Municipal treats – suggested high-tea menus for a sweet tour of European cities

 

As so many people have finished digesting the excesses of Christmas and are preparing for the excesses of New Year’s, it is an ideal time to enjoy the sweeter pleasures of life before the January diet. Alas, with such a variety of pastries and cakes from all around the world to choose from, it is hard to narrow down one’s choice. Thus, I hereby propose a culinary tour of sorts of desserts named after cities in Germany, Austria and France as well as a few from the rest of the world to help you prepare the perfect high tea as they say in England. At the end, I will tell you my favorite choice. Hint: Italians have no reason to be upset with me.

For those wishing to enjoy a Teutonic theme, I suggest a selection of a Leipziger lercher, a Berliner, a Battenberg cake and a Frankfurter kranz. The first has a short crust with almonds, nuts and cherries while the second one is far simpler, a holeless doughnut with jam. The last two are sponge cakes with jam and marzipan or icing, jam and nuts, respectively. All go quite well with a strong cup of tea or weak cup of coffee.

In Austria, I suggest a piece of Lindzer torte with a Viennoiserie. The former is a fruit and butter torte while the latter is a rich croissant.

In France, a menu par ville might include a Paris-Brest and a Gateau Nantais and maybe a Gateau Basque (admittedly not a city). One is a pastry with praline while the second is a pound cake with almonds. The last features jam or cream. Any or all of them are fine accompaniments for an expresso.

For the “rest of the world” category, I would include a Leningrad cake, a New York roll, a Boston cream pie and a Santiago. The first is a Soviet creation featuring chocolate butter cream and cognac. The American ones are half cream and ganache or custard. The final one, of Spanish origin, is lighter with almonds.

With all these options, I personally would still prefer to sit down with a good éclair and a cannoli, which are not named after cities but my stomach doesn’t care. They both have a wonderful dough (choux as compared to crispy) and delicious cream. They make for a perfect afternoon treat.

So, as you eagerly await the upcoming Wednesday night binge, take some time and enjoy a properly made pastry or cake. It is not really important if it is named after a city or not. Seize the moment.