French cuisine is among the most revered in the world. Signature dishes include coq au vin, French onion soup, and confit de canard. France is also known for its abundance of delectable desserts. The country’s signature treats perfectly combine texture and flavor and are just as aesthetically pleasing. Below are five delicious French pastries and other desserts that are admired by people worldwide.
1. Macarons
One of the pastries most synonymous with French baking, macarons are meringue-based biscuit-cakes filled with different types of jams or creams. The pastry is made from almond flour, egg white, and powdered sugar, and popular fillings include raspberry jam, raspberry or vanilla buttercream, and chocolate ganache. The pastry ingredients are mixed delicately in multiple steps and food coloring is often used to make the result look enticing and appetizing.
Although macarons today are best associated with France, they are believed to have originated in Italy. According to folklore, the chefs of Catherine de Medici brought the recipe to France when she came to the country to marry Henry II. Another legend states that the dessert was made famous by a pair of nuns from Nancy, who sold their signature macarons during the French Revolution in 1792. If you are visiting France, be sure to sample macarons from Saint-Emilion and Ladurée.
2. Crème Brûlée
Crème brûlée (burnt cream in English) is another quintessentially French dessert with somewhat mysterious origins. Both England and Spain also lay claim to creating the simple and indulgent dish. There are written recipes for crème brûlée in French cookbooks dating back to the late 17th century, but the technique differs slightly from the modern interpretation, with pre-prepared caramelized sugar placed on top of the custard as opposed to burning the sugar directly on the custard with a blowtorch. Similar recipes in English and Spanish cookbooks, however, have been found as far back as the 15th century.
Regardless, the “burnt cream” dessert has become synonymous with French cuisine. Often served in ramekins, it is usually made from just four ingredients: unsalted butter, egg yolks, sugar, and heavy cream. The egg yolks are mixed with the sugar and the cream is then whisked in. This mixture is combined with hot water and baked in single serving ramekins for about one hour. They are then refrigerated for about two hours before being topped with sugar that is then caramelized immediately before serving.
3. Lemon-Ricotta Soufflés
Technique is crucial to preparing French desserts and that’s especially true with lemon-ricotta soufflés, which are essentially custardy mini citrus cakes with a soft filling and deliciously crisp edges. These delicious desserts feature ingredients such as lemon zest and juice, ricotta cheese, egg whites, butter, and sugar. They’re baked in the oven in ramekins and take about two hours to prepare.
To start, butter, water, and a pinch of salt is brought to a boil. Flour is added to the pot after it is removed from the heat and then cooked over medium heat for about two minutes, after which egg yolks are whipped into the mixture. The lemon zest and juice and ricotta are then combined into the dough and transferred to a large bowl. Additional egg whites are mixed in a separate bowl with cream of tartar and sugar before being added to the ricotta mixture, which is then spooned into ramekins and baked in the oven for about 40 minutes. Confectioner’s sugar is then dusted over the top.
4. Apricot Pâte de Fruit
Pastries aren’t the only sweet treats eaten in France. During the holidays, pâte de fruit, or fruit jellies, are especially popular and are often sold in high-end pastry shops. They can be easily prepared using only a can of apricots in syrup, dried apricot halves and preserves, sugar, and powdered gelatin. The apricot syrup is poured into a saucepan with the dried apricots and boiled until almost all the liquid has evaporated. This mixture is then combined in a food processor with the canned apricots, preserves, and sugar and boiled again over high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated. The gelatin, once dissolved in water, is then added to the mixture and left to cool in a prepared dish.
The pâte is usually cut into one-inch squares, which are then rolled in sanding or table sugar.
5. Mille-Feuille
Mille-feuille, which translates to “a thousand sheets” in English, is another popular French pastry with several variations. The traditional version features a pair of pastry cream layers separated by three puff pastry. The top pastry layer has powdered sugar. Like most other French desserts, technique is critical in creating the desired result with a perfectly flaky and airy pastry and crisp vanilla. Other variations include roast strawberry, green matcha, pistachio, and blueberry honey mille-feuilles.
Like many other French desserts, its origins are murky with both Italy and the Netherlands having their own variations. In Italy, the dessert is known as millefoglie, while the Dutch version is known as the tompouce and features a thick layer of ice cream.