The Best Strawberry Napoleon Ever: Pâtisserie Zauner in Bad Ischl

The best Strawberry Napoleon ever:
Zauner's Erdbeer-Cremeschnitte
Mille-feuille aux fraises

Crème pâtissière and
strawberry flavoured crème en chantilly
cradled between two layers
of pâte feuilletée ridolent of fresh butter
and just the lightest touch of caramel - perfection!

Zauner's superb pâte feuilletée has nothing in common
with the puff pastry you'll find in the frozen section
of your supermarket,
and the cream filling is so light and fluffy,
yet so luscious that - once you have savoured it -
you'll dream of it for the rest of your life.

I am pondering right now if I can afford
to drive three hours to Bad Ischl
tomorrow morning to be there when the Napoleons
are marching fresh out of the pastry kitchen -
and >before< they run out! -
and then drive
three hours back to Vienna.

Did I mention that the strawberries
on top taste like the ripe berries you
found in your grandmother's strawberry patch,
sweet and full of flavour?

*

Photographed in April
at
Café-Pâtisserie Zauner
Esplanade
Bad Ischl
Salzkammergut
Upper Austria
© by Merisi

*
I dedicate this post
to Carol Gillott of
Paris Breakfasts
More than four years ago,
Carol was the first visitor
to comment on my blog,
and she has encouraged and supported me
through my regularly recurring moments of doubt
about the wisdom of putting myself out there,
with those snapshots of mine.

I shall forever
be grateful for her support.
Merci, Carol!