Recently, I felt inspired to bake some delicious Lemon and Lavender Honey Madeleines. I hadn’t made madeleines since I left my last restaurant job several years ago. My madeleine moulds were still wrapped in the same plastic from the day when my pastry chef handed them back to me. The …

What does one do about a sweet craving? Giselle Courteau found a way to satisfy it. Courteau discovered baking early on and has spent a lifetime perfecting her recipes. This sweet affair has led Courteau to co-ownership of the Duchess Bake Shop, Duchess Atelier, and Cafe Linnea, all in Edmonton, …

You should, of course, celebrate your sweetheart every day, not just on Valentine’s. However, if you want to create an occasion out of February 14th, make this molten chocolate cake for that special person. The fondant au chocolat was the conclusion to a delicious Valentine’s menu from the Mirabeau Wine …

Life here is never boring, and sometimes, even the simplest of things takes a twist, which leaves us wondering how we manage to get through a day without some disaster, or another. However, the sweet reward of a fig and almond cake makes everything better. On Saturday, we headed out …

One of the Christmas traditions in Provence is called Cacho-Fio or Light the Fire. In Provence, Christmas evening begins with this ancient pagan custom. Cacho-fio is a ritual for lighting the Yule log (calendau, in Provencal) on the evening of December 24th. Together the youngest and the oldest of the …

You might find it surprising to see chocolate chip cookies in the country famous for flaky croissants and perfect baguettes. Of course, these cookies are not traditionally French, but who doesn’t love biscuits aux pépites de chocolate? In large tourist centres such as Paris, where there are millions of visitors …

Despite their amazing taste, the religieuses au café have recently been looked over by bakery lovers because they are not as easy to eat on the go as choux or éclairs are. You can even find specialized pastry boutiques in Paris, such as Popelini or l’éclair de Genie. The name means”nun” …

Perfect to use as an ice cream garnish, enjoy with your coffee and a café gourmand, or as a snack. Tuiles aux amandes are a fun and creative way to add a little sweetness to your day. Named after the shape of roof tiles that they resemble, the crunchy texture …

Mille-feuille (pronounced meal foy), or thousand layers, is a rich dessert of several layers of crispy crunchy puff pastry layered with a pastry cream filling and/or fruit. In my version, I layered lemon curd, whipped cream, and ripe strawberries. If you do not have strawberries use other berries or even …

The following recipe for lavender shortbread is my Provencal take on the Scottish classic. However, let’s start with an introduction to baking with fresh lavender. I love nothing more than throwing a handful of fresh lavender or any other herb into my baking. It takes me to simpler times with …