The French really know what’s good when it comes to pastries. Here you have seven pastries you need to try – add them to your to-eat list for your next trip to France!
1. Éclair
The éclair is a simply wonderful dessert. This long pastry is made with choux dough, filled with a thick and creamy custard, and is glazed with fondant icing. Yum!
You can find the éclair in all imaginable variations. Among flavors like caramel, lemon, vanilla and mocha, there are more unexpected variations such as foie gras-speculoos and savory salmon-wasabi. Can’t decide which one to try? Go for the standard chocolate éclair!
Next time you’re in Paris, be sure to visit L’Éclair de Génie for the ultimate éclair-experience!
2. Paris-Brest
Introducing another choux pastry favorite, the Paris-Brest! This ring-shaped delicacy is filled with a praline mousseline cream and is topped with almond flakes. It’s a true classic!
This delicious pâtisserie was created in 1910 to celebrate the Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race. The riders were big fans of this energizing calorie bomb. Nowadays you can find the Paris-Brest everywhere in France!
3. Macaron
The macaron is a real sweet treat. Sandwiched between two meringue-based cookies there is a delicious ganache, jam, or buttercream filling. And there are so many flavors to try!
For a wonderful macaron-experience, visit Ladurée on Champs-Elysées in Paris. Ladurée has been around for many years, and even takes credit for adding the filling to the macaron in the 19th century. Before that, the macaron resembled a basic cookie!
4. Mille-feuille
This beautiful pastry has many looks, but is always made with the same main elements: three layers of puff pastry and two layers of pastry cream. The final touch on the top layer can be anything from powdered sugar to icing.
You can find versions of the mille-feuille with fruit or jam inside, and although it’s traditionally a sweet dessert, there are savory variations out there too.
The name mille-feuille means “one thousand leaves” and refers to the flaky layers of pastry. This crispy treat is a must!
5. Pain au chocolat
The pain au chocolat is the perfect viennoiserie to enjoy for breakfast or as a snack with a nice cup of coffee. The flaky and buttery dough is the same as in a croissant, but the pain au chocolat takes it one step further with a piece of dark chocolate in the center.
You can find pain au chocolats everywhere in France, even in supermarkets. But if you get your pain au chocolat fresh from a boulangerie, it might still be warm from the oven!
6. Choux à la crème
The choux à la crème is another delicious choux pastry you have to try! This small, round treat is similar to the éclair, and also has a sweet filling. The filling is often whipped cream, but can also be custard or pastry cream.
Where to go for some amazing choux à la crème in Paris? Odette is said to have the best in town. Enjoy flavors such as passion fruit, pistachio, and vanilla.
7. Pain aux raisins
Last but not least – the pain aux raisins! This sweet viennoiserie is similar to the croissant and the pain au chocolat when it comes to the dough and the crispy layers. What makes it different, apart from the spiral-shape, is that raisins are added to the dough. On top of this it has a lovely creamy filling.
Treat yourself to a pain au raisins in the morning or as a snack any time of the day. Enjoy!