0:30:00the public sphere.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04This was hugely important as women were banned from cafes where
0:30:04 > 0:30:07politics and radical ideas were cultivated.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11One of Paris's most acclaimed salon du the is Laduree.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17It deliberately associates itself with the glamour of Versailles.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20They even provided the macarons for Sophia Coppola's movie,
0:30:20 > 0:30:22Marie Antoinette.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27She may have never actually spoken the notorious phrase,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31"Qu'ils mange de la brioche," let them eat cake.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34But it captures the philosophy of Laduree perfectly.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Selling over-the-counter aristocratic luxury for all.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43The democratization of patisserie was complete.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59This film poem from the '60s celebrates the marvellous
0:30:59 > 0:31:00names of each delicacy.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04Geographique, genoise, Paris-Brest,
0:31:04 > 0:31:06exotique, palmier...
0:31:06 > 0:31:09And shows just how much the French have taken patisserie
0:31:09 > 0:31:10to their hearts.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14..bourgeois, diplomate, conversations, financier,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18puits d'amour, grandiose,
0:31:18 > 0:31:20pieces monte,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22St Honore, religious...
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Patisserie is more than just a set of ingredients.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28It has the capacity to inspire poets and film-makers.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34In France, it is a shared experience which stays in the memory.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37..baba, mocha, meringue,
0:31:37 > 0:31:38sable, mille-feuille,
0:31:38 > 0:31:42role, eclair.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48I remember my uncle going to the other side of Paris.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50The furthest possible shop
0:31:50 > 0:31:54because it had the best Paris-Brest or palmier.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56It was a quest.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00But the cakes I remember from my childhood have continued to evolve.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07In the 1970s one of the greatest masters of reinvention,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10the patissier Gaston Lenotre transformed the texture
0:32:10 > 0:32:12and taste of confectionary.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14HE SPEAKS FRENCH
0:32:15 > 0:32:18He was another key figure in the history of patisserie.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22And a close family friend.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Magnifique!
0:32:29 > 0:32:31We're here in the suburbs of Paris
0:32:31 > 0:32:37at the Ecole Lenotre, Gaston Lenotre was a dear friend of the family
0:32:37 > 0:32:41but he was above all a true master of his craft.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44He was the founder of modern patisserie.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49Of nouvelle patisserie and his school now bears his name.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53All great pastry chefs have trained here, including myself.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56'OK, I only came here for two weeks.'
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Lenotre reduced the butter, cream and sugar of patisserie,
0:33:07 > 0:33:11replacing it with light, airy mousses and a sculptured aesthetic.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16No-one before thought that patisserie could be this delicate.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20Lenotre recognised the importance of training
0:33:20 > 0:33:24and in 1971 opened the Lenotre school.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Now one of the world's most famous ateliers for pastry chefs.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Today the students are making a raspberry mille-feuille.
0:33:34 > 0:33:35Meaning 1,000 leaves.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43Creative director of Lenotre is Guy Krenzer.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47Gaston Lenotre, he worked on a team
0:33:47 > 0:33:50because he wanted to work with the best chefs.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54So it was very important for him.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58And he was like a father for everybody and not just for me.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01He was exactly that. He was a father figure.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04He give us something which is very precious.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09When you come here, you are in the family of Gaston Lenotre.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12So you are in the family of the pastry.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16So it's not just doing a cake.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Celebrity chef Paul Bocuse said that Lenotre's
0:34:19 > 0:34:22signature on a pastry was akin to that of Dior on a dress.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26He's like Christian Dior.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30He started to make collections of cakes
0:34:30 > 0:34:37and he created cakes like Le Schuss in 1968 for example.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41It was a cake and it was for the Winter Olympic Games.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Each year 3,000 trainees from over 100 countries take a
0:34:47 > 0:34:49six-month programme at Lenotre.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53You can't qualify as a patissier in France without having
0:34:53 > 0:34:56undergone this type of intensive training.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Those who study here go on to work in the world's finest kitchens.
