It’s just not a proper Christmas without traditional holiday desserts like gingerbread and peppermint bark. Count on master chef Thomas Keller to put the icing on the cake with his menu of sweet treats from Bouchon Bakery on the ground level of his Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills, just two blocks from Rodeo Drive.
Macarons are the specialty of the house, and this year’s peppermint and cranberry-orange versions are now available in $16 six-packs. Other flavors include the Snowflake Shortbread, Gingerman and Snowman cookies, Bouchon’s sticky buns and eight-inch apple pies. No one in Southern California serves a more decadently-rich Bûche de Noël than Bouchon. Theirs is made the French way, with chocolate Genoise, sublime Valrhona chocolate caramel mousse, gianduja crémeux and candied hazelnuts. The large log serves 4-6, while mini versions are just right for individual noshing or gifting.
For the first time, Bouchon Bistro will be open Christmas Day for a special dine-in menu ($80 per person, $40 for kids 12 and younger). The three-course dinner will include entrée offerings including Soupe aux Champignons de Pari (mushroom soup), Foie de Volaille (chicken liver mouse with toasted brioche), Standing Rib of Prime Beef with gratin of cauliflower and Gruyère cheese, Long Island peking duck breast a la orange, and Chestnut Agnolotti with roasted winter squash and honey poached cranberries. Dessert will include all the bakery’s best treats including, of course, a classic Bûche de Noël.
