Christmas logs and festive treats at the Hôtel de Crillon by Matthieu Carlin

The festive season is upon us. Paris sparkles with a thousand lights, enchanting young and old alike during this enchanted period synonymous with conviviality, love and sharing. Christmas means Christmas, and Christmas means gourmet delights! On our festive tables, an unmissable star rounds off these sweet moments spent with loved ones, and imposes itself like a final bouquet: the Yule log.

If you're one of those people who want to mark the occasion by offering your friends and family an exceptional tasting experience, then here's a creation that could well win over your loved ones' taste buds and help make this Christmas all the more magical and unforgettable. At theHôtel de Crillon, the legendary Parisian palace on the Place de la Concorde, you can discover a whole collection of regressive treats that could well find their place on your festive tables. This year, the palace's head pastry chef, Matthieu Carlin, is unveiling not one, but three Yule logs, as well as a bevy of creations embodying the spirit of the festive season to be found at the Hôtel de Crillon's Butterfly patisserie.

Butterfly: Matthieu Carlin's pastry shop at the Hôtel de Crillon with a 15€ snack formula
Calling all sweet tooths! In Paris, Matthieu Carlin, the pastry chef of the Hôtel de Crillon, unveils his pastry shop in the heart of the mythical palace since April 4th 2023. On the program, a gourmet and affordable spot where you will be able to taste the chef's creations on the spot or to take away. Welcome to Butterfly Pâtisserie. [Read more]

Matthieu Carlin' s gift to us from Christmas to Christmas is recipes that bring ages and generations together, helping us to focus on what's essential: love and sharing. We see ourselves recounting the memories of our tender years, and forging even more beautiful ones.

This year, Matthieu Carlin is offering three refined logs- chocolate, vanilla and exotic fruit - that mark a return to our roots. In appearance, the shape is closer to that of a traditional pastry, although it still retains the elegance that is part of the chef's signature touch. The price is more affordable than in previous years: €80 for an 8 (or even 10) person format, compared with €118 last year. This effort is no exception to the meticulousness of the recipes: each of these creations presents a fine balance between gourmet goodness and lightness, an essential approach given that the end-of-year festivities are often synonymous with hearty meals.

La Bûche de Noël chocolat, reminds us of the unique taste of an excellent chocolate mousse, the secret of which has been passed down from generation to generation, that would have taken the shape of this festive pastry. For this, Matthieu Carlin chose a dark Bolivian chocolate 68%, which brings sufficient character without saturation. This log contains a heart of gianduja and hazelnuts roasted with fleur de sel, a soft chocolate cookie and a crunchy shortbread, which together bring a comforting, gourmet touch.

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The Vanilla Log, full of sweetness, makes the most of Tahitian vanilla and Madagascar vanilla. Here, the queen of spices is present, to the delight of her aficionados, and reveals herself in many facets. This log regales us with the scents of childhood, while remaining low in sugar, clearly highlighting the unadulterated vanilla notes. Surrounded by a Tahitian vanilla mousse, it unveils a buckwheat crunch, a creamy Madagascar vanilla toast and a Genoa bread with a roasted twist to balance out this regressive sweetness.

The Fruits Exotiques log stands out for its pep. A cheesecake-like passion fruit mousse, a fruity mango passion fruit compote, a crunchy coconut shortbread with roasted accents and a sweet spice cookie - this clever combination is an invitation to travel and escape, contrasting with the winter season that has invaded the capital. At the end of a meal, it will awaken the taste buds and bring the banquet to a fresh close.

Each of these creations is available in individual format at pâtisserie Butterfly for 14€. So if you're not sure which flavor to choose, you can take advantage of the opportunity to taste them with a friend or family member, and decide which creation you'd like to take to the bank. A boxed set of three buchettes is available for 35€!

In addition to these Yule logs, other festive sweets are invading the patisserie. These can be great ideas for gourmet treats and travel cakes to bring to invitations, or to embellish table settings, and there's something to suit every budget. These include a vanilla and chocolate marble cake in the shape of a Kougloff with a beautiful hazelnut chocolate coating, available in three sizes: small (8€), medium (18€) and XL (48€), and a box of cinnamon shortbread in the shape of a reindeer, flocon and bonhomme at 20€, a chocolate star (18€) with cocoa shortbread, 64% Brazilian chocolate cookie and gourmet hazelnut praline, and an excellent soft gingerbread at 39€.