0:35:01 > 0:35:09Every year, we teach our apprentice and they became world champion.
0:35:09 > 0:35:16So we train all the people here to become the best.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20I think that's the outstanding legacy of Gaston Lenotre.
0:35:20 > 0:35:25And it's the longevity and the fact that the future is very safe.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32If you ask anybody here, when the cake is not right.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36They say it is not Lenotre. That's it.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43MAN SPEAKS FRENCH
0:35:45 > 0:35:48It's an awards ceremony, end of week.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Certificates.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22'It is not just about the excellence of the products at Lenotre, but
0:36:22 > 0:36:27'you can still feel how the spirit of its founder is very much alive.'
0:36:44 > 0:36:48My experience at Lenotre reveals how cake making reminds
0:36:48 > 0:36:49the students of family.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53I am thrilled that just like my father
0:36:53 > 0:36:59and I, my daughter Emily is now in France training to be a chef.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02And again, just like me, as the first stage of her chef
0:37:02 > 0:37:06training she spent six months learning the art of patisserie.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Beautiful array of pastry.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11- A St Honore.- Made by myself.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14I think it looks the tastiest one there.
0:37:14 > 0:37:19- Thank you.- I do remember your father making cake.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21On the big table in the kitchen.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26Give them to me with a smile to put it in the oven.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Insisted I should taste it after and they were uneatable.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36They were hard as bullet. But he was as pleased as a prince.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43- I must say, his standard has evaluated for the better.- Well, I think so.
0:37:43 > 0:37:44I can eat now what he does.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- Just.- More than just. More than just.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51What do you think makes a good pastry chef?
0:37:53 > 0:37:57- A scale.- Yeah, it requires skill, precision.
0:37:57 > 0:38:02Yes and I think the private service, in the old days
0:38:02 > 0:38:06when the head of the house was interviewing for a patissier,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08they would always touch the hand.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12If the hand was very warm, no job.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15It was essential that the pattissier should have cold hands.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17That's true.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24- Oh!- I think you might make a chef and not a pastry chef.- I think so.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26I remember when you were making cakes
0:38:26 > 0:38:32- and bringing breakfast in bed to your mum.- Burnt toast.
0:38:32 > 0:38:37- Sometimes, yes.- I think as a young girl, you already had talent.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41- It's in the family. It's in the genes.- It's in the genes, my girl.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Not surprisingly, patisserie is a massive part of my family
0:38:52 > 0:38:54but why does it remain such a passion for the French?
0:39:02 > 0:39:04I have come to Angelina's, one of the oldest
0:39:04 > 0:39:06and grandest tea salons in France.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11To meet Francophile Dorie Greenspan.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Author of many books on patisserie.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17Merci.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20- What a treat.- Shall I pour you a glass?- Thank you. Can you reach over?
0:39:22 > 0:39:26Can you smell how rich and creamy.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Dorie, tell me,
0:39:28 > 0:39:32is it just the French that like to indulge in these wonderful treats?
0:39:32 > 0:39:39It's funny. I'm American and certainly we love pastry in America.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44But in America I'd be with friends, we would have this in front of us.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Someone would take a sip of the hot chocolate and say...
0:39:48 > 0:39:52"It's so good, but I really shouldn't have this" or, "I feel so guilty."
0:39:53 > 0:39:59I have never heard a French man or woman enjoy something
0:39:59 > 0:40:01and then say "Oh, I shouldn't have."
0:40:01 > 0:40:06And I think the French have a special relationship with indulgence.
0:40:06 > 0:40:11That they really understand that something like this is special
0:40:11 > 0:40:13and that it makes a day better.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16And you need to have a little treat every day.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19OK, so in England do you ever translate the expression
0:40:19 > 0:40:22joie de vivre?
0:40:22 > 0:40:25The joy of life just doesn't sound quite the same.
