How to have a sweet French holiday

Bonjour, salut and joyeux vendredi festif! I’m in a festive mood today – enjoying a day home with the puppy in front of the tree. Going to have some cocoa maybe and bake some cookies, maybe even bake some for Raz! I thought I’d share some sweet recipes with you in honor of this festive time of year. Read on for how to have a sweet French holiday!

petit déj’

Might as well start the day with something sweet at least once during your holidays! Of course pain au chocolate would be the obvious choice. The perfect french pastry. Ive always wanted to try my hand at homemade croissant dough, but it just seems too daunting. These Petits Pains au Chocolat look like something I can handle though 🥐.

What about some good old fashioned Pain Perdu? Or should I say French Toast? Either way, I am definitely due for some. Inas recipe comes up first on my Google search, bien sûr. How about this Wild Blueberry Rosé Syrup And Brioche French Toast for an extra special holiday breakfast?

cookies!

The first thing I am going to make are Sablés de Noël à la Châtaigne et à l’orange. I’m so excited! I watched the video with Pierre Hermé my favorite pastry chef who makes my favorite French desert ever. Here is a link to the ingredients, here is a link to the whole recipe or here is the recipe on Charlotte’s Kitchen. Here is beautiful Clotilde from Chocolate Zuchini’s French Christmas Cookies (Sablés) Recipe

And for Raz? These Homemade Holiday Dog Treats look perfect, they even have sweet potato in them!

I always make Peanut Butter Blossoms for husband. Here is an interesting article about the French and peanut butter. I think these Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons from Sally’s Baking Addiction are as close as you are going to get to a French version of the pb blossoms. Maybe that will be my next macaron flavor – I’m sure husband would approve!

pâtisseries

This Traditional Pistachio Financier Recipe looks like a very sweet treat indeed and they would make a nice gift too I think 🎁

Check out these festive Christmas Madeleines from the Hallmark Channel! Spiced or Hot Chocolate with a marshmallow dipping sauce – sweet! I would love to try my hand at making Marrons Glacés (Candied Chestnuts) too.

No French Christmas would be complete without a Bûche de Noël. Look at the mini Buche below, très mignon. I mentioned the beautiful Cardamom-Pistachio Bûche de Noël in another post, but if you are looking for something simpler? Here is a sweet vegan recipe. Chocolate & Zuchini has a recipe for a Raspberry Bûche de Noël which I’m sure is delicious. Joyeux fêtes et à bientôt !