Religieuse

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, each filled with a velvety crème pâtissière.

Each piece is individually covered in chocolate ganache which can be seen running from the sides of the pastry. The dessert is assembled and glued together with decorative buttercream. These small pastries have long historical and religious importance in France–it is believed that they were invented by Frascati, a pastry chef who worked in a famous Parisian pâtisserie.

Originally, the shape of the dessert was rectangular, but at the end of the 19th century, its shape was round, and it got the name religieuse, which translates to a nun. Numerous theories suggest that the round form and the name were influenced by nuns, because when assembled, the chocolate ganache covering the pastry resembles a nun’s habit.

Regardless of the origin of the name, these tempting treats are still one of the acclaimed examples of French confectionery tradition.