0:40:25 > 0:40:30Isn't it interesting that that expression remains in French.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33It remains in French in America, as well.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36And I think that this indulgence,
0:40:36 > 0:40:41this appreciation of pastry is part of the joie de vivre.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Yes. So this is the Mont Blanc.
0:40:43 > 0:40:48The famous chestnut puree with meringue and whipped cream in it.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52This is one of the signature pastries of the house. Oh, my word.
0:40:52 > 0:40:57- Look at this.- Can I even... It's not easy.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Texture's important.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12There's meringue in there which gives a little crunch
0:41:12 > 0:41:15and chestnut can be fairly bland.
0:41:15 > 0:41:21It needs, I always think of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
0:41:21 > 0:41:26So, they say that Fred Astaire gave Ginger Rogers class
0:41:26 > 0:41:29and Ginger Rogers gave Fred Astaire sex appeal.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33So I feel like with chestnut there's the need for Ginger Rodgers.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36Dorie is right.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39It is the meringue which gives the Mont Blanc that je ne sais quoi.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46The French continue to be devoted to expanding
0:41:46 > 0:41:50the repertoire of patisserie and developing it as an art form.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55Whether in shops solely dedicated to the eclair or to the magic of
0:41:55 > 0:42:00the macaroon, Paris is sprinkled with patisseries trying something new.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07Some don't even look like confectionary shops any more.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10We could be in a state of the art gallery.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15One such example is Philippe Conticini whose boutique is
0:42:15 > 0:42:18aptly named the Patisserie of Dreams.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20It is a fantasy world reminiscent of childhood.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Conticini's shop is cleverly designed to enhance
0:42:36 > 0:42:37the appeal of his creations.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43Patisseries are presented one by one in bell-like jars.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57It is no small claim
0:42:57 > 0:43:01but Conticini believes eating his cakes can stir up deep emotions.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Mmm! Absolutely delicious pastries, but totally different to
0:43:09 > 0:43:11Pierre Herme.
0:43:11 > 0:43:16Pierre Herme's style is really having to think
0:43:16 > 0:43:18deeply about the different tastes.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22Whereas Philippe's style is very much immediate impact.
0:43:22 > 0:43:27Straight away for me these are flavours that I remember as a child.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30The beautiful smell of the yeasty dough of the brioche
0:43:30 > 0:43:32and the croissant.
0:43:32 > 0:43:37The caramelised apple in the chaussons aux pomme.
0:43:37 > 0:43:42Just a little morsel of that and I'm straightaway in my warmest,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45wonderful memories of a child.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49And all of his cakes have got so much passion.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52And so much meaning behind them.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54MAN SPEAKS FRENCH
0:44:01 > 0:44:05Conticini is famous for his Paris-Brest made of choux pastry
0:44:05 > 0:44:06and praline flavoured cream.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11It was first made in 1891 to commemorate the Paris-Brest
0:44:11 > 0:44:12bicycle race.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33Conticini has invited me to his kitchen in the suburbs
0:44:33 > 0:44:34of Paris to experience
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Patisserie des Reves behind the scenes.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58Orange tart, with a vanilla biscuit.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Marmalade, I could eat one now.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06But I'm not getting one. I've got to attend the master class first.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11Philippe is going to be showing me how to make his signature calissons.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14A calissons is a great Provence dessert.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18Flavoured with orange flower water and oranges and almonds.
0:45:20 > 0:45:26Why I use the pastry is to leave sensation and to feel sensation
0:45:26 > 0:45:28and to make you feel the sensation.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32This is my way, this is my life. And this is why I use pastry.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35Philippe starts off with an almond flavoured
0:45:35 > 0:45:37layer of biscuit in a mould.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41On top of this he places a light, creamy mousse.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47The next step is one of Philippe's trademarks.
0:45:47 > 0:45:52This is very important. Crunchy hazelnuts with salt flower,
0:45:52 > 0:45:54fleur de sel.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56So this gives it texture and gives it a crunch?
