5 underestimated French pastries you need in your life

Move over croissant and profiterole. It's time to shine a spotlight on the other decadent, traditional French pastries you may not have heard of yet (but must try).

Source: Fanny Zanotti

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France has given us a long list of pastry delicacies that have become part of our local patisserie offering, from famed pain au chocolat to iconic profiteroles.

Even though we’re grateful to have tasted such fanciful creations of joy, we can’t help but want more: more flaky goodness, more pillowy creations and more decadence to dance around in our mouths.

Luckily, there’s a whole table-worth of French pastries that aren’t as mainstream as the ones you’re already familiar with, even though they are just as worthy of attention.

So here are five more pastries that the French already love, that you’re yet to embrace.

Source: Andy Baker

1. Kouign-amann

Kouign-amann (pronounced like ‘queen ahmahn’) is a traditional pastry hailing from the Brittany region of France. Some say that kouign-amann is the underrated relative of the croissant. If that’s true, we can assume that it’s also the more attractive, caramelised cousin.

Kouign-amann is a round cake made with layers of bread dough that are doused in butter and sugar. The cake is typically baked slowly, so that the sugar in between each layer caramelises and the butter expands the dough. The end result is a layered structure of crispy, buttery puffs that crackle with each bite.

2. La religieuse (AKA ‘the nun’)

La religieuse is a type of éclair that promises a heavenly experience. This pastry incorporates two small choux buns stacked on top of each other, filled with crème pâtissière and topped with a ganache of the same flavour (usually chocolate or mocha). Whipped cream can also be added to the tip for a ‘wow’ factor.

It was once noted that the final product resembles a nun’s habit – thus the nickname ‘the nun’.

Canelés Source: Andy Baker

3. Canelé

Canelés are small, caramelised pastries that have a pretty appearance, distinct shape and decadent taste.

The specialty from Bordeaux features a custard filling – that loans itself to a number of variations – concealed by a dark, thick caramelised crust.

Canelés are traditionally baked in a small cylindrical fluted mould that helps to form the iconic shape of the pastry.

In episode seven of Plat du Tour on SBS, the renowned French-Australian chef Guillaume Brahimi tells audiences about the history of the ancient cake, which may date back to the 15^th century. Brahimi also shows audiences how to make canelés so viewers can make their own batch of fresh canelés at home.

4. Puits d'amour

You’ve got no choice but to adore a French pastry that’s been named a ‘well of love’.

Puits d'amour is comprised of a puff pastry shell with a hollow centre or ‘well of love’. Traditionally, the pastry well should be filled with redcurrant jelly or raspberry jam. However, caramelised pastry cream is more commonly used these days.

The surface of the pastry is usually sprinkled with icing sugar, or topped with caramel or whipped cream.

If you're not in love at the time you taste this pastry, the chances are that you might be feeling some sort of loving euphoria by the time you finish it, given its rich flavours.

Source: Fanny Zanotti

5. La tarte Tropézienne (or tarte Tropézienne)

In 1955, Polish immigrant and patisserie owner Alexandre Micka was tasked with the job of catering for the cast and crew of And God Created Woman in Saint-Tropez, France. He made a dessert pastry for the set: a halved brioche filled with a mix of two creams (thick pastry cream and buttercream), topped with pearl sugar.

Hollywood starlet – Bridget Bardot – tasted Micka’s creation while she was filming the movie and became a huge fan. She then gave the pastry the name ‘la tarte de Saint-Tropez’. Even though the dessert is not technically a tart, the name has stuck ever since. Today, the pastry commands a huge following throughout the Riviera town.