Ever heard of Mark, 10.5 years old, world traveller, part-time Minecraft player, future 6th grader, and also my son?
I introduced him to delicious French desserts all summer long, both for a cultural experience and occasionally as a bribe to carry my beach stuff, take pictures for me or walk another five kilometres (“almost there, I swear!”).
I uploaded the pictures we collected along the way and shared my precious laptop so that he could review these great French desserts. Apparently, writing is hard—”no wonder you’re sleeping so late, mommy…”
Get ready to drool, here’s some delicious French food!
Crêpe au chocolat
What is it?
These very thin pancakes are Brittany’s top contribution to French cuisine.
Crêpes dough is made of eggs, milk, sugar and wheat flour. Typically fillings include salty butter and sugar, chocolate or jam.
Galettes dough is made of eggs, milk, and buckwheat flour. They are a meal with tons of options, like ham/cheese/egg, salmon and leeks, salmon and goat cheese, mushrooms and chicken, and more.
Mark’s comments
The crêpe au chocolat is number one because unlike crème glacée (ice cream), the filling—usually chocolate because it’s good and popular—doesn’t melt all over you. The crêpe is basically a smart wrap.
There are tons of fillings, like beurre sucre, chocolat, so many flavours, you get the basic idea. Sorry if you don’t know French, my name isn’t Duolingo. Just pick chocolate, it’s “chocolat”.
Glace or sorbet
What is it?
Ice cream is ice cream, but the French version tends to be less sugary than in North America.
Mark’s comments
Une glace, like I said in the crêpe section, melts, and I hate it when it melts on my hand and it gets all sticky.
But on the plus side, there are many flavours to choose from. I loved strawberry (sometimes I get strawberry and more strawberry because may as well), lemon (a bit sour) and chocolate (I wasn’t a big fan).
Tarte aux framboises
What is it?
A raspberry pie is considered a pâtisserie, i.e. a cake, not a viennoiserie like dough-based croissants, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins, etc.
The exact recipe depends on the bakery but you can usually expect a shortbread crust, fresh raspberries and some whipped cream.
Mark’s comments
The tarte aux fromboises is very delicious, I loved it.
You can basically eat it two ways—side to side or pick the raspberry up first and eat it the shortbread.
We bought it in the bakery shop near the cookie factory, it’s kind of like a fancy dessert but it was worth it.
In the bottom picture I just had a sugar rush so don’t mind it, either that or I’m an Asian alien, pick an option like in those adventure books.
Pain au chocolat
What is it?
Buttery, flaky laminated dough, two sticks of dark chocolate, pure happiness for about €1.10.
Mark’s comments
The pain au chocolat is very popular—if you want your kid to eat something quick and dead delicious you know what to choose, plus you can find it in any boulangerie and sometimes in other countries.
It just tastes like pieces of chocolate in a croissant that’s flat.
In fact, come to think of it, some dude probably wanted to invent something new so he decided to squish a croissant and put pieces of chocolat in it and bam, the pain au chocolate was born.
Meringue
What is it?
Just egg white and sugar, lots of sugar. Meringues look huge but they are very light… and very sugary.
Mark’s comments
It’s very good! I only had it in La Baule, it’s very sweet and it’s literally made out of sugar.
This is definitely not parents’ top choice because most parents don’t want their kids to eat too much sugar.
It’s like cotton candy in your mouth. The outer shell is a bit hard but it’s very soft when you bite into it and it melts in your mouth like those marshmallow cookies.
Eater discretion advised, guaranteed sugar rush!
Chausson aux pommes
What is it?
Flaky, buttery sought filled with apple sauce or slices.
Mark’s comments
It’s very good, some boulangeries make delicious chaussons aux pommes.
It kind of tastes like a smushed apple in a flat croissant. It’s not really like the tarte aux framboises, it’s not too fancy considering that I see it everywhere but overall I loved it and I’m sure the rest of you will too.
Also, this shape is as if someone smiled too hard on picture day, right?
Pain aux raisins
What is it?
A spiral buttery pastry filled with raisins and sometimes cream.
Mark’s comments
Now the pain aux raisins. it’s very good, but if you put too many raisins, it isn’t as good as other things, so it’s not my favourite on the list. But at least it’s kind of healthy, I think.
Madeleine
What is it?
Shell-like sponge cakes with a hint of vanilla. Popular flavours include chocolate (chocolate chips or shell), berries or pistachio.
Mark’s comments
The reason why it’s not that high, even though it’s famous in France, is because I haven’t had it too much but it feels stuffy when you put it in your mouth.
Also, the shape looks weird, between a seagull and a French dumpling.
This is fantastic! Creative to call a crepe a “smart wrap.” I can’t believe I never realized the chocolate in a pain au chocolat is two sticks of chocolate. The only thing I don’t like about this post is that now I want French pastries from France. But at least as Mark said, you can get pain au chocolat in other countries.
Honestly, I didn’t realize the two chocolate sticks in the pain au chocolat was a “rule” until one time, I got a pain au chocolat with only one chocolate stick. And it felt… unbalanced 😆 One bakery in Nantes does that and I avoid it.
Mark is quite creative, I’m proud of him!
Bravo à Mark !
L’an prochain vous venez à Grasse et je vous fais découvrir la fougassette (à la fleur d’oranger)
Je connais la fougasse (genre de pain, non?), est-ce que c’est proche de la fougassette?
Oui aspect similaire à une fougasse, mais très souple et avec un goût très particulier
Ça me tente bien!