0:45:56 > 0:46:02Well, crunch, I should say in French, craquele.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05- Craquele.- Just a little crunchy, not too much.
0:46:07 > 0:46:08We put again cream.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Next step, almond paste.
0:46:14 > 0:46:19A little bit orange. I don't like to be vulgar with the sensation.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21- I like to be subtle?- Yeah, subtle.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24Another layer of cream.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28- Do you seethe difference of colour. - Yes, very intense.- Very intense.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31And an orange flower flavoured mousse for the top.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35Perfect balance. I have to put just a little bit on the top.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40- OK.- Once it is removed from the mould,
0:46:40 > 0:46:44Philippe's finishing touch is a layer of royal icing.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48'Flavoured with orange, lime, lemon and grapefruit.'
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Mmm! Petit craquele.
0:46:58 > 0:47:03- The little crunch and then a little bit of salt.- Yes. A little bit.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05And then the bitter orange.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08All this wonderful perfume and it's not too sweet.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13The sensation for me is superb.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16That for me is the best calissons I have ever tasted.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Thank you very much.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20- Superb.- It is a great compliment from you.- Aww!
0:47:22 > 0:47:24OK, so I can take another part.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31In the last 20 years, patissiers in France have rewritten the rules
0:47:31 > 0:47:36and demonstrated just how versatile and artistic patisserie can be.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45These innovative French chefs have been highly
0:47:45 > 0:47:48influential across the world and have hugely inspired
0:47:48 > 0:47:51the rising standard of confectionary here in Britain.
0:47:56 > 0:47:57Just like in France,
0:47:57 > 0:48:02patisserie has been seen in the same light as style, fashion and art.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08One master patissier/chocolatier is pushing
0:48:08 > 0:48:10the boundaries of patisserie in this country.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13Perhaps even more than his French counterparts.
0:48:15 > 0:48:19- William Curley. Hi, William. - Chef, how are you?- Good to see you. - Likewise.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22I am struck by the beauty of his work.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28Where do you get your inspiration from?
0:48:28 > 0:48:31Inspiration comes in all different forms from different projects
0:48:31 > 0:48:35that we're doing like this one here which is a chocolate mandarin
0:48:35 > 0:48:39pyramid where we were commissioned to create three or four different
0:48:39 > 0:48:40patisserie for the
0:48:40 > 0:48:45V&A and we have this wonderful dress here which we...
0:48:45 > 0:48:50- I was wondering why this was in your shop.- Inspiration behind this cake.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52Visually, I can understand.
0:48:52 > 0:48:57This beautiful drape and your cake is sort of mirroring that.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00Absolutely. Looking for the same sort of flow that comes down
0:49:00 > 0:49:03and we've got the little bit of chocolate going around it.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06And I guess like all things that are beautiful there is
0:49:06 > 0:49:07a bit of a surprise with it.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11And when we cut this open you have a beautiful jasmine creme brulee.
0:49:12 > 0:49:17- What have you got there?- It's a few of the house patisserie that we do.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21That's cadeaux chocolat which is classic flavours, chocolate,
0:49:21 > 0:49:23vanilla, rum soaked raisins.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26Then we have a real tribute to my wife who is from Osaka in Japan.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28It's a matcha Mont Blanc.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32- I recognise it as a Mont Blanc but then with green tea.- Absolutely.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35Then we have an apricot praline tart.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39Very classic, but I guess done in a modern interpretation.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43Then we have a raspberry dome so we have layers of pain de genes,
0:49:43 > 0:49:46fromage frais mousse and raspberry mousse.
0:49:46 > 0:49:47I guess when we make something,
0:49:47 > 0:49:51like the people who create different fashion,
0:49:51 > 0:49:53the tailors in Savile Row,
0:49:53 > 0:49:56they make it for you and I guess what I try to do
0:49:56 > 0:49:58and I think a lot of people in my generation are trying to do is
0:49:58 > 0:50:03when they create a cake, they try to make it specially for you.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06For me, patisserie isn't just about that taste sensation.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09There's more too it. What do you think, William?
