Christmas Pâté

Sawade Christmas Pâté with Cherries under Flambéed Marzipan

Sawade Christmas Pâté is the round layered pâté for the winter table, composed of brittle, almond nougat, rum-cream truffle, and pickled cherries. A flambéed marzipan topping seals it all, and it is served by slicing it cold into thin pieces for the coffee plate.

Christmas Pâté is the wintry standout among the Berlin layered pâtés from Sawade in Reinickendorf, weighing 250 grams and tightly wrapped in cellophane. A fan-shaped pattern runs across the browned marzipan to the edge, and in the center sits a single pistachio in a dark dot. The round seal of the house is affixed on top.

The cherry interrupts the nougat

The first bite remains brown and nutty until the maraschino cherry cuts through, making everything tart for a moment. On the cut surface, the layers lie on top of each other like tree rings, alternating light and dark, with the browned cover completing the picture at the very top.

Under the marzipan, the rum-cream truffle awaits first, cool and soft, followed by almond nougat and nut dessert, and at the very bottom, the brittle provides a crunchy contrast. The house calls the lighter layer—which provides a sense of calm between the nougat and the truffle—the nut dessert. Soft, crunchy, tart—three characteristics that are rarely found so closely together in a torte.

The cherries are distributed throughout all the nut layers, so every other piece gets its own unique sequence. Cut into thin slices, the pâté is enough for an entire coffee table, and its fruitiness comes out more clearly alongside black tea than with mulled wine.

The marzipan topping goes under the flame

The topping is applied as a thin sheet of premium marzipan, stamped with a fan pattern, and then flambéed until it is golden brown.

Beforehand, the individual masses must be stacked as flat layers and chilled through to the core so that the topping does not sink when applied. Only the raised areas catch the heat, which is why the pattern appears darker after flambéing than the background between them.

Two seconds too long and the almond mass tastes burnt instead of toasted, which is why this task at Sawade has never been handed over to a machine. Whoever cuts the pâté sees the result of these seconds as a delicate fan pattern across the entire surface.

Finally, the edge goes through the couverture

The brittle underneath is cooked in-house and beaten until it breaks into thin layers. Over this, the confectioners pour the truffle mass, which binds the loose shards together and makes the entire layer firm enough to slice.

Finally, the torte is dipped edge-first into dark couverture, which holds the stack together from the outside while protecting it from the air. This is exactly why the Sawade pâté holds up well even after being cut, as long as the cut surface is wrapped again afterward.

It slices cleanly at room temperature; when cold, however, the brittle breaks and pushes the cover upward. Hazelnut, almond, and pistachio lie in multiple layers, joined by Jamaican rum and maraschino—details that should be mentioned at the Advent table.

The same torte without the winter theme can be found as the Pâté in a Gift Box, and at Easter, the same craftsmanship appears in the nest as the Magnificent Pâté Egg. The Berlin assortment from Sawade can be found at Sawade Berlin, and all things festive in our Christmas Selection.