When pastry chef Romina Rasmussen first set up her bakery, Les Madeleines, in Salt Lake City, most customers reached for the prettiest treats in her case.
But missing Rasmussen's specialty is a rookie mistake. As people discovered her kouing aman, fans of the plain-looking French pastry grew. And grew. Word spread about the way the sugar and butter cook together to create a custardy interior while a crunchy toffee shell forms on the outside. Such sweet simplicity can go unnoticed only for so long.
And now Rasmussen estimates she's baked 12,000 kouing aman in the past three months.
The mania has exploded to the point that Rasmussen must cap in-store purchases at six. But even with the restriction, she has trouble meeting the demand. "People get angry," she says. "But I always see them in the shop another week." It's not hard to forgive her when the pastry is perfect.
Luckily, quantity restrictions don't apply to online sales.
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