0:50:09 > 0:50:10It's a little journey.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Initially when you come into a boutique your eyes are going
0:50:13 > 0:50:15to tell you if you want to buy something or not.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17You'll sit down and your taste buds will then take over.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20For me, I'm looking to bring various things together.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22Some sort of texture in there.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24I'm looking for a balance in different flavours.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28And once you finish eating it you still have the pleasure going on.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31So for example great chocolate will leave the flavour
0:50:31 > 0:50:34there for numerous minutes after you finish eating it.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37But you can still get the great sensations, the flavour combination
0:50:37 > 0:50:39and profiles coming out of the chocolate.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42I suppose I'm also trying to create a little memory for people.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45So hopefully they'll come back again.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48But they'll remember their little experience of the William Curley
0:50:48 > 0:50:50patisserie which is really important for us.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55It is clear to see how patisserie is able to evoke memories.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58But for some it goes further than that.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00It can be a major source of inspiration.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04Christopher William Hill is an author
0:51:04 > 0:51:06and playwright obsessed with pastry.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10Not only does it remind him of childhood,
0:51:10 > 0:51:14but he specifically writes about patisserie to appeal to children.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18- My word, that looks good. - It does look fantastic.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21- So tell me, you are an author.- Yep.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25- But you find your inspiration from pastry.- Largely from food, yes.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27I'm from a baking family.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29We had bakers in the family for about 200 years.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32So I spent a lot of time watching my grandfather baking
0:51:32 > 0:51:34and every summer my sister and I would go up
0:51:34 > 0:51:38and spend time in the decorating room above the bake house icing
0:51:38 > 0:51:42cake boards and making lots of creatures from modelling fondant
0:51:42 > 0:51:45and eating the creatures made of modelling fondant.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48And I was obsessed with food. Particularly cakes.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51How did that then transform itself into writing?
0:51:51 > 0:51:54I think the reason I started reading as a child was because of food.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57I liked books that had food in them and if there was food,
0:51:57 > 0:51:59I knew I was going to enjoy it.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02I liked to feel that I was actually being fed by reading the book.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05And it's the hope that I can do the same thing for children now.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07Because it's something that you can really connect with.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10"Suddenly, all became clear to the doctor.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13"She had landed in the middle of a large square of strudel pastry,
0:52:13 > 0:52:15"sticky with apricot jam.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17"From above, a blanket of pastry was dropped into place
0:52:17 > 0:52:20"and Dr Zilbergeld gave a muffled yelp as she was
0:52:20 > 0:52:23"pinned in position by the mechanical pastry roller.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26"An enormous cylinder of bright, polished steel.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29"Her arms flailed as she tore at the pastry, ripping an air hole
0:52:29 > 0:52:31"and panting for breath.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35"xxx she screamed as her head emerged from beneath a pastry shroud.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37"Wiping sugar and butter from her eyes she became dimly
0:52:37 > 0:52:41"aware of a flashing of silver at the end of the conveyor belt.
0:52:41 > 0:52:46"'The strudel slicer,' she gasped. "Yes," replied Osbert, "The strudel slicer."
0:52:46 > 0:52:48Oh!
0:52:48 > 0:52:50But that's how I would kill somebody.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53If I had a teacher I wanted to get my own back on
0:52:53 > 0:52:58if I had a strudel slicer handy I think that would be the way to do it.
0:52:59 > 0:53:04Whenever I'm working on the stories I've got these big books that
0:53:04 > 0:53:08I've built up and every time I eat something,
0:53:08 > 0:53:12I tend to store the pictures in the book, so...
0:53:14 > 0:53:20I mean, many, many marzipan wrappers and chocolate truffles.
