Have you been waiting for them? Here are the bûches de Noël for the end of 2024, made with love in California.
Pitchoun Bakery
Bordering Pershing Square – where a huge ice-skating rink has just been installed – and next door to the superb Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Pitchoun Bakery, the French bakery-patisserie owned by Fabienne and Frédéric Souliès, has just released its collection of six bûches. Three are “traditional” trunk-shaped buttercream bûches in flavors of chocolate, vanilla, and coffee. Then there are the others: a Mont Blanc chestnut bûche (chestnut cream, vanilla and white chocolate mousse, meringue, and chocolate fondant), an Aspen chocolate bûche (chocolate mousse, hazelnut ganache, and milk chocolate sponge cake), and a Hawaiian bûche (mango and passion fruit mousse, homemade red fruit jam, and almond financier). For Christmas Eve or pre-Christmas evenings, you can also order a special holiday Croquembouche of 30 choux, along with individual Christmas-themed desserts (a matcha and raspberry Christmas tree tart, special Christmas eclairs, and more…). Pitchoun bûches are designed to serve 8 people. The traditional bûches are priced at $52, and the specialty version at $49. Pre-order is available until December 21.
Address: 545 South Olive Street
LA Chouquette
In West Hollywood, on Melrose Avenue, the bistro chairs on the terrace signal the presence of Elodie and Dan Pouliquen’s French patisserie: LA Chouquette. For Christmas, the couple has unveiled two new bûches: the classic roulé with hazelnut praline mousse, chocolate, and hazelnut icing, and a more exotic bûche with vanilla mousse and a creamy heart of mango and passion fruit. The house offers its bûches in 3 sizes (for serving 4, 6-8, or 10-12 people), starting at $45 for the smallest, and $100 for the largest.
Address: 7350 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood
Ludivine Paris
On the West Side, Rancho Park neighborhood, near the Lycée Français, Ludivine Paris, the bakery-patisserie of Ludivine and Samuel Bellahssen, is renewing its collection of bûches. In light of last year’s success, the company is bringing back its two star recipes. These are creations of pure, modern design, with a chocolate and caramel version (chocolate sponge cake, praline feuillantine, a salted caramel heart, chocolate mousse, and a velvety chocolate couverture) and a vanilla and raspberry version (almond sponge cake, praline feuillantine, a raspberry heart, and vanilla mousse). The former is adorned with chocolate shavings, the latter with white and pastel pink meringue. These bûches serve 8-10 people, and are priced at $79. Order up to 48 hours in advance by phone, or online.
Address: 10509 Pico Boulevard
Sweet Lily Bakery
Marine and Thibault, the pastry chefs behind Sweet Lily Bakery, have two locations in Los Angeles, the first just two minutes from Universal Studios, and the second in the Culver City district. Their menu features no fewer than six varieties of bûche de Noël, including the incomparable Triple Pleasure, a crispy praline version with three layers of chocolate mousse. The fruitier Caribbean bûche has a financier base and a filling of passion fruit mousse. The brownie Chocoberry is a new addition to the menu, combining dark chocolate mousse, raspberry cream, and crunchy shavings. The dark chocolate Espresso combines coffee cream with vanilla sponge cake, while the Traditional is more classic, with a vanilla rum sponge cake and chocolate buttercream. New this season, the bakery offers a gluten-free alternative with an almond dacquoise base, and a perfect marriage of Tahitian vanilla cream and caramel mousse. These bûches are available in 8 to 10-person formats for $62, or as individual slices for $8. Ice cream bûches for 10 people are available for $80. Orders can be placed by telephone or in-store. Delivery on December 23 is available upon request. The bakery will also be open on December 24 from 7am to 2pm.
Addresses: 3315 Cahuenga Boulevard; 9516 Culver Boulevard.
This article was originally published in French on French Morning.
