18 French dessert recipes worth mastering (2024)

FAQs

What are small French pastries called? ›

A petit four (plural: petit* fours, also known as mignardises) is a small bite-sized confectionery or savory appetizer.

Pâte feuilletée

Better known as puff pastry, this is another staple of viennoiserie. The dough is kept chilled as it's made and laminated multiple times with butter, creating distinct layers which, when cooked, form pockets of air throughout the pastry.

Upon finishing a meal, the French tend to end on a high note—that is, with a dessert, digestif, and/or simple coffee. For lighter lunches, a small cookie or piece of chocolate with an espresso will do the trick, though for dinner, we recommend indulging a bit heavier on the dessert.

Both beef bourguignon and beef stew are delicious! It's all in preparation. Stew is a cooking method, and beef bourguignon is a classic French dish that uses beef stewed in wine to create its characteristic flavor. The difference between stew and beef bourguignon is not just one of taste but also one of the methods.

To make for Cabernet Sauvignon shine in a dessert pairing, go for any dessert with very dark chocolate. The bitterness of dark chocolate harmonizes with Cabernet Sauvignon's intensity. Flourless dark chocolate cake, fancy dark chocolate truffles, or even a simple dark chocolate mousse are all fantastic dessert options.

The French way is the petite treat. Just two delicious bites of a dessert – a madeleine, sablé, nougat, or macaron – is all you need to get a punch of flavor. Authors Kathryn Gordon, a professional baking instructor and chef, and food writer Anne E.

Crème brûlée says "fancy" like no other dessert: it's deliciously rich, luxuriously smooth, and indulgently creamy.

Clafoutis is a baked French dessert of fruit, traditionally black cherries, arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. Crème brûlée consists of a rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel. Galette des Rois - Kings' cake.

Pâtisserie is used to describe French pastries and the pastry shop they are sold in. Although the word is used quite liberally in English-speaking countries, in France and Belgium the law restricts its use to bakeries who employ licensed maître pâtissier (master pastry chefs).

The art of French pastries started with the desire to have a sweet treat following a meal. Fruits and cheese were originally served after dinner, but to quench people's lingering sweet cravings after a meal, the doors to the art of French pastries and confectioneries were open.

What is the most famous dessert in Paris? ›

Crème Brûlée: Le Petit Cler

If you haven't tried crème brûlée, this is a must in Paris! This classic French dessert consists of vanilla custard with a caramelized sugar crust. And you can find great crème brûlée at great restaurants all over the city. The version at Le Petit Cler café is delicious!