French desserts continued and the two-part series concluded! Feast your eyes on this post’s visual serving of treats. Additionally, if you’re tempted to taste some yourself, I’ve also included links to recipes and/or local shops you can support (for those living in Calgary).
Here’s a link to Pâtisserie – Part 1 if you missed it or are interested in reading more: https://www.youthareawesome.com/patisserie-partie-1/
1. Madeleines
Madeleines are tea cakes recognizable by their shell-like shape, smooth, lined on one side and bumpy on the other. They have a light, soft, sponge-like texte, made simply from plain-old butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. However, they are sometimes dipped in chocolate, dusted with icing sugar, or even nuts. This French pastry has many origin theories, from being a 17th century grandmother’s recipe, to being born of a 19th century pastry chef’s interesting baking molds, to becoming famous after king Louis XV tasted them, to being documented in autobiographies. Regardless of where it came from, the madeleine is a very popular dessert today, even chosen to represent France on Europe Day in 2006. If you’re interested in trying your hand at madelines, take a look at this very detailed recipe: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/madeleines/. They are also commercially available at Fleur de vanille.
2. Croissants
Did you know croissants are actually of Viennese (from Vienna, in Austria) origin? Its ancestor is indeed the Autrian pastry kipferl, though it is very often associated with France. This buttery and flaky snack made of layered dough was adored by queen Marie Antoinette, who introduced them to French bakers, who then perforated the baking of croissants. It is named after its shape, croissant meaning “crescent moon.” In today’s modern society, croissants have been covered in almonds or jam, stuffed with cheese, and made into sandwiches. Yann Haute Patisserie’s authentic croissants are really good, while Sucre Pâtisserie and Café has a different flavour variations.
3. Macarons
Not to be confused with macaroons, which are round, coconut haystacks often dipped in chocolate! Macarons are a very popular dessert made of meringue, almond flour, and, most commonly, a buttercream filling. They are crispy when you bite into them, but chewy, almost like soft candy, on the inside. Though their creation is often credited to France, they are actually thought to have originated in Venice, Italy, but were popularized in France. Macarons are notoriously hard to make (something I can personally attest to), but if your interested in trying out your baking skills, check out this Tasty 101 video with some pro tips on making macarons. Alternatively, Ollia Macarons and Tea hosts a huge variety of macarons for sale, as does Pâtisserie du soleil.
4. Palmier
AKA elephant ear cookies, French hearts, butterfly cookies, palmeritas for the Spanish, the list goes on. Palmiers are named for their shape, meaning “palm tree” in French. Although, in my opinion, I can’t really see how it looks like a palm leaf. These pastries can be made sweet or savoury, tasting carmel-sugary or buttery, and are often served with tea or coffee. Like croissants, palmiers are crisp and falsk, as well as made from layers of puff pastry, and can. Here is a recipe for a cinnamon twist on palmiers: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231466/cinnamon-palmiers. As for places to shop for them… I mean, honestly, they are sometimes sold at Costco!
5. Soufflé
Finally, the soufflé! This very light cake gets its lift from the use of beaten egg whites. Indeed, this dessert is primarily based on egg whites and yolks. Its name is the participle of the French verb “souffler”, or “to blow, to breathe”, referencing how the soufflé looks blown up (as in puffy and balloons, not explosions. The Guiness record for largest souffle weighed 3891 pounds and was 243 feet long; but the most surprising fact is that it was eaten in only 10 minutes. Check out this recipe for chocolate soufflé with 7 ingredients: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/chocolate-souffle/.
There are tons of French pastries out there! If you’re a foodie or a francophile, I encourage you to keep exploring the world of french baked goods.
I’ve been waiting for this one :] French pastries are delish