Mark’s Score 9.6
Let’s face it, two of the great joys in life are ice cream and pastry. Remember the scene in Sister Act when Sister Mary Clarence states that ice cream is better than sex? She isn’t wrong, but I would include pastry on that list. Well, good pastry that is, when pastry is good it is great, but most of what passes for pastry these days is sugary mushy gruel. Life is too short to waste your calory budget on bad pastry. So, when you find a good pastry shop it is something worth celebrating. Which brings me to the subject of today’s review, Bonheure.
Bonheure is part of the Bluepoint Group of fine dining and shopping venues in Easton. It has certainly been my experience that when Bluepoint does something they do it well and with a certain finesse. Bonheure is not your typical pastry ice cream/pastry shop. It is a patisserie in the French tradition of that word. It is a little bit of Paris in the center of Easton. In fact, bonheure means “happiness’ In French. The design of the shop is inspired by the fashion designer Coco Chanel with the décor reminiscent of the 1930s. The hand-painted Chinoiserie-inspired wallpaper makes for a whimsical atmosphere. But the real beauty of Bonheure is the quality of their product. They constantly change their ice creams, making them in small batches with an egg custard base. Which gives their ice cream a rich and silky texture. There fruit flavored ice creams are made from real fruit, sourced locally. Their pies and pastries follow the seasons and are handcrafted works of art.
Personally, I tend to buy their pastries rather than their ice cream and pies. It is not that I do not like both their pies and ice cream, but it is rare to find a patisserie that can make French pastries properly. French pasties are not cloyingly sweet or heavily laden with frosting. I good French pastry is light as air, slightly sweet, and usually includes a silky French custard that glides over the tongue barely touching the surface. Unlike most American pastries, a French pastry done well, is a mouthful of subtitle sophistication that sensually caresses the palate.
Whenever I am in Easton, I always stop at Bonheure. It is probably just as well that I don’t live in Easton, if I did, I would weigh 400 lbs. (180 kilos) from too frequent visits to Bonheure. On my last visit I bought two raspberry tarts to bring home for after dinner dessert. The fresh raspberries are placed on a lighter than air crust and a bed of silky French custard. The dessert is topped with flecks of gold. Yes, you can eat the gold. I have perhaps had better French pastries in Paris, But, if I have, I cannot recall when or where
If you have never been to France and you want to understand the difference between an American and French pastry then put Bonheure on your, must visit list.
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