$40 Les Madeleines giveaway
Chef Romina Rasmussen has come a long way from her Easy Bake Oven days growing up in Salt Lake City. Her approach to baking encompasses both tradition and her own unique twist acquired during her extensive travels. After training at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, Chef Romina worked at the Mandarin Oriental Miami’s fine dining restaurant, Azul, and Mesa Grill, a Bobby Flay restaurant in New York City, before opening Les Madeleines in 2003. In 2007, she was named best pastry chef by Salt Lake magazine and continues to acquire accolades and both regional and national recognition including The Food Network, O The Oprah Magazine, Food & Wine and Sunset Magazine.
A Salt Lake City, Utah institution since 2003, Les Madeleines offers unique pastries with bold flavors that are both beautiful and delicious. Inspired by the world travels of Pastry Chef Romina Rasmussen, the bakery’s menu is a collection of pastries and savory breakfast and lunch items, all created from scratch and using only the finest ingredients.
Les Madeleines is perhaps best known for its Kouing Aman: a crunchy, salted caramel on the outside and gooey, flaky inside; different flavors and textures combined into one delectable pastry. Pronounced kwenn aman and also spelled Kouign Amann, this French delicacy originated from Brittany, France in 1865 and was voted the 2012 pastry of the year by Food & Wine.
Les Madeleines offers breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Saturday. Menu items include:
Viennoiseries: Croissant, Pain au Chocolat, Quick Breads, English-Style Scones, Kouing Aman
Seasonal Tarts: Meyer Lemon Meringue, Tarte Tatin, French-Style Apple Tart, Tarte Bourdaloue
Desserts: Reine de Saba, Eclairs, Tiramisu, Fruit Charlottes, Braso de Reina
Cookies & Candy: Butter Toffee Shortbread, Madeleines, NY Black & White Cookies, Rugelach
Breakfast: Egg & Cheese Sandwich, Mushroom Bread Pudding, Crepes with House Made Jam
Lunch: Sesame Chicken Salad Wrap, Turkey Avocado Sandwich, Salami Sandwich
Sounds delicious right? Which is why you really won’t want to miss this opportunity to win a $40 gift card kindly donated by the good folks at Les Madeleines. To enter is as simple as ever. By way of a comment on this post simply let us know – “If you were a sweet treat what would you be and why?”. Me, I’d probably be a rum cake, mostly dense and often a tad boozy. We will pick a random winner from all the entrants on May 29th, good luck!.
Les Madeleines
216 East 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 355-2294
Website: www.les-madeleines.com/
Oh, how I love Les Madeleines! I’d love to say, as a sweet, I’d be Kouing Aman but I’m probably more along the lines of a French Macaron. Small, colorful, and often quirky and unexpected.
I’d have to go with the Kouig Aman, salty & sweet, a bit flaky, rare but always desired!
I love Les Madelines. I’d love to take my family there for some awesome sweet treats. Yummy! They deserve it.
I’d be the Kouing Aman. I’m Salty (Sassy), Sweet, A little flaky, and when I’m gone people miss me terribly.
A vanilla bean scone. Simple and sweet. A mellow dessert that makes you smile.
I’d be cheesecake- my jokes may be cheesy but no one can deny my sweetness.
Yay! This is a toughie though… I’d probably be either a Napoleon or a Marzipan cake b/c you can never have enough of them (they have just the right amount of sweetness and the perfect balance between tough [ie think of the pastry layer in the case of the N.) and soft).
I’d be the Pain Au Chocolat. Layers upon layers, with a dark, indulgent hidden center.
Their macaroons are transcendent!
I would be a mini eclair. Small but with rich flavors!
Fruit tart. Lots of flavors but very sweet.
i would be a st. louis gooey butter cake: no frills but a keeper.
You can’t go wrong being anything that has Valrhona chocolate in it.
If i were a sweet treat i would love to be a Delicious Tramisu cake
because tramisu is a creamy Chocolaty yummii goodness that makes people to think about their happy time when they sink their teeth in to it !
Probably monkey bread. Soft, chewy, crunchy, and super sweet! Mmmmmmm
Les Madelines is the best bakery around. If you are visiting slc, this is a must see or should I say a must eat! You can’t go wrong with les Madelines!
If I were a sweet, I would be a perfectly flaky almond crossaint–my wife’s favorite.
Kouign Amann, because there is NOTHING better than that. Second choice would be an almond meal shortbread – simple, semi-sweet and to-the-point.
I would only aspire to be the Kouing Amann…once you know you will never forget.
The Kouing Aman without a doubt since it beat out Italian pastry and is incredibly amazing.
I would be a strawberry shortcake. The real kind.
I would be a French Macaron cuz they’re so colorful and yummy. Plus I can never forget the moment when I bit into this awesome dessert when I was walking in my dream city Paris!
I cant think of anything witty, so I will just say a tart.
I found Kouing Amann in St. Malo France last summer and it was only then that I realized it came from that region. I must say that the ones at Les Madeleines are even better than those in Northern France! I would definitely be a an unforgettable Kouing Amann if I had to spend my life as a pastry.
I would be Tiramisu…I am sweet and usually soaked in rum and espresso. YUM
I would be a buckeye! peanut butter ball dipped in chocolate, mmm.
I have been dying to try Les Madeleines…the kouing aman is on my ‘must eat’ list. And I would be pain au chocolat, for certain!
I’d be a Christmas Cake, because I’m traditional and English, messed up and kinda gross on the inside, and have skin the color and texture of marzipan.
(I’m not eligible for the contest, but just wanted to put that out there.)
I’m bread pudding. Soft, smooshy, way too sweet, with just a hint of crustiness. Some people can’t handle too much of me.
The delicious Meyer Lemon tart!
Molten Chocolate Lava Cake with a side of vanilla ice cream. Delish.
Definitely a salted caramel pots de creme! Rich and creamy and that great mix of sweet and salty mmmmmmmmm.
I’d be a caramel — simple but versatile.
I’d be one of Romina’s kouings–hard and crunchy on the outside, but very sweet, and custardy in the middle.
a Kouing Aman – complex, but sweet
I’d be an eclair. I love eclairs.
a whoopie pie?
I’d be a chocolate chip cookie with sea salt sprinkled on top…not too fancy, comforting, yet surprising.
I would be Fruit Charlottes…I’m sweet in the middle and love to have lady fingers on me!
It’d be a vegan, gluten-free, vanilla cupcake. Yes, they exist, and they can be pretty darn good. Ah, the joys of food allergies.
I would shove anything they make into my mouth, allergic or not. It’s that good!
Vanilla ice cream…a little plain but is still good and goes well with everything.
Although I am a huge fan of Koueing-Aman (I take them to friends as a special little gift of love), if you are what you eat them I am definitely Les Madeleines’ Reine de Saba: sweet, silky, dense, and mysterious! Be still my heart!
Tiramisu – Rich Dense Italian energy.
oooh I would be a Kouing Aman… sweet and a little salty. It keeps you on your toes and is like a flavor explosion.
I’m a Chocolate chip cookie. You can dress me up and take me out but I’m most comfortable at home in my pajamas.
Key Lime Tart–I’m sweet & sour…trying to be mostly sweet, but have a bit of the sarcastic side.
I would say that I’m shortbread— classic and not always flashy, but sweet and richer and more interesting than you’d expect!
I’d be salty licorice. That way I’d just say out of Scandinavia and no one would ever eat me!!!!