Sweet Pastries in Paris

Created in 1910 by chef Louis Durand to celebrate the famous Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race, which led from the center of Paris past the door of his pastry shop in Maisons-Laffitte to Brittany and back, this decadent dessert is a true French class... READ MORE

These flaky, golden-colored, crescent-shaped pastries are best made with pure butter and a slightly sweet yeast dough. If made properly, the yellow-white interior should be just the slightest bit elastic when pulled from the center, ready to be co... READ MORE

Pain au chocolat is a French viennoiserie roll made with a combination of rectangular, yeast-leavened dough and a few chocolate sticks or chocolate ganache. The filled dough is rolled, baked, then served, ideally while still hot or warm. This flak... READ MORE

These elongated pastries with an appealing glaze, a crispy exterior, a soft doughy interior, and a sweet, creamy center originated in France at the turn of the 20th century. Most food historians believe they were invented by Marie-Antoine Car&ecir... READ MORE

Creamy, flaky, and delicate, this French dessert can be literally translated as a thousand leaves. Mille-feuille consists of thin layers of pastry and fillings topped with cocoa, almond, or vanilla icing. Fillings may include jam, whipped... READ MORE

These chocolate-covered puff pastries are filled with either whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or vanilla ice cream. Many theories exist about the origin of this dessert, but the most likely one traces it back to the 13th century, when the che... READ MORE

Named after Saint Honoré, the French patron saint of bakers, this intricate dessert is a true representation of French confectionery art. Saint Honoré cake unites all of the fundamental components of French pastry making: puff pastry... READ MORE

Gougères are tiny, hollow pastry puffs made from choux dough and cheese, most commonly grated Comté, Emmentaler, or Gruyère. These cheese puffs are often served cold or at room temperature as an acco... READ MORE

Kouign-amann is a cake that originated in the 1800s in the French region of Bretagne. Its name is derived from the Breton words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann). The cake consists of layers of butter and sugar that are folded... READ MORE

This baked specialty is a French type of viennoiserie, a cross between a pastry and a bread, with a high butter, milk, and egg content that makes it rich, soft, and flaky. It has been enjoyed for centuries both as a delicacy and as a stat... READ MORE

Amazingly tender and extremely light, chouquettes are airy pâte à choux pastry puffs studded with the so-called sucre perlé (lit. pearl sugar); coarse sugar crystals which hold both their shape and crunch when... READ MORE

Pain aux raisins or escargot (lit. snail) is a French spiral-shaped pastry made with a combination of leavened buttery dough or sweetened bread dough, raisins, and crème pâtissière. Once filled, this sweet treat is bak... READ MORE

A true show-stopping centerpiece, croquembouche consists of choux pastry profiteroles which are filled with custard cream and assembled into a cone-shaped tower, glued together with caramel. The final dessert is elaborately decorated with spun sug... READ MORE

These squares of deep-fried pastry dough are sprinkled with powdered sugar and are traditionally served hot. The dish hails from France, and French settlers brought it to the Acadia region of Canada in the 17th century. Many of the Acadians later ... READ MORE

Chaussons aux pommes are traditional French turnovers filled with a delectable apple compote filling. The turnovers are made with a combination of peeled and cored apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon, puff pastry, and beaten eggs. The apples are choppe... READ MORE

The intricate religieuse is a popular choux pastry dessert which has been a part of the French confectionery heritage since the 19th century. These tempting sweet treats are made with two spherical choux pastries, one bigger than the other one, ea... READ MORE

Puits d'amour is a traditional pastry originating from Paris. It was first mentioned in Vincent De La Chapelle's book Le Cuisinier Moderne, and it consists of layers of puff pastry rings. The pastry has a hollow center that's filled with ... READ MORE