La vie en Gateaux
One of the highllights of our annual September adventure in France is enjoying cakes and desserts made by other people. And there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that France is the pasty and patisserie capital of the world.
Their precision, artistry and incredible techniques gives their sweet patisserie an edge that no other nation comes close to.
If you’re travelling through France, you might choose meringue, pastry, choux, cream, jam or ganache, or just a simple crepe. Add a whole of bunch of finesse and a sprinkle of “je ne sais quoi” - and you have yourself a delightful foodie experience that would be rude not to try on our journey around the Perigord.
Here’s a little taster -
Caking around South West France
Left to right -
Tarte aux noix in Domme - traditional Perigord style sweet tart made with locally grown walnuts.
Crepe aux noix in Roque St Jacques - everything in the Perigord comes with walnuts. It’s a major growing area, you can see rows and rows of walnut trees as you drive around.
Moelleux au Noix in St Pompont - a sweet crumbly walnut tart best eaten with Creme Fraiche and fresh market strawberries.
Pastry basket in Sarlat - eat the freshly baked croissants wherever possible. Life is short.
Pain au Chocolat in Belves - On market day you buy your freshly baked (still warm) pastries from a market stall and order coffee with the locals in a busy cafe. Nobody gets offended and nothing beats it.
Tourtiere in Monpazier - follow the crowd to the best bakery and queue up for these sweet buttery apple tarts. But be quick, they don’t last long!
Canelles in Monflanquin - the ultimate Dordogne treat, these are super difficult to make so eat as many as possible whilst in France. PS in the Perigord, they add walnuts. Of course.
Crepes aux miel/nutella in Eymet - It’s really hard to chose any other dessert when crepes are on the menu. Recommend with cafe frappe in the afternoon sun.
Sweet burritos in Beynac - these are neither pastries, nor patisserie, just pure indulgence. If you’ve missed breakfast, these bad boys will do you well.
Millefeuille in Issigeac - When a proper French dessert is called for - millefeuille is the prettiest. Just look!
Exquisite patisserie in Villareal - these little tartes au saisons were my favourite and were perfectly dressed for their ‘close-up’ shots.
Cruffins in La Rochelle - Sometimes a giant cruffin stuffed with nutella is all you need on the big drive north.
And if that wasn’t enough to tickle your sweet appetite, here are my 3 super special ones -
My top 3 cake moments of France 25
1 Gateaux in Villareal
Finding this gorgeous little patisserie and coffee house in the bastide town of Villareal was a definite cake-makers hilight. Patisserie Rodot on the corner of the market square has a wait list for a table on market day. You just have to be patient and then pounce! Their “liste des gateaux” was something else - Croquant, Paris Brest, Charlotte, Foret Noir, Tarte au Citron, Mille Feuille, Fraisier, and Framboisier - and these are just the ones I have heard of!
We sipped Les Grand Crema and Cafe Glaces in the morning sunshine and chose the prettiest Tartes de Saison for our patisserie treat of the day! It was super hard to chose from the array of goodies, so we came home with a cheeky box of Foret Noir and Tarte au Figues. Both dreamy and delicious.
Foret Noire - Chantilly, Griottes, Biscuit Chocolat
2 Caneles in Domme
You may not have heard of the glorious little canele? Neither had I until we started visiting Perigord bakeries. And don’t be fooled if you think they look a bit “plain Jane”, they are truly magnificent!
A canelé is a rich, sweet little cake from the Bordeaux region, flavoured with rum and vanilla, then baked in fluted moulds called canelé, the original spelling of the cake, which means ‘fluted’.
It’s thought that the cakes link back to the region’s wine industry – egg whites were used to clarify wine and the leftover egg yolks were used to make these now famous delicacies.
It’s quite a tricky, technical recipe so I won’t be attempting him in my kitchen anytime soon, I’ll be sticking to my sponges! Now they must look a little ordinary but don’t be fooled - et me just tell you how delicious they are!
Rich, sweet, little caneles
3 Tourtiere in Monpazier
The french Tourtiere, not to be confused with the Canadian meat pie, is a traditional apple or prune cake flavoured with armagnac, and made of many fine layers of buttery, sweet filo pastry. Legend has it that the pastry should be spread so finely that it is totally transparent - known as “bride’s veil”. The ingredient list is simple but the technique very involved and should probably be left to the experts. It’s a lovely light textured dessert that is delicious with a blob of creamy creme fraiche.
Every July, there is a Tourtière Festival at Penne D’Agenais, including a competition for the best tourtiere, just up the road from Agen, the home of the delicious Perigord prune.
The magnificent Tourtiere
Hope you enjoyed my little taste of France. I’m still feeling a little dreamy but things are well and truly back to normal so get in touch for your next celebration, or take a look at our refreshed gallery.
That’s all for now
Judith x