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I know I’m not going to make me friends saying that, but I always said that Italy could not compete with French patisserie. I always considered the Italian cakes more for afternoon tea than after a meal, when you may look for something lighter.

Plus most of the time, if you go in a standard shop, the cakes are not beautiful and neat as in France, they are more simple, rough. They are often too sweet, creamy and heavy for me. And the chocolate ? Well the chocolate is not as the one I can find in France.

The only two desserts I like are tiramisu and panna cotta.

 

So when I discovered Ernst Knam patisserie, I was kind of happy to see that my statement is only partially true. Yeah I like to be proved wrong when it comes to food :- )

 

I may have passed in front of Ersnt Knam shop in via Anfossi more than 100 times before entering.

Passing there, I had often seen a long queue outside, people parking in front to get some cakes; but as I hadn't been convinced by Italian chocolate so far, I had never considered entering the shop. In France, I may stop from time to time to get a sweet in a patisserie; in Italy, I would probably buy by impulse only pizza …

 

Recently, I’ve been to a couple of gourmet restaurants proposing Ernst Knam cakes for dessert, so I told myself I was probably missing something. I did my due diligence and discovered Ernst has been trained in different countries and worked with Gualterio Marchesi. It was enough to push the door as I live nearby. I went on a Saturday before Christmas and the shop was packed, but it did not stop me.

 

When I entered I got surprised by the beauty of the cakes, the design was minimalist and this was immediately giving an image of pureness of the tastes. I  told myself I would select one cake to try without asking about the price. There was a pie with persimmon and gold leaf: simply beautiful.

Initially I went there to buy some chocolate. The pralines are shaped and colored in a minimalist way, and filled with crazy flavors changing from the traditional ones: jelly with wood, yuzu,  or even a combo of cappers and limoncello…

When I went back home and tried my pie with chocolate and fruit, I was surprised by the finesse of the ingredients and the enjoyable combination : not too sweet, not too heavy, pure chocolate taste. Me, that don't like to mix fruit and chocolate, I really got amazed. This was great.

The only thing that is not so great ? the price. I had never seen something so expensive. 6€ the single portion pie, 35€ the 20 pralines. I recommend the pies anyway though.