Petit Pastis, Cakes and cookies, El Camp D’en Grassot

I am a baker. My kids’ lunchbox contents are the envy of their classmates. They have the muffins, the brookies, the cookies- daily. I’m smug about it. And being immersed in baking myself, I am not easily impressed. In my mind and that of 8-year-olds, I am a semi-pro.

The other day, I was rooting around the Petit Pastis Christmas box* (30€), and I found a Panettone cookie. Valerie, one of the owners of Petit Pastis, mentioned that besides the usual flavours, they always make seasonal variations. This was one such example. Intrigued, I bit into it. Part of Panettone’s fundamental characteristics is its pliability, how if you smush it between your fingers it will go from light and airy to doughy and dense. Would it work as a cookie? Would I think Panettone? Surprisingly yes. It was 100 per cent panettone with the texture not distracting from the concept at all. I stopped eating halfway through to give it to my partner so he could attest to this wonder of a Panettone cookie. He concurred. I rushed into Instagram messages “Do you put actual Panettone into the Panettone cookies?” I typed.
“No just the flavourings.” Valerie replied.

It’s nice that there is a cookie out there that will remain a mystery to me. I have a few destination places. Yellow Bakery or Origo for sourdough. Lukumas for doughnuts. Now I will have a destination cookie address. A novelty for me.

Petit Pastis is an American style bakery that opened three years ago by a couple. Valerie is Venuezelan and her husband Albert is Catalan. They were both working in the restaurant industry and loving it. Albert was at Comerc 24 probably around the time that I ate there. Valerie and Albert set up Petit Pastis together when they decided to start a family. Acknowledging what everyone knows, that a job in the restaurant industry is not compatible with a family.

Petit Pastis makes cakes, cookies, brownies, jarred desserts and cinnamon rolls. It took convincing for the locals to get passed their bias that American baking was as bad as American junk food. Few were able to resist. Petit Pastis does a good trade with the locals but also with restaurants who would rather outsource a good product than figure out how to do it in house.

If the cookies are anything to go by, the cakes must be equally good, especially in the wacky formats that they turn out. Add to that the pies, the cheesecakes or the cute seasonal iced biscuits but the one thing I am absolutely kicking myself over is that I didn’t try the S’Mores cookies. I can’t believe I let that one slip through my fingers. May have to make a cookie detour soon.

Petit Pastis
C/ Còrsega 494
El Camp D’en Grassot 08025
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*This was a complimentary box from Petit Pastis