When a piece of art is also edible, it creates a dilemma — admire it, or eat it?
Barbara Whettell is a pastry chef in Arlington County, Virginia, at Surreal, which is located on Crystal Drive in National Landing.
She has created completely edible hanging ornament croissants.
“The flavor is eggnog cream, and it’s buttery, and it’s flaky, and it’s soft inside,” Whettell said. “When it bakes it makes it crunchier, and flakier, but the inside keeps soft, and when it’s warm, it’s amazing.”
The intricately woven croissants are complete with a ribbon bow to hang on a Christmas tree.
“The bow’s the only thing that’s not edible,” said Whettell, holding up one of the baked creations. “This part is a chocolate decoration, that I painted with gold dust,” she said, pointing to what looks like the tiny metal bracket that holds a glass ornament to hang on a tree. “The outside has edible gold leaf.”
Isn’t creating such works of art time-consuming?
“I always have the dough, a premade colored dough ball, so we have a system where we can have all the shapes and all the flavors that we need,” Whettell said.
Packaged in a clear gift box, Whettell doesn’t expect the croissant ornaments will last long on the tree before being eaten — “I would,” she said, with a hearty laugh.
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