What-What: The French Breakfast

When I first moved to France we would spend the weekends with Bri's family and they would bring us a typical French breakfast.

In the States we usually have our eggs, toast, bacon and a cup of coffee, sometimes we opt for pancakes or french toast.  In France a typical breakfast is much less food, much more carb and very heavy in fat.

The croissant, the flaky and buttery pastry that is sold all over France and at explosive prices in the States.  The croissant is the most common breakfast pastry in France and is usually eaten simply with a cup of café au lait.

These pastries are exceptionally heavy and often made by layering pastry over pastry smeared with butter.

A famous and delicious variation is called the croissant aux amandes and it is AMAZING.

The pain au chocolat is a variation on the croissant, made with the same ingredients except folded over a few sticks of chocolate.  A fresh pain au chocolat will be melty and seemingly fall apart.

Typically breakfast is light and eaten leisurely, a glass of orange juice can accompagny the breakfast.  If it's not the weekend, it is more common to have some biscottes smeared with butter and jam or some petits madeleines.  As everywhere in the world, one can also eat cereal or toast.. but eggs are always reserved for lunch or dinner.

Pancakes and french toast are considered a dessert and eaten after dinner.. but in my experience the French are open minded and having pancakes for breakfast can be perfectly appropriate (but not typical).  

I often will serve pancakes to Bri on the weekend, usually for brunch.. with some fresh sliced fruit and a nice crème fermière... delicious.