Tag: Biscuits

French Fancies: LU

In my recent post about France’s oldest business, I referenced the family’s connection to LU, formerly Lefèvre-Utile, a French biscuit brand emblematic of the city of Nantes which, thanks to the importance of its port, had long been home to artisanal and then industrial… Continue Reading “French Fancies: LU”

The Musette: Lace Snaps

Lace snaps (Florentines without the fruit) earn their name from their delicate and lacy appearance. These thin and crispy biscuits are made of almond flour, brown butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. The butter and sugar sizzle as the cookies bake, transforming the… Continue Reading “The Musette: Lace Snaps”

The Musette: Breton Palets

These are really, really good cookies! They are buttery – as they should be, not too sweet and a little salty. And their texture, so delicate, so tender, so sandy, is a little marvel. How much salt you use is up to you. If… Continue Reading “The Musette: Breton Palets”

French biscuits: Part II

While France may be best known for its exquisite pâtisserie creations and extravagant gâteaux, the not-so-humble biscuit deserves some recognition too. There are some delicious French biscuits and while they aren’t as revered as foods like cheese and baguette, they do have a role,… Continue Reading “French biscuits: Part II”

French biscuits: Part I

France doesn’t have what you might call a biscuit or cookie culture, somewhat surprising given that biscuit is French for twice cooked. But, as you can see from its supermaket shelves, brands from other countries tend to dominate. Aside from the many artisanal and… Continue Reading “French biscuits: Part I”

The Musette: pecan crumbles

I found some pecans in the cupboard close to their suggested expiration date which prompted a spot of experimentation – my favourite type of cooking. The end result was these buttery, crumbly, heavenly bites. Yes, my beloved managed to snaffle a couple before the… Continue Reading “The Musette: pecan crumbles”

The Musette: almond marzipan batons

Hands down these are our favourite biscuits. Or, should that be biscotti since we generally buy them in Italy, made from almonds or pistachios, either as batons or more usually crescents. I’ve also seen way larger versions, tipped in chocolate, in Germany where they’re… Continue Reading “The Musette: almond marzipan batons”

The Musette: chocolate chip oat cookies

My Thursday evening English class served as my first official guinea pigs. Now I agree that a bunch of teenage cyclists probably weren’t the most discerning of taste-testers. But mine were reasonably forthright and, while capable of inhaling their own bodyweights in baked goods,… Continue Reading “The Musette: chocolate chip oat cookies”

The Musette: Italian style soft almond biscuits

I love almonds and am always looking for recipes which include these lovely nuts. I love biscuits but too many include forbidden dairy ingredients. I always have a couple of egg whites knocking around in the fridge so I love it when I find… Continue Reading “The Musette: Italian style soft almond biscuits”

The Musette: Probably the best chocolate chip cookies ever

I know some of you put the brakes on right after the Festive Season, but I like to keep the treats flowing at least until Epiphany. My bunch of taste-testers voted these quite unequivocably the “best cookies ever”. I feel I should qualify this with… Continue Reading “The Musette: Probably the best chocolate chip cookies ever”