by: Ginger
I remember that day like it was yesterday. I strode confidently into La Madeleine on Jefferson Hwy., eager to get my fix. I stepped up the dessert counter and announced my choice without hesitation. "One harlequin please." The response was like a slap in the face. "We don't carry the harlequin anymore." "WHAT?!?" Much to my surprise, I shouted the word and the waitress stared at me dumbfounded. My shouting was followed by a barely audible "oh." I slowly backed away from the counter and left the restaurant devastated. My beloved dessert was gone.
For those of you who never had the pleasure of enjoying a harlequin, allow me to clue you in. The words clouds, puppies and sunshine all come to mind, but why don't I just describe it for you? The harlequin was a fabulous layered dessert akin to a parfait. It was a vision in black and white - hence the name. The bottom layer was a decadent and rich chocolate mousse. Slightly nestled in that mousse was a small piece of rum-soaked pound cake that was so moist and delicious it took your breath away. Covering the layers of chocolate mousse and moistened cake was a light, velvety layer of white chocolate mousse. The white chocolate mousse was quite fluffy and had an almost marshmallow quality to it. The dessert was topped with chocolate ganache, playfully swirled and a chocolate dipped strawberry. It was a magnificent creation. It was relatively small so it satiated you perfectly and was just enough. I loved it very much and miss it much. At one point, I even petitioned La Madeleine on its comment card to bring the dessert back but have yet to see it again. I can only hope to one day drum up the courage to try and recreate it in my own kitchen.
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