The French are known for their unique flavors, history and complicated techniques when it comes to food. But when you really break it down, a lot of the processes they use are the same that are used anywhere else. It comes down to the amount of care put into the baking of a dessert and the quality of ingredients. The art of pastry was basically invented in France, and there are plenty of culinary and pastry schools that primarily teach French cuisine and technique. It’s no wonder
Then the most delicious and fancy desserts do come from France!
When you think of a traditional bakery, it could be filled with heaping mounds of cream or frosting, but in France, the shelves are filled with small pastries and desserts that are uniform in size and shape and mesmerise you with how perfect they are. Being a baker in France isn’t just a job; it’s a way of life. You have to eat breathe and sleep pastry and innovation. A lot of pastry chefs take inspiration from local legends or their family history to bring old French recipes back to life.
Think you can name all of the French desserts in this quiz? Take it now to find out!
Answers
11. A beignet sounds like a complicated dessert, but it’s quite literally fried dough. It’s traditional square in shape, and once it’s been fried, it’s liberally covered in powdered sugar. Like, a mountain of powdered sugar goes on top.
12.'Pain' means 'bread' in French, and “au chocolate” means 'chocolate,' of course. This dessert is made with croissant dough, and in the middle is chocolate of some kind, whether it’s chocolate chips or small strips of high-end chocolate.
13.Chocolate is the most common flavouring for mousse, but it can really be flavoured with anything! Fruit puree is a great choice, as well as things like lavender. Since the base is cream, egg whites or gelatin, it can take on some pretty strong flavors while remaining super light in texture.
14. This layered dessert is full of flavour and texture. The main pastry is what éclairs are made of, so it’s soft and crisp at the same time. Then you have the smoothness of the cream filling and the crunchy aspect of the toasted almonds on top.
15. To be a true Gâteau Basque, its said that only black cherries from the Basque Country should be used. The cream version is more popular and tied to the Southern Basque region of Spain.
16. What we know as lava cake, the French know as fondant au chocolate. It’s a soft chocolate sponge cake with a melted/undercooked filling that oozes out when you cut into it. It’s traditionally served with vanilla ice cream.
17. In many other countries, 'biscuit' actually refers to a cookie and not the fluffy breakfast side we have in America. If you don’t know what a ladyfinger is, it’s the base of the dessert tiramisu.
18. Made at Boulangerie Polaine, these shortbread cookies (similar to those shown here) are made on a marble slab much in the same way as pasta. Then, believe it or not, the cookies are baked in a wood-fired oven, much like a pizza is.
19. Black cherries are the most traditional, but now there are all kinds of versions of clafoutis. The fruit of choice gets covered in a flan-like batter that gets fluffy when baked. It can be served with powdered sugar or soft cream.
20. This French dessert is very similar to the Italian dessert tiramisu. The main difference is that the French version uses almond sponge cake instead of ladyfinger cookies, and it’s covered with chocolate ganache instead of cocoa or espresso powder