Presqu'île Chocolaterie: Caramel Orange

Went for a long run to, along, and from Inogashira-Jindaiji History and Culture Course, which is my 21st of the 23 Tokyo H&C courses. As well as adjusting the training since the last attempt, I shortened the total route by a few kilometers (not that the length had been the problem) and, more importantly, ran in a way and at a pace that my hips could sustain. Had a little chronometer trouble at various times and I'm not completely sure about the last part of my route to the H&C course, but I seemed to do the ~15 km there on the low side of 10 km/h. After that, I seemed to manage only 8 km/h, which is slower than I'd like but better the failing. The course was about 13 km, though I overshot the end. Not sure whether there was a marker for the end on the other side of the street, but they've buried the train line and station, so got as far as the south station entrance intersection (coming from the north) before confirming that I had gone far enough. The trip back was the most brutal, ~18 km. I just stuck to the most major road (except one pointless detour) rather than get fancy. Interesting point, the beginning of the trail is in Inokashi Park and the number of police around increased exponentially as I approached. I think they were practicing some operation there, because I could see them walking the the grounds in a search pattern, there were lots of officers there to keep everyone away from the part they were using, and there was a pavilion set up with a lot of them lined up like they were going to hear a speech. They were around the first part of the Tokyo H&C course too, even outside the park, just keeping watch at street entrances or giving directions to a flower delivery person.

Although the main point was to prove that I could run farther than I had yet this year without killing myself and complete another Tokyo H&C course, there was also cake, though not where planned. I had intended to go to Voisin on the way, to get some cake to eat in the park and force myself to rest, but they had moved (which I apparently had not checked on, certainly not recently enough). Although I was disappointed, at 10 km, I was feeling fine and could continue. Actually, it's a good thing, because Voisin moved slightly closer to me and are now open an hour later, so I have a new place to do as a workday run. The other good news is, faced with no good alternative that I new about, I noticed a chocolatier that had cake that I could try, Presqu'île Chocolaterie, which is near the beginning of the course in the Kitsujoji area. After my previous bad chocolate experience, I actually went with the Caramel Orange (562 yen). This has thick caramel and chocolate cream (? I don't actually know much about mousse/cream) with chocolate caramel, a light but appropriate balance of orange on a biscuit Joconde (I think hazelnut, but I didn't ask/check and I'm not as much of an expert as I'd like to be). I don't know whether this was exceptional for its type, but it was definitely good, and I like this type and see enough of of it, so it's easy for me to label this an excellent cake, and so this shop as perhaps a quite good shop, so I should got back there relatively soon.

I had original planned to also stop at a new place at the two-thirds point, but decided that I didn't need that and that anyway I wanted to do a cake-off Sunday, even if it meant walking (and using the train, now that I think about it, since I would be pretty slow walking). Instead, I got what the shop, Aurora, called a Cinnamon Mountain (~150 yen), which was good as typical Japanese bakery cinnamon buns go, being fairly soft, and a 900 ml bottle of sports drink and had a rest.

Further disclosures, I rested Friday and did not get cake, but instead got three kinds of cookies: Petite Galette Britonne Chocolat, Nature, and Pina Colada. These were all good and I did not resist eating all that night.

I also made pâte sucrée brisée, though not well, so it was ready to make apple tarts Saturday night, which were delicious; I should make these more (and I still have half the pâte in the freezer, so I probably will, since my only other idea right now is try baked flan. Anyway, the point was to test the pâte recipe compared to my old tart crust recipe, and its definitely different and I can see why the recipe book recommended apple tarts (although it did not give any recipes using it).