CiÇou Kouign-Amann

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

This decadent French pastry took the world by storm, and it’s no wonder why. Loads of butter and sugar are layered into dough, and slowly baked until the butter puffs it up, and the sugar caramelizes, creating little pockets of buttery sweetness.

The top is flaky and light, reminiscent of a croissant. And the bottom is just slightly denser. You’ll find the butter and sugar is crunchy in some places, and a syrupy surprise in others. These contrasts in texture make the CiҪou kouign-amann exceedingly delightful on your palate.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

Chef Cyrille Soenen makes sure that the CiҪou kouign-amann needs no co-star. It’s the protagonist on your plate, and deserves all your attention.

With its bigger size, and all the different flavors CiҪou a la Maison offers, you will be more than satisfied with eating it on its own.

AN OVERNIGHT SENSATION

You can always count on France to make incredible food and desserts. And each region has their own specialty.

Kouign-Amann is the specialty of the town of Douarnenez in Finistére, Brittany, and it can trace its roots back to 1860. It’s a Breton cake, and if the name doesn’t sound typically French, it’s because it’s in Breton (a Celtic language nearer to Welsh than French). “Kouign” means cake, and “amann” means butter.

And until 20 or so years ago, it was a pastry you could only really find in Brittany; rarely would you be able to find it elsewhere in France. And it seemingly blew up worldwide, with Food & Wine dubbing it pastry of the year in 2012.

Now, it is nearly everywhere, with bakeries offering their own takes on it, and even experimenting with flavors!

Storage Instructions

Baked on the morning of your expected delivery day. Best consumed upon arrival, but you can store it at room temperature for up to two days in their original packaging. For storage up to a week, wrap them in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate. Alternatively, you can freeze your parchment-wrapped viennoiserie in a ziplock bag for up to two weeks.

To refresh refrigerated viennoiserie, preheat your oven to 200°C and place the pastry on a baking tray with a loose covering of foil. Bake for 5-10 minutes (depending on your oven) then allow to cool to desired temperature. The same process applies to frozen viennoiserie. Just thaw them overnight first!