Destination - PARIS

LA VIE DOUCE

Paris - sweet on the eye, sweet on the romance and sweet on the palate. The only problem you’ll have when it comes to delectable French deserts is which one to choose. To help you navigate that delicious last course, I’ve broken down the top 10 must try deserts for your visit to France. If you just so happen to have to eat more than one a day to get through them - well, c’est la vie!

The Tartes Aux Fruits – The tartes aux fruits is prepared with fresh fruit on top of a buttery pastry, with the fruit sitting atop an indulgent Chantilly cream. You can enjoy these tartes in both miniature and pie sizes.

The Éclair – The éclair is a popular dessert in France. The long, French choux pastry can be filled with either a rich custard or pastry cream, and topped with a sweet fondant. By definition, the term éclair means lightning in French. Go figure!

The Paris Brest – This pastry was created to celebrate the Paris to Brest bicycle ride in 1891. Naturally, it is circular in shape and contains praline flavored crème and choux pastry.

Macaron – Macarons are undeniably delectable. There are an incredible amount of flavors to choose from. The base ingredients include an airy meringue and almonds. Be sure to not confuse these treats with macaroons - those are a very different treat. The English added the -oon to the word in the 16th century.

The Tarte Au Citron – The Tarte Au Citron (lemon tart) is a very popular desert, donning a pastry crust and delicious lemon filling. The filling, however, is not made with fruit. The cream is a mixture containing lemon juice, lemon zest and of course, eggs and sugar.

The Mille Feuille - Also called a Napoleon, this fluffy, crispy treat comes in a vanilla or custard slice and is comprised of several layers of puff pastry. Between the puff pastry lies an additional two layers of pastry crème.

The Tarte Tatin – Named after the hotel that serves the dessert (Hôtel Tatin), the Tarte Tatin is a unique upside-down pastry. Its ingredients include caramelized fruit prepared with sugar and butter. It pairs famously with a bit of crème fraîche.

The Choux à La Crème – These cream puffs are created using puff pastry. They rise while baking and are actually hollow. The center can be either whipped cream, custard, pastry cream or even ice cream. Once you add chocolate as your topping, the choux à la crème then becomes a profiterole. There are various different toppings you can add to this pastry, from fruit to spun caramel.

Croissant – This buttery flaky wonder is a signature French pastry. There are myriad ways to top it; you can use fruit, chocolate, fondant or a compote of your choosing. You will not be disappointed.

The Petits Four – Translated, petit four means "small oven," and are also known as mignardises. The fours are miniature, bite-sized confections that can also be savory if you choose. The sweet route includes a sugary glaze atop a crispy biscuit. These pastries are perfect for tea parties. Time to find the nearest boulangerie.

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