The first place we tried after moving was this little café/bakery called : La Boîte à Pain. AMAZING coffee. I absolutely love their cappuccino. My hubby loves their double espresso. If you are a tourist, this is definitely a stop you want to make. Might as well get one of their croissants, chocolatines or amandines to go with your coffee. While enjoying your coffee you will notice that this is not only a place tourists make a point of visiting but is also a favourite for the regulars, “les Québecois” that stop in to pick up their favourite “miche” or loaf of bread, often being the Montagnais, (you want to get there early to snag one of these amazing loaves) which is delicious with brie or as a BLT. If you live in the area, you are most likely queuing behind the counter Saturday morning for their croissants… or maybe picking up the frozen croissants or chocolatines that you can bake yourself at home, fresh, Sunday morning.
Yes, YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN CROISSANTS AT HOME, almost no effort required. Well other than stopping in to pick them up the day before. And may I just take a moment to say, the smell of croissants rising and then baking in your oven is the most amazing smell to wake up to Sunday morning. It goes so well with pear and vanilla jam. (More on this later)
Seriously an awesome combo, warm croissants with pear and vanilla jam. Mouth watering….
So let’s get down to the important bit : once I have purchased said croissants, how do I bake them? You put them on a baking tray the night before you want to indulge in them, and leave them to rise in the oven overnight (11-12 hours) with the oven light on. The next morning brush them with a little egg wash, and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes depending on your oven. The goal is golden croissants. Occasionally taking a peak at them usually ensures just the right cooking time. And who are we kidding? You were gonna peak anyway….
And voilà! Croissants from your oven. With a delicious espresso “allongé” is how I like to Sunday.
So wether you are a tourist, or perhaps in the neighbourhood looking for a delicious cup of coffee or maybe something to wow your taste buds, La boîte à Pain is a must stop.
There’s a good chance you’ll see me there, I’ll be the one sitting by the window enjoying my cappuccino and the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.
