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French recipes scream elegance from every angle. Much like an art form, every recipe is carved with intricacy, ensuring the highest standards of quality and presentation. Even though French cuisine and making practices have evolved over time, the time-honoured recipes for classic desserts remain quite the same. And it still excites many to crave it just by the looks.
There might be no other country quite like America where the cuisine practices, time-honoured traditions and the value of authenticity are cherished to such a great extent. From starting the day with a freshly baked croissant to ending it with the sweet notes of crème brûlée, American culture embraces the intricacy and flavour of French dessert, which is unparalleled by anything else.
If you are new to the world of French desserts, here are the top nine classic French desserts you must try.
1) Crème Brûlée
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Crème Brûlée is a classic custard-based dessert infused with the vanilla flavour and covered with a layer of burnt caramelised sugar. The contrasting texture of smooth custard beneath and hard burnt sugar topping makes every bite delectable. The classic recipe for Crème Brûlée features heavy cream, egg yolks, vanilla bean or extract and granulated sugar.
2) Tarte Tatin
Tarte Tatin is an upside-down pastry embellished with caramelised apples baked beneath the flaky pastry crust. First, the slices of caramelised apple are layered at the bottom of the cake pan, and then a dollop of pastry mixture goes on top. After baking, the cake is turned upside down, which reveals a mosaic of golden caramelised apples.
3) Profiteroles
Profiteroles are delicate choux pastry balls stuffed with a luscious cream filling. These tiny treats are served as an after-dinner dessert. Light and airy pastry shells enclose the creamy centre, creating a balance of textures in every bite. Profiteroles are often drizzled with rich chocolate sauce or caramel, which adds to the sweetness and complements the flavour.
4) Macarons
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Yes, macarons are also French. These delicate meringue-based cookies are sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream, or jam. Macarons are entirely different from Macaroons. As macrons are delicate sandwich cookies, whereas macaroons are drop cookies made with desiccated coconut. You may find these treats in many locations across the US with different flavours and eye-popping colours.
5) Mille-Feuille
Mille-Feuille or Napoleon consists of layers of crisp puff pastry and velvety pastry cream. Traditionally, the dessert consists of three layers of crust with cream in the middle. The top layer is finished with intricate patterns or dusted with powdered sugar to add to the look. Mille-Feuille is prepared in many flavours like chocolate and strawberry, and it also becomes a seasonal treat with seasonal produce.
6) Soufflé
Soufflé is a French word for “puff” or “breath". As the name suggests, this dessert is light and airy, like a cloud. It's typically made with the base of egg yolks and beaten egg whites. It is often flavoured with chocolate, fruit and cheese.
7) Île Flottante (Floating Island)
Île Flottante, or "floating island," is a classic French dessert featuring baked meringue floating atop a pool of crème anglaise. Once a favourite of culinary icons like Julia Child, this elegant treat enjoyed widespread popularity from the 1960s to the 1980s. While it may have faded in the United States, it remains a beloved staple on bistro menus across France, which symbolises the French tradition.
8) Éclair
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The slender, oblong-shaped cakey treat with choux pastry stuffed with creamy custard or whipped cream and topped with a glossy layer of chocolate icing is what defines the true French Éclair. The name itself translates to "flash of lightning," which is justified by the speed in which it devoured.
9) Cannele
Cannele hails from Bordeaux, France. This bite-sized dessert treat has a distinct fluted shape and caramelised crust, which is filled with custard cream with vanilla and rum flavours. To bake these treats, special copper moulds are used. The crunchy exterior of Cannele gives a contrasting feeling to the rich interior.
