These recipes were first inspired by a bewitching pastry square I tried at a Moulin de la Vierge bakery on rue Saint Dominique in Paris. The pastry was a modest-looking thing, dotted with dried fruits, often overlooked in favor of the more spectacular-looking pastries. But one bite and I was truly addicted. I developed a version for my students as a kind of entry-level introduction to baking, showing how with just a simple dough and topping, you can create a truly impressive dessert. Now my students are hooked, too!
I have been tinkering with it over the years, and my most recent version is a gluten-free variation using just ground almonds in the pastry, no flour. The honey and almond slices in the topping are more or less fundamental elements to the recipe (it’s the honey that caramelizes in the oven and makes it so addictive!), but the rest is open to experimentation: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, candied orange, dried blueberries, lemon or orange zest—or a mixture of all—would make worthy versions!