Chocolate croissant-gate

[runningtostandstill]

I went to a bakery this morning to buy a chocolate croissant for my son, ahead of me was a mum and a little boy (6ish). He was messing about a bit and taking ages saying what he wanted so she waved me in front so I didn't have to wait.

I then asked for a chocolate croissant - the last one on the shelf - and the mum said 'oh you can't have that, what if my son decides he wants it'. What would you have said/done?

Totally went and got one. I’m such a sucker.

I'd have replied saying if you're not fast you're last and bought it anyway but realise now there is a much more serious debate on this thread

So what did the dithering child choose in the end? Were you around for the great decision?
(I'm feeling quite smug as I've just convinced my little one that she wants a chocolate cookie after supper so that I can snaffle her chocolate croissant to have with my g&t coffee later.)

cleanermaidcook only if I can luxuriate in the memory of the chocolate Chelsea buns I knocked up for work a while back. The secret is to let them do their final rise overnight, then whack them in the oven first thing so they are still warm when you take them in, oh, and save a bit of Nutella to water down slightly and brush over as a glaze when they come out of the oven.

I would most likely lean down to the child and say 'that's the one the dog licked - that's why it's the only one left. Still want it?'

I just bought one of the best almond croissants in Paris and it's waiting to be eaten . Only waiting because my french is so atrocious that I accidentally ordered a regular croissant as well - so I ate that first. OMG. It was so good I just about cried.

French bakeries have ruined any sort of Canadian bakeries for me. Even the grocery stores have decent baking. I just walk by Canadian ones and say "You're FAKE" to myself in a Buddy the elf voice.

And - completely off topic, but sounds like there are lots of knowledgeable people here... I found regular Pimm's in Canada, after reading about it on Mumsnet. Someone mentioned a winter Pimms...does anyone know if it can be bought in Paris? Or anywhere in London? DH is going there next week. I've already looked in Monoprix and Carrefour with no luck.

Thanks for the tip Koalab, I'm making a note to try them. And two strips of plain chocolate is (are?) indeed the way to go.

Also croissants, pains au chocolat etc are called Viennoiserie in France, i.e. Viennese pastries. So just like in Danish.

But ah, lardy cake. Sighs wistfully. Haven't seen that for years - I assumed it must have fallen foul of the fat police.
Thinking about it, lardy cake (bread dough enriched with lard) is an authentic but thrifty English alternative to a croissant, (dough enriched with butter.)

..so....chocolatines are now in the mix!
I must say I have never seen chocolate croissants, and am now persuaded that what I have been calling pains au chocolat are actually chocalatines, because I now remember eating bread and chocoalte like that at my penfriend's, 1000 years ago. Pain au chocolat seems a reasonable term for it.

Her boy had already been given the opportunity to choose it.

He was taking so long to decide, she waved you ahead.

You were fine to choose it and keep it, even if it had been the last one.

If customers left goods on shelves in case other peoples' children possibly wanted them, the retail sector would collapse.

Oooiiie this thread is turning into a nostalgia-fest. Lardy-cake! And I'd completely forgotten pain au chocolate coming labelled as chocolatines! Must have been what, 80s? 90s?

I've never heard of a chocolate croissant either, and now I'm feeling deprived.

Planning a quick raid on Greggs tomorrow...

As an observation, this MN thread about food is attracting scores of comments in an afternoon whereas the whole of Dadsnet is tumbleweed city. Curious that!

Justsayno he should be able to get the winter Pimms in any decent supermarket in Central London, (e.g. try Waitrose) or a good wine merchant.

He is rather less likely to find it so easily in Paris. And if you can it will be $$$.

Must say I fancy a croissant with ham and cheese, just an excuse for a bit more fat in there and it is a 'savory'!!

They were called chocolatines in Carcassonne when we went a few months ago. It caused us some confusion (and an excess of pastries. Oh well).

Lardy cake is truly a thing of beauty but I too have not seen it for a very long time.

out that's probably because half the posters on mumsnet are dads...

Newt many moons ago when DS was a toddler we put him in a nursery in French ski resort for a couple of mornings while we skied and the mid morning snack was a 3-4 inch piece of baguette filled with the aforesaid two small sticks of plain chocolate.

And I recall the inimitable Elizabeth David decreed that the dark chocolate in bread was the original and only pain au chocolat worth having and that the new way, in croissant dough was far too rich and fattening. She lost that battle!

Bread from Vienna isn't necessarily really an originally Austrian receipe is it? It might be, I have no idea but there's nothing especially German about frankfurter sausages and in Germany they're called Wiener which means Viennese :o "English" muffins aren't English at all as far as I know, and the dishwasher served in Germany as "English breakfast tea" certainly wouldn't pass muster with most English tea drinkers :o

mmm, she was right tho'- but I guess that only works if you have the genuine baguette

Due to you lot I've just been browsing the stickies aisle in Waitrose and now have a hazelnut croissant and a maple and pecan yum yum.
It's all your fault that I'm fat!

Thank you Tartyflette. I will send him on a mission .

I have a shopping list made from the "What to buy in Paris" thread you sent - have bought tinned cassoulet and ratatouille. Am a bit skeptical but we can always toss it and go out for dinner. Also bought the Listel rose. Couldn't find the green Petit Marseilles shampoo for long hair, pondering the mixta hand cream.

Also discovered creme de cassis - total bargain(4.99e here, $34 at home) and tasty mixed with sparkling wine/cider. I am in heaven.

I'm sorry everyone but I am French and I just can't let this go.
There is no such thing as a Chocolate Croissant. It is a sort of Danish viennoiserie I believe. Or German?
Pain au Chocolat and Chocolatine are the same thing. Chocolatine is the term used in South West France while Pain Au Chocolat is used everywhere else.
(Also if I say 'croissant ' in French no-one will understand me here, so I say it with my best British accent :) )

And.. there is a war in France about this. Chocolatine ou Pain au chocolat?
People argue, have fights on Twitter or FB. It's not pretty.

In the interests of diversity I give you the Swiss Choccy Wegli; sweetened bread with lumps of dark chocolate and spiky to (loosely) resemble a hedgehog.

I am looking forward to next Easter when Marks and Spencer sell chocolate and orange hot cross buns. Sublime when warmed up in the microwave as the choccy melts.