Happiness is Sweet Things

No matter what or how delicious the dinner was, everyone wants dessert.

Baba au rhum are small yeast dough sponge cakes. These cakes are filled with raisins or currants and baked in a ring mold and soaked in rum. The hole in the center of the cake is filled with either pastry cream and fresh fruit, or whipped cream.

Caneles are little cakes with rich, custardy interiors and thin, caramelized exteriors.

Charlotte Russe is a cake that originated in the 18th century. It is made with sponge cake pressed into a mold, filled with thick custard or crème Bavaroise that is flavored with cooked fruit, spices, or brandy.

Chocolate souffle is a delicious dessert combining dark chocolate with a creamy egg yolk base and fluffy egg whites. The dessert is prepared in small ramekins and baked so the middle is soft and the top crunchy.

Chouquettes are light and airy puff pastries with sucre perle (literally pearl sugar). Coarse sugar crystals hold their shape and crunch when baked.

Clafoutis originated in the Limousin area and dates back to the mid-1800s. This is a traditional crustless French flan, tart or type of thick pancake. It consists of layers of batter and fruit. Traditionally the flan is topped with pitted black cherries. It is sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Crème Brulee is a traditional egg custard dessert. It is made with egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla with a hard, burnt, toffee crust.

Crème Caramel is a delicious dessert with a custard base and a soft caramel topping. The custard is prepared with whole milk or cream.

Crepes Suzette are delicious thin crepes that are prepared a la flambe. They are doused with beurre Suzette, a sauce prepared with butter, caramelized sugar, tangerine or orange juice, zest, and orange flavored liqueurs like Grand Marnier or Curacao.

Croquembouche is a centerpiece of delectable choux pastry profiteroles. These tiny balls are filled with custard cream and assembled into a cone-shaped tower, glued together with caramel. When done the dessert is decorated with spun sugar, sugar-coated almonds, fondant flowers or macaroons.

Dacquoise is a cake that has both a crispy and creamy texture. It is prepared with almond or hazelnut meringue sponge cake separated by layers of whipped cream or buttercream.

Eclairs are elongated pastries with a glazed topping. They are filed with a sweet, creamy center and usually glazed with chocolate.

Fiadone is a traditional dessert. It is made with brocciu, a fresh whey cheese from goat’s or ewe’s milk. Other ingredients include eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Sometimes oranges can be substituted for the lemons and the base can include local liqueurs.

Financiers are small French cakes baked in special moulds so they look like golden bricks. They are prepared with almond flour, almonds, egg whites, brown butter, and sugar.

Frasier is a cake derived from the word fraise, meaning strawberry. The cake includes layers of genoise sponge, vanilla-flavored crème mousseline, marzipan, and fresh, sliced strawberries.

Galette des Rois is a classic dessert originating in northern and central French regions. The cake includes a thick layer of frangipane, almond-based pastry cream sandwiched between two layers of buttery puff pastry.

Ile flottante or floating island is a popular dessert. It consists of meringues poached in vanilla custard and topped with caramel sauce and toasted almonds. The meringues are prepared with whipped egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract.

Kouign-amann is a cake that originated in the Bretagne region in the 1800s. The cake consists of layers of butter and sugar folded into dough. The flaky yellow dough bakes into a golden cake.

Lemon Meringue Pie is a delectable dessert prepared with a base layer of shortcrust pastry. The pastry is topped with lemon custard and fluffy meringue. The custard is made with lemon zest and juice, sugar, and egg yolks.

Macarons are small, round sweet meringue-based cookie sandwiches. The filling is chewy in the middle and the outside is crunchy. They come in all sorts of flavors and colors. These are prepared with a thick and stiff mixture of whipped egg whites and sugar. They are piped out onto a cookie sheet and baked until puffed up and crispy.

Mille-feuilles are creamy, flaky and delicate pastries. They literally translate into a thousand leaves. The thin layers of pastry and fillings like jam, whipped cream, custard, pureed fruit, or nut paste are topped with cocoa, almond, or vanilla icing.

Montebianco or Mont Blanc is a delicious dessert that consists of pureed, sweetened chestnuts and topped with whipped cream.

Pain au chocolats are French viennoiserie rolls. These are made with rectangular, yeast-leavened dough, a few chocolate sticks or chocolate ganache. The dough is filled and rolled then baked.

Pain aux raisins or escargot (literally snail) are spiral-shaped pastries. They are made with leavened buttery dough or sweetened bread dough, raisins, and crème patissiere. Then baked until golden brown.

Palmiers are delicious cookies made from puff pastry. They are sprinkled with sugar, rolled, and cut into slices. They appear to resemble large ears or hearts.

Paris-Brest is a ring-shaped dessert. Puffy hollow pastry is flavored with fleur de sel, topped with flaked almonds, and baked until golden brown. The airy pastry ring is sliced horizontally and filled with rich hazelnut and almond mousseline praline cream and the upper crust is dusted with powdered sugar.

Petit Fours are tiny, sweets. These are some of the most famous French delicacies. These little cakes come in a variety of flavors, forms, and decorations.

Profiteroles are chocolate-covered puff pastries filled with whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or vanilla ice cream.

St. Honore Cake is a dessert that was named after the French patron saint of bakers. This cake includes puff pastry, vanilla custard, choux pastry, and caramelized sugar. It is a favorite dessert often made for special occasions, celebrations, and holidays.

Tarte Tatin is a version of the classic apple pie. The tarte consists of sliced apples seasoned with butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Then topped with a buttery pie crust pastry and baked until the apples are golden and syrupy. Once done the cake is inverted upside-down on a serving platter.