Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while will know how much I like to “minify” recipes, especially desserts (because, much as I love them, there’s only so many desserts a two-person household can eat!). Given the chance, I’ll always choose a selection of mini desserts over one regular-sized one because hey, then you get to taste more than one! Enter le café gourmand – a fairly recent dessert trend thought to have started in Paris, whereby with your post-dinner coffee, you sample a selection of pastries and desserts, in bite-sized form. There’s no set items that must appear on a café gourmand plate so today I thought I’d share some of my favourites.
Classic financiers (get the recipe here)
Chocolate-hazelnut financiers (get the recipe here)
Madeleines (get the recipe here)
Chocolate mousse (get the recipe here)
Profiteroles (get a version of the recipe for these here)
For something a little different, how about a slice of (chocolate) saucisson with your coffee? Get the recipe here.
Mini lemon meringue tarts (get the recipe here)
For something a little unexpected, how about a little cookie with a savoury note? Get the recipe here.
Mini fruit tarts are always a welcome addition to a café gourmand plate. Get the recipe here.
Love the idea of a café gourmand? I’m hosting a special café gourmand class later this spring at the St Lawrence Market in Toronto. Details here.
I love café gourmand! The idea of a selection of mini desserts is always more appealing to me than one big slice of cake. Sometimes, if we happen to be back from a holiday in France with a variety of mini cakes and sweets in our luggage, we spend the next few evenings at home making our own post-dinner cafés gourmands at home 🙂
I love the idea of you returning from France with “a variety of mini cakes and sweets” in your luggage 😉
It extends the holiday 🙂 (if I can I even pop by a bakery on the way to the airport and get a fresh loaf of bread to bring back).