New takes on foreign cakes

New takes on foreign cakes

In their countries of origin, these cakes and pastries and desserts are part of the national heritage. Revisited by chefs or adapted to local tastes, they are increasingly popular in Europe. Les vergers Boiron’s range of products offers a vast range of flavors that are ideal for preparing all these innovative recipes.


Donut / Doughnut

Country of origin: United States
History: The recipe for this sweet round bun was imported into the United States in the nineteenth century by Dutch immigrants. Since 1938 there has even been a National Doughnut Day to pay tribute to the women who served doughnuts to American soldiers in World War 1. Since then, the doughnut has diversfied and now includes versions iced, filled with chocolate or containing fruit.
Adaptation: Some pastry chef have imported this speciality and introduced more local or original flavors such as salt butter caramel, crème brûlée, maple syrup/bacon/apple, or apricot and cardamom.


Country of origin: Japan
History: This fish-shaped cake (\"tai\" means sea bream or red snapper, a lucky symbol in Japan), filled with sweet red bean paste, was created in Tokyo in the early twentieth century before spreading throughout the country. Eaten all year round, day and night, taiyakis are an ideal snack for hungry children after school, for example. Or any other time.
Adaptation: The recent fashion for Japanese cakes has encouraged many specialists to adopt them and adapt them. The possibilities are endless adding chocolate, cream, cheese, tomato or apple puree.

English jelly / American jello

Country of origin: England
History: This dessert, made with gelatin or fruit pectin, developed in France and England in the eighteenth century. However, the English were the ones to turn it into a traditional dish, very popular with children.
Adaptation: It is increasingly used to create light, fresh, melt-in-the-mouth desserts by adding champagne or fruit coulis. Some pastry chef even make daringly shaped desserts from it, modeled on historic monuments — bridges, cathedrals, airports — that delight both the eye and the taste buds.

Cake pops

Country of origin: United States
History: Although their origin isn’t precisely known, cake pops are derived from a confection called cake balls: sponge or the remains of other cakes mixed with icing, rolled into a ball and coated with chocolate.
Adaptation: Several chefs and baking specialists have taken up this product, adding lollipops plus all sorts of fancy ingredients (marzipan, fruit cake, colored icing, etc.) and adopting all kinds of shapes (animals, cartoon characters, etc.).

Whoopie pie

Country of origin: United States
History: This official cake of the state of Maine, a sort of sandwich cake filled with cream, was eaten by Amish farmers and miners in the early twentieth century, because it was easy to pack into a lunchbox. Easy to eat, it rapidly spread to the other forty-nine American states.
Adaptation: The composition of the whoopie pie is very easy to adapt locally. Competing with macaroons, the two slices of cake can vary in their softness. They can contain chocolate, nougat or even beetroot, while the center filling can be caramel, strawberry puree, lemon coulis or crème de marron. Once assembled, the pie can be personalized by decorating in all sorts of original acid colors.


Country of origin: England or United States
History: The cupcake was created in the nineteenth century when housewives often made little cakes using a cup-sized mold for more rapid baking. They became particularly popular in the Fifties, for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas and have been very much in vogue for the past decade or so giving free rein to the cook’s imagination and creativity while providing an elegant decoration for the center of the table.
Adaptation: The easy-to-make cupcake can come in all kinds of variations such as caramel, fruit or even vegetable (peppers, for example), depending on the region where it has ended up.




April 2012