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Jean Hwang Carrant: Simply Extraordinary Cookies
Add: delivery-based, click here for details.
Tel: N/A
Price: €3.50/cookie
Website: www.jeanhwangcarrant.com
Tasted on: Mar 2013
When I visited Jean’s kitchen to sample her famed cookies, I was only planning to stay for an hour or so. I mean, how long does it take to bake and eat a batch of cookies? The truth is that I ended up lingering for four full hours – she baked, I ate, and we chatted about baking, about dining out, and about random little things that intrigue us both. It was such a pleasure spending time with her that before I knew it, an entire afternoon had gone by!
And who is Jean? The intro on her website sums it up: “An American born and raised in Kansas, of Taiwanese descent, fallen in love with a Frenchman, bakes the most surprising cookies in Paris.” And her cookies? “Pounds of creativity, a good dose of excellence, a genuine touch of Asian elegance and a breath of fresh air…voilà, the unique and original recipe for her extraordinary cookies where France, Asia and America encounter.”
What surprised/impressed me most was that Jean alone makes ALL the cookies, even when she receives orders in staggering amounts of, let’s say, 3000 cookies. She makes the dough, weighs out the portion precisely with a scale, rolls each cookie individually, bakes, cools, packages everything in neat paper bags, and even does the delivery. That’s an awful lot of work!
A key to Jean’s extraordinary cookies are the top quality (often organic/bio) ingredients that she uses. Check out her house special vanilla extract in the making…
So what did she feed me that afternoon? Eight flavors, no less.
- Arthur – chocolate chip, the good old classic
- Sseb – dark chocolate and Thai chili pepper
- Hall & Oates – oatmeal and raisins
- Gwenola – caramel chocolate and sea salt
- Black Sesame – made with Taiwanese black sesame powder!
- Mac & Choc – white chocolate with macadamia nuts
- Triple C – triple chocolate, nuts, and fleur de sel
- Matcha Oat – matcha and oatmeal
There’s something comforting and soothing about these cookies, not only because they are all soft and chewy and heavenly delicious, but also because you can tell that Jean made them with all her heart. And which one is my favorite? That’s like asking me which is my favorite Pierre Hermé macaron – I just can’t decide. And that’s not all! Jean has got 24 cookie flavors up on her website, including some very creative ones like the Mojo (mojito cookie with lime, mint, and Chamarel rum from Mauritius Island). Curious. Very curious.
Now, the most important question…how can you get your hands on a bag of these cookies? For now, they are mostly delivery-based (use this form to contact Jean), and you can also find them at the Brunch Bazaar and La Charlotte de l’Isle. Time to forget about your waistline and nom away.
For those who are curious about Jean, take a look at this cute video on her. Why yes, she listens to Rock music when she bakes!
That sesame cookie looks delicious! And oh-so-cute. :)
Doesn’t it? Tastes delicious too ;)
Thank you for a wonderful blog about my little sister’s cookies! She was always a great chef! Grace
My pleasure! It was so much fun meeting Jean and tasting her cookies – they are real charmers!