Day 3342 (Sunday) 2nd August 2026 

This is Eze Village

and this is Villefranche-sur-Mer.

 

It was very hot again today and we went to Le Phare where there was quite a crowd. We decided to go to Bobby’s for a burger, there were six of us and it was a good giggle.

Here are the rest of the French desserts…

1. La Toussaint (All Saints’ Day) and Pâtisseries

La Toussaint on November 1st  is a day of reflection, often spent with family. While there is no specific dessert tied to this day, pâtisseries like tartes or éclairs often grace the table.

Popular Desserts for La Toussaint:
– Tarte aux Pommes: A classic French apple tart
– Éclairs: Choux pastries filled with flavoured cream and topped with icing.

Seasonal Delight: Visit a Parisian patisserie to savour autumn-inspired flavours, such as pear and chestnut tarts, during this reflective time.

 

2. Beaujolais Nouveau Day and Pain d’Épices

On the third Thursday of November, France celebrates the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau, a young red wine. The perfect pairing? Pain d’Épices, a spiced gingerbread-like cake.

The Dessert
Pain d’Épices combines honey, cinnamon, anise, and other spices to create a warm, fragrant treat. It pairs beautifully with a glass of Beaujolais.

Where to Indulge: Discover this dessert in Parisian cafés or bakeries while participating in wine-tasting events.

3. Weddings and Croquembouche

French weddings are incomplete without the towering Croquembouche, a cone-shaped dessert made of cream-filled profiteroles bound with caramel.

The Dessert
The Croquembouche is both a dessert and a centrepiece, symbolising prosperity and unity. It is a cone-shaped pastry tower, built from choux buns (small, round choux pastry shells) that are typically filled with vanilla, chocolate, or coffee-flavoured pastry cream. The buns are bound together with caramelised sugar, which hardens as it cools, creating the dessert’s signature crunch. Its intricate structure is often adorned with sugared almonds, spun sugar, or flowers.

 

4. Christmas in Alsace and Brédélès Cookies

In the Alsace region of France, Christmas is synonymous with Brédélès, a delightful assortment of traditional cookies baked during the holiday season.

The Dessert
Brédélès come in many shapes and flavours, often spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, or anise. Some are intricately decorated with royal icing, while others are made with almonds, chocolate, or jams. Families gather to bake these cookies, turning kitchens into fragrant havens of holiday cheer.

A Regional Delight: Alsace’s Christmas markets, like the one in Strasbourg, offer a magical setting to taste and purchase Brédélès. 

Where to Indulge in Paris: Discover these cookies at the Alsatian bakery, La Petite Alsacienne, 45 Rue Raymond Losserand, 75014 Paris.

 

5. Marrons Glacés: A Wintertime Luxury

Marrons Glacés (candied chestnuts) are a quintessential French treat during the winter season, especially around Christmas and New Year’s.

The Dessert
These luxurious confections are made by carefully glazing whole chestnuts with sugar syrup over several days, creating a tender, sweet, and shiny treat. Marrons glacés are often packaged as gifts or used to adorn holiday desserts like the Bûche de Noël.

Where to Find Them: Parisian specialty shops such as Maison Angelina and Maison du Marron offer some of the finest marrons glacés for a true taste of indulgence.

 

6. Saint-Honoré Day and the Saint-Honoré Cake

May 16th marks Saint-Honoré Day, dedicated to the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs. Fittingly, this celebration is associated with the elegant Saint-Honoré Cake.

The Dessert
Named after the saint, this iconic dessert features a puff pastry or choux base topped with small cream puffs dipped in caramel. The puffs are arranged in a circular crown and filled with crème Chiboust or whipped cream, making it a visual and culinary masterpiece.

Celebrate Like a Pastry Chef: In Paris, you can honour Saint-Honoré by tasting this dessert at famous patisseries like La Pâtisserie des Rêves or by learning to craft it yourself during our French Pastry Training Week programme.

7. The Paris-Brest race and the Paris-Brest dessert

The Paris-Brest dessert was created in 1910 by pastry chef Louis Durand to honour the Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race, a gruelling 1,200-kilometre endurance event first held in 1891. The race, which runs from Paris to the coastal city of Brest and back, occurs every four years and has grown significantly in popularity, attracting over 6,000 riders from around the world in recent editions.

The Dessert
Designed to resemble a bicycle wheel, the Paris-Brest is a ring of choux pastry filled with a rich praline cream and topped with slivered almonds and powdered sugar. This luxurious dessert quickly became a favourite among riders and fans for its energy-boosting ingredients and indulgent taste.

A Race with Growing Legacy
The Paris-Brest-Paris event remains a global celebration of cycling. Although it began as a professional race, it is now a randonneuring challenge, focusing on endurance, camaraderie, and personal achievement. The next edition is scheduled for August 2027, but there’s no need to wait for the race to enjoy the dessert—it’s available year-round in Parisian bakeries.

Where to Find It: For an authentic experience, visit patisseries like Maison Lenôtre or Stohrer. You can also learn to make this iconic dessert in a pastry class, perfect for bringing a piece of French cycling history to your table

 

14. Everyday Celebrations: Croissants, Chouquettes, and Brioche

In France, not every celebration needs a special date. The French embrace the joy of everyday life, often accompanied by a warm beverage and an array of freshly baked pastries like croissants, chouquettes, and brioche.

The Desserts
– Croissants: Perhaps the most iconic of French pastries, croissants are buttery, flaky, and golden delights enjoyed at breakfast or as an afternoon treat. Their crescent shape and perfect layers make them a symbol of French baking excellence.
– Chouquettes: These airy bites of choux pastry, sprinkled with pearl sugar, are a favourite for light snacking. Perfectly crisp on the outside and soft inside, they’re a quick indulgence that pairs wonderfully with coffee or tea.

– Brioche: Soft, pillowy, and subtly sweet, brioche is a versatile bread often served plain or with jam for breakfast. Variations like brioche au sucre or brioche Nanterre are popular for their rich flavour and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Parisian Experience: Visitors to Paris can savour these classics at renowned bakeries or take a baking class to learn the art of making these everyday delights, perfecting their folds, piping, or kneading techniques.

 

Conclusion: Celebrate and Savour France’s Sweet Traditions

From the elegance of the Bûche de Noël to the simplicity of crêpes, French celebrations are deeply intertwined with desserts that reflect the country’s rich culinary heritage. Whether you’re here in Paris to explore these traditions, learn to craft them yourself, or simply indulge, there’s a world of flavour waiting for you.

Take a baking class in Paris, visit historic patisseries, and immerse yourself in the delicious side of French culture. These desserts are more than just sweets—they’re a taste of France’s soul. Bon appétit.