0:53:20 > 0:53:26Food everywhere. Because it just sets something off in my head.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28Brilliant.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34'I'm coming to realise that patisserie is not just butter, carbs and sugar.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38'But a form of art. An experience, a journey.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41'It offers a moment of self-indulgence and solitude
0:53:41 > 0:53:44'and can even become a means of inspiration for artists.'
0:53:47 > 0:53:50And although patisserie is quintessentially French, it is
0:53:50 > 0:53:53really beginning to make a mark here in Britain too.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09Having observed so many pastry chefs updating the classics, I am back in
0:54:09 > 0:54:13my own kitchen making something which celebrates my patisserie odyssey.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25I'm about to make a croquembouche.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27I have not made one for more than 20 years.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31The last one I made was for my daughter's christening
0:54:31 > 0:54:32so that's a long, long time ago.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36Croquembouche is a beautiful masterpiece structure.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40Really made famous by Antoine Careme.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44It's sweet, it's delicious and above all it is striking.
0:54:46 > 0:54:52Croquembouche is choux buns filled with a creme patissiere.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56A classic pastry cream. A custard thickened with flour.
0:54:56 > 0:55:01And flavoured and dipped in caramel.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05And made into...a tower.
0:55:07 > 0:55:12And you build it up slowly but surely.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14The caramel is very, very hot.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17But it's in effect like the glue
0:55:17 > 0:55:20and it sticks this whole creation together.
0:55:22 > 0:55:23Ah! That's hot.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30What is there not to like about this? It looks beautiful.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33It's going to taste great.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43'My take on the croquembouche is to add a bit of Englishness to it.
0:55:43 > 0:55:48'So I flavoured the cream inside the choux buns with Earl Grey tea.
0:55:48 > 0:55:49'And a little extra bergamot.'
0:55:54 > 0:55:58Traditionally a croquembouche is served for religious
0:55:58 > 0:56:04festivities such as christenings, weddings, communions.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08And, I suppose, it's because they're so impressive
0:56:08 > 0:56:11and because they're elaborate.
0:56:18 > 0:56:19Ow!
0:56:32 > 0:56:35'It is every patissiers nightmare that the croquembouche will be
0:56:35 > 0:56:37'stuck inside the cone for ever.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42'Or crumble into an untidy heap on the platter.'
0:56:45 > 0:56:46Whoa!
0:57:03 > 0:57:06Whew! Ah!
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Right, well, it's holding. Just.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14So now I need to decorate it...
0:57:14 > 0:57:16quickly.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22'Part of what lifts patisserie onto another level are the chef's
0:57:22 > 0:57:24'personal embellishments.
0:57:26 > 0:57:30'I have chosen to decorate the croquembouche with sugared almonds,
0:57:30 > 0:57:33'nougatine baskets filled with clotted cream
0:57:33 > 0:57:34'and strawberry compote...
0:57:37 > 0:57:41'..and rose petals crystallised with icing sugar and egg white.'
0:57:51 > 0:57:54Hey!
0:57:54 > 0:57:55Wow. Look at this.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01'For an extra touch of Englishness, I have topped
0:58:01 > 0:58:05'off my croquembouche with sugar coated strawberries and baby scones.'
0:58:05 > 0:58:08We need to tuck in before it collapses.
0:58:09 > 0:58:11Strawberries are dipped in caramel.
0:58:11 > 0:58:15'I can see now why there's patisserie for every occasion and every mood.'
0:58:15 > 0:58:16Oscar, this is yours.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21It's a delight and an indulgence made real.
0:58:21 > 0:58:24An attainable source of surprise and wonder.
0:58:26 > 0:58:30Our best days, our birthdays, wedding days, high days
0:58:30 > 0:58:34and holidays wouldn't be the same without those brushed crumbs,
0:58:34 > 0:58:37dabbed lips and guilty pleasures.
0:58:37 > 0:58:41Without patisserie, I suppose life would go on.
0:58:41 > 0:58:43'But how on earth would we celebrate it.'
0:59:04 > 0:59:06Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd