After tasting over 100 bûches de noël across France, here's our selection of the 15 best of 2024.

World pastry champion in 2017, Bastien Girard made his dreams come true in 2020 by returning to the Ardèche department to set up his own boutique with his wife, Margaux. The cakes on offer vary according to the season, with as much locally sourced fruit and with the most eco-friendly approach possible.

Our opinion: This bûche takes up the fundamentals of the paris-brest cake reworked in an ice cream version and spiced up by the peanut that replaces the hazelnut. The choux pastry is found in the crisp, with an éclair topped with creamy peanut praline as an insert. The addition of a hint of fleur de sel to the praline balances out the sweetness and gives a long finish. Yummy!

Composition: choux pastry crisp, peanut praline cream, peanut praline ice cream and peanut Chantilly cream.

€35 (for 6 people). Pâtisserie Intense, 5, Rue Gabriel-Faure, Tournon-sur-Rhône (southeastern France); 64, Avenue Victor-Hugo, Valence.

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