Common french desserts

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For centuries, France has been recognized as one of the world's culinary leaders. With a reputation for fine food and wine, French cooking has influenced generations of chefs and is well-represented in the daily diets of people all over the world. Some of the most traditional and popular French desserts include dishes such as creme brulee, chocolate eclairs, lemon meringue pie, chocolate mousse and chocolate truffles.

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1. Creme Brulee

   • Creme brulee has no definite origin but was first referenced in 1691 in a popular French cookbook and was first known to the English as "burnt cream." It consists of a rich, smooth custard base contrasted with a hard caramel layer on top. While traditionally flavored with vanilla, creme brulee is sometimes flavored with lemon or orange zest, chocolate or coffee. The dish is usually served cold.

   Chocolate Eclair

   • The eclair is thought to have originated in France sometime in the 19th Century. It is a popular pastry recipe the world over. Chocolate eclairs are long, thin cakes filled with chocolate-flavored creme and iced with melted chocolate. Occasionally, chocolate eclairs may be topped with caramel. Certain pastries marketed in the U.S. as eclairs are actually long johns and differ from eclairs in that long johns use doughnut pastry instead of cake and are filled with vanilla pudding.

   Lemon Meringue Pie

   • Lemon meringue originated in France in the 19th Century. It is a baked pie, usually made with a shortbread crust with lemon curd filling and a fluffy meringue topping. Traditional French meringue consists of sugar and whipped egg whites and is frequently flavored with vanilla. Lemon meringue is a popular dessert in America, particularly in the South where lemons are a common component in dessert recipes.

   Chocolate Mousse

   • Chocolate mousse may have originated in France in the 18th Century. This dessert is typically made from eggs, cream and chocolate whipped together to form a foamy mixture made fluffy by air bubbles. The degree of fluffiness can be controlled by varying the amount of air bubbles introduced into the mixture through mixing. The texture of chocolate mousse can range from very light and fluffy to thick and creamy. Mousse became popular in America in the 1960s.

   Chocolate Truffles

   • The chocolate truffle was created in France in 1895 by M. Dufour. It is a chocolate confectionery made with a chocolate ganache center and covered with a chocolate or cocoa powder. Ganache is a pastry filling made from semi-sweet, dark chocolate and creme blended together. Other fillings frequently used include melted chocolate, caramel, berries, nougat, toffee, mint, marshmallows and liqueur.

Source: www.ehow.com

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