Croissant ordinaire | | These are the crescent shaped puff pastry rolls now found all over the world. When the points are curled towards the center, this is the legal indication that the croissant has been made with margarine and has not been glazed with butter before baking. Price is always about 50 centimes less than the croissant au beurre. An interesting historical aside?croissants were first made by French chefs in transit for the rulers of the Ottoman Empire; the shape is after the Turkish crescent in the Ottoman flag. |
Croissant au beurre | | These croissants have their tips pointing straight out, signifying their pure butter content. Richer and definitely worth the extra half a franc. |
Pain au chocolat | | a rectangular flaky pastry filled with a strip of chocolate. If you are lucky enough to catch a batch coming out of the oven, the chocolate will still be warm and soft?a favorite after-school snack for youngsters. |
Pain aux raisins | | a round, spiral-shaped croissant cooked with raisins and a light, egg cream. |
Croissant aux amandes | | topped with slivered almonds and filled with a rich almond butter paste. |
Chausson aux pommes | | a turnover with applesauce inside. As for individual gâteaux, most boulangeries that are also pâtisseries offer: |
Millefeuilles (Napoleon) | | puffed pastry with pastry cream. |
Eclairs | | chou pastry filled with chocolate or coffee cream. |
Religieuse | | same as éclair but shaped like a nun?s hat. |
Tartelette aux fruits | | small fruit tarts. |
