Craquelin, the KiwiFav of the week

In a shopping plaza in the Echegaray neighborhood in Naucalpan, a municipality in the State of Mexico north of Mexico City, there is a small paradise of French desserts adorned with pink flowers and golden details called Craquelin.In pastry, the word craquelin, pronounced crac-lan in French, refers to a fine and crunchy dough made with butter, sugar, and flour that gives a beautiful cracked finish to various preparations of pâte à choux. However, this word is also the name that chef Alan Tercero chose for his most recent gastronomic proposal.The also pastry chef and chocolatier, who has participated in various culinary competitions such as Cake & Bake Masters, Los Amos del Cacao, World Chocolate Masters, and even the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, aims to make the excellence of French pastry accessible to anyone with his small pastry shop where he offers cakes, breads, cookies, chocolates, bonbons, meringues, and macarons.The classic millefeuille, the iconic Opera, and the exquisite truffle cake are must-haves at Craquelin. However, chef Alan Tercero also integrates some classics from international pastry into his offerings in his own style, such as his version of tres leches covered with a chantilly made from mascarpone cream and decorated with red fruits or his Craquelin tartlet, inspired by the traditional Saint Honoré cake.Regarding pastries, at Craquelin you can find delicate croissants and pains au chocolat, fine cheese and red fruit baskets, fragrant cinnamon rolls, and unmissable creations like Walma's rose, a delicious bread filled with pastry cream and stewed apples originating from a small town in Murcia, Spain.However, the crown jewel of Craquelin is the select variety of macarons, as each colorful cookie meets the requirements that a good macaron must have: a crunchy exterior, a creamy filling, and pronounced flavors according to its filling.It is worth noting that the success of this French dessert paradise has been so great that just a couple of weeks ago, chef Alan Tercero opened the second branch of Craquelin in the Lomas Verdes neighborhood in the same municipality, much to the delight of fine pastry lovers.