I was looking for a nice dessert to serve some friends after dinner. One of the friends is a real gourmet cook always whipping up fabulous meals from whatever she has on hand, and I had three Frenchmen to please, so I wanted something special , not just my usual easy desserts. I found it on the blog called
A Foodie Froggy in Paris
She has some really good recipes, some too complex for my simple way of cooking, but all delicious looking. The dessert tasted like it took me hours but it was very easy. I can’t tell you how fabulous this was. Every one was moaning with pleasure as they ate it. It turned out to be the highlight of the dinner.

Praliné glacé, Sauce Caramel au Beurre Salé or
Frozen Praliné Parfait, Salted butter Caramel Sauce
To be made a day ahead
For a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, or a 6-medium muffin mold 7” x 11-3/4”, or a 10 cannelé mold (Sheet 11-7/8″L x 6-7/8″W; Molds 2″Diam x 2″H)

Praline parfait
4 egg yolks
30g brown sugar, packed
100g ready made praline powder (you can make your own by combining 1/2 cup blanched whole almonds with 1/2 cup melted sugar, letting it harden and then putting in a blender but I don’t have a blender here. I found the praline powder near the nuts in a grocery store.)
25cl heavy whipping cream

Start by chilling a clean stainless steel bowl, a whisk, and the cream in the freezer for 15 minutes (but don’t freeze the cream).
Make frozen praliné parfait : remove bowl, whisk and cream from the freezer. Pour chilled cream into the bowl, and whisk using an electric mixer.Beat slowly at first then faster until stiff. Beat longer until cream holds peaks.
In another bowl, assemble egg yolks and brown sugar. Beat well. Add praline powder and mix well. Stir in whipped cream, little by little, lifting carefully the mixture with a spatula. Pour the mixture into the pan of your choice (loaf cake, muffin or cannelé). If you choose the loaf pan, line it with plastic wrap, leaving generous overhang then fold film over top of mixture.
Freeze overnight.
The day after, remove from the freezer, dip bottom of loaf pan into warm water or into cold water for the other pans.

Salted Caramel butter sauce2.5 oz granulated sugar
2 oz salted butter, diced
2/3 cup liquid whipping cream, heated (30 seconds in microwave, medium power)
Some coarse salt (optional)

To make the caramel sauce : in a heavy-bottom skillet or sauce pan over medium heat, melt sugar until goden brown. Do not mix the sugar, just shake the skillet by the handle. Watch it carefully so you don’t overcook or burn it.
Add the salted butter, mix, then the heated whipping cream. Mix well and reserve at room temperature. If you happen to have small caramel bits, drain the sauce through a sieve. This can be made hours ahead of time-it doesn’t hurt it to sit.

To serve, cut slices of frozen parfait (for the loaf version) and arrange nicely in each plate (2 slices per person). For the other pans, arrange the unmold individual parfaits. For all versions, pour some salted caramel sauce on top. Serves 8 people, or 6 if they really like it.

I like looking at rooms either left or set up as the person once lived in them. Moreau’s rooms can be seen at the Gustave Moreau Museum. He lived in the building on the second floor after the museum was finished for two years before his death.

His bedroom. Quite a few paintings on the walls. Many paintings everywhere actually.

Chess anyone?

I see these glass dome for sale often at brochant sales. Usually there are saints inside them. This is the first time I’ve seen a clock under one.

His office. There was a very small dining room too with a table that sat maybe six people. I didn’t see a kitchen. I imagine it was in the basement somewhere.

I saw a photo somewhere-I can’t remember where-of the museum of Gustave Moreau and decided I needed to visit it. I’m not a fan of his work although I have to admit I don’t know it well and I think I read in the book The Flanneur-a book which, by the way, has a lot of information about Paris as it once was and still is-about wild parties that Moreau used to throw with drugs handed out as you entered. Anyway, before he died, Moreau had his house made into a museum although he continued to live on one floor and all of his many paintings and drawings are now there.

I saw a photo of this stunning staircase. Isn’t it great? I wish I could have asked the museum attendant to move but oh well.

Looking down the middle of the stairs for a snail like view.

A view of some paintings at one end of a large room in the museum.

The view from the top of those stairs.

A closeup of one of his paintings which you can see ink drawings on top of the paint. A lot of his work reminded me of Chagall with the colors. Moreau actually taught Matisse too. He was a symbolist which is sort of a precursor of modern art I believe.

There has been incredible weather in Paris the last few days. It was so warm that I ended up carrying my coat and walking in the shade. I’m thinking this summer is going to be a very warm one. Since it was so pretty, I did so more wandering, this time I stayed in the 9th arrondissement.

I wouldn’t mind living on this street. It’s private and gated though so I had to gaze through the fence.

Pretty rod iron on a door.

Don’t these windows look real? They aren’t-they are just painted to look that way.

I’m so glad my camera was ready to go when I saw this jaunty guy walking down the street with his guitar.

Doesn’t it make you feel good to see signs of Spring and to finally have Spring here? It certainly brightens my day. It has started warming up here in Paris and we’ve had a lot of sunshine and blue skies, always a mood lifter. I haven’t seen any wysteria in bloom yet but the early heralders of Spring, bulb flowers, are doing their thing.

Easter is April 4th this year so all sorts of chocolate Easter goodies are appearing in shop windows.

The French don’t use the Easter Bunny bringing the Easter candy thing but church bells instead. It doesn’t stop them from using rabbits for decoration and I guess you start seeing more of real rabbits in the Spring anyway.

Love these tulips. I bought some at the market the other day and they are so bright and cheerful in our apartment.

I don’t know if there is any happier flower than a daffodil.

I’m talking, of course, about the famous Shakespeare and Company a long time institution in Paris selling books in English. I like going here because I love the ambiance not to mention books.

Worn red stairs going up to the second floor.

There’s a little alcove upstairs with a typewriter and a sign saying anyone can use it. I wonder if there are young people who wander in in this day of computers and wonder what in the world it is.

A bed found upstairs too. Writers can stay here with permission. I once once in the store early and came upon a lady putting her shoes on and another washing some coffee cups.

You don’t find old chandeliers in bookstores very often. There was a view of Notre Dame across the river from the second floor as well.