French Patisserie – is there anything better ?
French Patisserie – A feast for the eyes and the taste buds.
Exploring the villages, towns and cities of Brittany is always a pleasure and delight, Pete and I make a big thing of it, its our day off and our day out.
Often ( but not every time) we treat ourselves to a visit to a patisserie and choose a delicious cake. I actually prefer to call them pieces of art. My top favourite is anything that tastes of coffee – Paris Brest is my go to. Choux pastry filled with coffee Creme Pat ( Creme Pat is a thickened cream with eggs) and topped with coffee icing and almonds, the most delicious flavour . Yummy Pete is more an apple or almond chap.
Here the Paris Brest is a long piped shape, sometimes they are baked in a circular shape.
The different flavours and styles of patisserie are incredible, and whilst I champion the Paris Brest as my favourite the fruit filled and decorated patisserie are wonderful with the colours and the glazes that make them shine sometimes even with edible glitter. The delicate whipped cream or mousse fillings are as light as air.
Where to buy Patisserie
It is my opinion that if you are going to indulge in the delights of Patisserie then seek out the best outlet and spend a little more, and when I say spend a little more the range of Patisserie is vast. Visiting a specialist Patisserie shop you are getting the best. A patisserie chef can train intensely for 2 years or regular degree timing is 4 years. It is a committed passion for most of the chefs that specialise in this art form of baking.
So, supermarket, multi production cakes / patisserie are exactly that, produced in batches for a quick turnaround. However, here in France often large supermarkets also have a patisserie counter with a specialist chef in residence. Our local favourite is the patisserie counter in the Supermarket E l’clerc in Pontivy it is amazing, fresh, colourful and the offer there changes often so there is always a plethora of choice.
When we are on our exploring days we search out an independent Patisserie shop. We want to support these talented and independent family run businesses. The window displays of these independent Patisseries entice you in, the old saying ‘ we taste food with our eyes first ‘ is definitely true with Patisserie.
The photos in this blog are taken in the wonderful Patisserie shop in Morlaix. Stéphane Traon at 24 pl. Cornic, 29600 Morlaix
A family run Business which began in 1985, winning awards for training apprentices and future generation pâtissier including their own 2 daughters who will soon take over the business.
If you are visiting Morlaix we highly recommend this shop, a true feast for your eyes and your taste buds. you Can check out their Facebook page HERE
There are of course Patisseries to be found all over France and some are decorated with awards for the excellence.
in 2023 the title of the Worlds Best Pastry Chef was awarded to Nina Métayer, this was the first time that a woman received the title. to find out more about Nina HERE
The invention / creation of pastry, is said to have happened as far back at 1540 by Popelini, the Italian chef to the Queen Catherine de Medici, when he created the lightest fluffiest pastry using a hot method and from the curiosity of this first pastry many chefs evolved the method to create the butter flaky pastry used in many different breakfast pastries as we know it today. The mille-feuille or the thousand leaves is the thin flaky pastry that is used in layers to structure delicate whipped cream and soft fruits.
At the time of their creation these luxurious pastries were only for the wealthy and it wasn’t until later that these pastries became accessible for us all.