History of the Bûche de Noël The log is generally eaten on December 24, during the Christmas meal. The cake was born around 1870. Several pastry chefs are fighting over paternity. But it seems they had the idea at the same time for a cake roll that looks like a …

Discover the Galette Provençale If you don’t have a galette variation in your country, you can very well make it yourself. While you cook, the children in the family can have fun making wreaths. It really is a very festive time. Moreover, this cake really encourages conviviality, between friends and/or …

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 …

Epiphany on January 6th The “Three Kings day” is a real party at home. We like to make the “galette” ourselves and share this moment with the family. Besides, January is the month we celebrate my brother’s birthday (January 3) and mine (January 5). We would be delighted to welcome …

A French Christmas Yule Log Of all the culinary treats that grace the French Christmas table, nothing inspires more child-like joy than a rich, chocolate Bûche de Noël. Real yule logs, the kind from living trees, have had symbolic significance to the French for centuries. Until the late 1800s, it …

This crunchy little cookie biscuit is the French version of the Italian Biscotti or Biscotto. Delightfully good served with your favourite tea or coffee or let’s be honest completely on their own.

A delicious and colourful cake full of the flavours of Christmas markets, perfect with tea to brighten up a cold day, or as a light and joyful desert after a nice meal. It’s not only easy to make with very standard ingredients it also keeps very nicely for a few days, as the infusion of Mandarin and Cardamon syrup keeps it perfectly moist and preserved

shared by our contributor Phoebe Thomas. She makes this French January treat, a delicious, buttery, frangipane pastry, called la galette des rois, which translates to the King’s Cake at home with her kids.

Galette des Rois is puff pastry tart with a frangipane interior – golden, flaky and delicious. This tart is served around the Christmas holidays, but always on January 6th (Epiphany).

Gâteau Saint-Honoré is named for the classic French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, Saint Honoré. There are many steps to this recipe, but you will be rewarded by the sweet finish.