St Honoré - le 16 mai
Saint Honoré's Day
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Le 16 mai : St Honoré's Day: Patron saint of Bakers & Pâtissiers
May 16th is St. Honoré’s Day, in honour of the patron saint of bakers and pâtissiers everywhere!
Honoré was a bishop in Amiens, in northern France who lived in the sixth century. During his reign several miracles were purported to have occurred, which led to his sainthood. He eventually became the patron saint of bakers. As he died on May 16th in 600 AD, that day is still celebrated by bakers in France.
Which leads us to the Gâteau St. Honoré! It was supposed to have been created in 1846 by the pâtissier Chiboust, in honour of the saint and also because his own shop was on Rue St. Honoré in Paris. No stranger to the importance of names and legacy he – he created and named the famous Chiboust cream as well, that is used in the Gâteau St. Honoré!
The recipes and construction of this cake have changed greatly over the years, with various doughs and fillings being used, but today the Gâteau St. Honoré typically has a base of puff pastry with a top ring of choux pastry, garnished with cream puffs around the border and filled with Chiboust or pastry cream. It is meant to showcase all of these wonderful inventions of French pâtisserie that endure to this day and give sweet pleasure to so many.
For a step by step guide to making a Gâteau St Honoré, in French but with pictures included, go to www.meilleurduchef.com/cgi/mdc/l/fr/recettes/saint_honore_ill.html