The best day of your life starts like any other day. You wake up. Oh yes, it's another day. You go through your morning rituals. This then that. And then something unthinkable happens and you realize it's the best day of your life.
Today I woke and it was a chilly late fall morning. I had planned to visit Mah ze Dahr Bakery, of which I had heard rumors of excellent pastry. And so I went. Two things I ordered: a cinnamon brioche, which actually looked like a fine sticky bun, and a vanilla choux. For you non-experts, choux is a ball of soft, hollow pastry commonly filled with cream; a cream puff, if you will. And I will.
I tasted the cinnamon brioche: a tasty and tender bastard, with a fine, supple flavor. Well done. Next.
The choux was tiny, smaller than your average, plump choux. It was almost a dainty little choux. The top was structured with little trenches, creating grid-like canyons of pastry. There was clear evidence of a sugar glaze which had caremelized during the baking of the choux. I took a bite and smiled with pleasure. Was this really happening? Was I really eating the greatest choux of my life? I was immediately taken with the craggly top of the pastry, a dream-like, slightly caramelized pastry. The taste of the pastry was wholesome and incredible! Usually the cream within the choux is the star of the attraction, but this time the pastry itself was every bit as amazing as the cream. And let me be clear, the cream was incredible, a vanilla cream of exquisite flavor not to mention texture. My eyes rolled back into my head and I was overtaken with the flavor, the emotions, of this vanilla choux. I fell to the ground and started rolling around in sheer pleasure. People were staring at me. Whatever. Welcome to the best day of my life.
Mah ze Dahr Bakery
West Village