Alsace

A French plum tart, also known as “Tarte aux Prunes,” is a classic French dessert that highlights the natural sweetness and juiciness of plums. This tart features a buttery, flaky crust filled with fresh plums that are baked until jammy. It’s buttery, nutty, sweet and tart all at once. Enjoy it on its own, or with a dollop of crème fraiche on top – heavenly!

Here’s to the perfect summer treat – a Cherry Cake, inspired by the beloved dessert from the Vosges Mountains, in Eastern France. This cake is light, airy, bouncy and nestled with sweet, juicy cherries. It’s the perfect baked good to celebrate cherry season and enjoy all summer long.

Known as Alsatian Schwowebredele, these Almond Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies belong to the long list of typical “bredele” cookies made over the holidays in Alsace, Eastern France. Made with ground almonds, a pinch of cinnamon and a generous amount of butter, these cut-outs are easy to make, deliciously sandy and taste just subtly spiced and nutty. A must-do recipe for your holiday cookie box!

A crisp buttery crust, melty caramelized onions and a savory custard makes the Alsatian Onion Tart a staple of French cooking. This rustic tart tastes rich, satisfying and brings a unique combination of sweet and salty flavors, with the sweet caramelized onions bound by a cheese and egg filling.

This rustic Alsatian Blueberry Tart is a quintessential Summer dessert, hailing from the Alsace region in the Eastern part of France, where blueberries are plentiful. It features a crisp “pâte brisée” (French pie dough) generously filled with fresh seasonal blueberries. Just before baking, a “migaine” (quick custard) is poured overtop the blueberries to create an extra juicy filling with a delicious hint of creaminess.  

Rye flour, a good amount of honey and a unique spice blend are the key components of a great Classic French Spiced Bread – also known as Pain d’Épices. This cross between a cake and a bread is a holiday staple in France. It can be found on most Christmas market stalls, sold in big slabs. It is also a favorite to make amongst home bakers as it is a really simple recipe that makes the house smell wonderful. This is a perfect crowd pleaser for the Holidays.

Holiday baking season has officially started! So let’s make a delicious batch of Linzele cookies (also known as “Boules de Linz”). These little Holiday treats are a specialty from Alsace, France – a region that has an extensive repertoire of Holiday cookies.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, candied citrus peels, honey, almonds, kirsch liquor… if you like all kind of Holidays spices and fixings, you’re in for a treat! These popular Leckerli cookies embrace all the flavors of the Holidays in a delicious tiny format. “Leckerli” means “little treat” and that’s exactly what they are: sticky, chewy yet crisp edged, and so fragrant from all the spices.

Did you know that before getting into the Christmas spirit, the French from Alsace and Lorraine first get ready for the feast of St Nicholas Day, on December 6th? Just like in Germany and most Western Christian countries, St Nicholas Day is a big celebration in Alsace, with the inclusion of many baked cookies, known as bredeles. Last year, I shared with you two bredele recipes: the Speculoos and the Almond Pistachio Crescents. But the truth is, these Spritz (reminiscent of the German Spritzgebäck) are probably my favorites, and I …

With Oktoberfest celebrations nearly upon us, behold these Alsatian classics: hot buttered soft pretzels! Or, should I say, Bretzels – as that’s how you’ll find them called in Alsace. These salt-topped chewy twists are one of the most iconic culinary treats of the region (if not the treat!). Now, if you live in Alsace, you may not find the point in making homemade pretzels, as they can literally be found in any food market, bakery and even “bretzellerie” (street shops devoted to making and selling only bretzels).