I’m usually not big on sweets, but I can never turn down pastries and cakes from Cannelle Patisserie.  Here’s a little something I wrote for LIC Bites, a food column in a newsletter for my fellow condo residents in Long Island City, Queens:

If you don’t have time for a summer getaway, or you’ve just got a craving for something sweet, take a trip to Queens, where you will find that the pastries of Paris await you.  Cannelle Patisserie is a French bakery hidden deep within an unassuming mini-mall in Jackson Heights.  The inviting aromas of coffee, buttery puffed pastry and French baguettes will reel you in upon entering.  Inside you will find artfully decorated cakes behind the refrigerated display, shimmering tarts and quiches, and freshly baked pastries piled in woven baskets.

Cannelle radiates the energy of a lively neighborhood haunt. Packed at seemingly all hours of the day, the bakery appears to be a home away from home for a diverse group of customers, from an elderly quartet sipping coffee and enjoying sparse conversation to a father sharing a Croque Monsieur and soda for lunch with his son. With a humble burgundy awning and a window decorated with painted floral designs, Cannelle might look distinctly unlike the expensive bakeries you’ll find on the Upper East Side. However, do not expect anything less than the highest quality French fare.

Jean-Claude Perennou, the owner and pastry chef of Cannelle, is a master of flaky croissants, zesty lemon squares, and exquisitely moist Black Forest cake.  Previously the head pastry chef for the Waldorf Astoria, Perennou decided to stake out on his own to start Cannelle Patisserie.  Whenever I visit Cannelle to fulfill my need for sweet, Jean-Claude is usually working alongside his staff or behind the scenes in the kitchen; the intense love and dedication that goes into his pastries can be tasted in every crumb and flake of his breads and cakes. Thanks to Jean-Claude, the delicate art of French baking has become a familiar pleasure for many residents of Queens.

Jean-Claude Perennou, Pastry Chef and Proud Owner of Cannelle Patisserie

Don’t know what to get?  Here’s a box of goodies from Cannelle that I got, but you’ll have to pay a trip to Cannelle Patisserie to try for yourself.

Clockwise from the top left:
Paris Brest: a ring-shaped cream puff topped with almonds, halved and filled with praline-flavored butter cream.  (Fun fact: this dessert was created to honor a bicycle race between Paris and Brest.)
Red Velvet Cupcake: a moist red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting topped with cubes of more velvet cupcake.  One of the best red velvet cakes I’ve had, and I don’t typically choose red velvet.
Black Forest Cake: a chocolaty black forest cake with dark cherries is subtly sweet and super moist.  If you like cherries and chocolate, this is the dessert for you.
Apricot Strip: a strip of crispy pastry with apricot filling, studded with pistachios.  If you like tart pastries, this is a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Apple Strudel Stick: apple-filled puffed pastry, a classic!
Lemon Square: creamy and zesty lemon custard on top of a piecrust, topped with a stud of candied lemon peel.  Rich and tart, this is one of my favorite desserts.
Espresso Cake: an espresso-flavored cake on the outside, with mocha mousse filling and chocolate crunchies in the center.

Cannelle Patisserie
75-59 31st Avenue
Jackson Heights, NY 11370
(718) 565-6200

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