Local Specialties - Brittany

[bleudauvergne]

We went to Brittany for a wedding last weekend, and some friends of ours from the Cote d'Azur dragged us through the streets of St. Malo looking for pastries so that they could get some to carry home with them on the 9 hour train ride home. They weren't buying them to eat on the train, they were buying them to serve to friends and family as a special souvenier from Brittany. Being completely obscessed with all things food I was fascinated by this phenomenon, but felt the amounts they purchased were rather excessive. I criticize because I'm on a diet. I satisfied my craving by taking photos of the things they bought.

This is a specialty that Brittany is famous for. They come in all shapes and sizes. They are mass produced and sold in stores all over France, but of course the ones bought fresh on site are the best (or so I've heard).

These apparently are not a specialty of Brittany but they bought them anyway.

e did not catch the name of this pastry. Does anyone know?

The famous Kouign Amann. They bought tons.

Hmmm, we don't get these in Lyon...

I'm wondering about the green one with chocolate sprinkles...

Typical French pastries. It seems like everywhere you go, they print on white chocolate palettes to make it local. Sailboats for St. Malo...

These tarts were a curiosity and people stopped to watch them being made through the window.

This also makes me think of the recipe for Gateau Bretan that was given to me by a lady who ran a B&B and served it there. It was delicious. We also made it once with prune paste in the center.

[John Talbott]

Kouign Amann

Stop torturing me.

[Fritz Brenner]

Unfortunately, I can't see the images, but hopefully they'll appear if I check back later (that mysteriously happens to me sometimes). I lived in Rennes for a year, and would love to see the photographs of the pastries. I love Kouign Amann too.

[bleudauvergne]

Fritz, maybe you can help name the triangle with the yellow custard piped in the middle, with the almonds on top.

[Ptipois]

Fritz, maybe you can help name the triangle with the yellow custard piped in the middle, with the almonds on top. 

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I'm not sure about the triangle, I think I used to know the name (could it be a sacristain ?) but the oval-shaped pastry half-glazed in green with the other half dipped in chocolate sawdust is called a "gland" (acorn) and it is supposed to contain custard.

Apart from kouign-amann and gâteau breton nothing here is typically local. Everything else looks like a very fine version classical French pâtisserie items.

The lemon-meringue pies look particularly yummy and I'm curious about the small tartes with a half-Granny Smith apple on top. I suppose the apple must inflate like a soufflé in the oven. Very interesting.

Nice camera you've got... What is it?

[bleudauvergne]

Bonjour Ptitpois - Thank you so much for naming the "gland"... That one will be easy to remember.

I noticed that in Brittany they use a lot of puff pastry in different ways, it seemed very pronounced in this region. i.e. the framboisine, which has a layer of feuillitee, then the raspberries and what looks to be a butter crumble layered over that. This is not something I see in Lyon. Most likely not a specialty but a more pronounced use of the puff pastry.

It's funny though, that in many ways, this idea of the "local specialty" has become very popular because it sells with the French - thus our French friends running willy nilly all over town to get some and take on their long journey home.

The camera's a 3-1/2 year old Canon Powershot. Get one, they're cheap these days!

[Carrot Top]

Really...I agree. These photos are a form of sweet torture.

Especially before breakfast.

You are cruel, cruel, in your unquenchable search for knowledge, bleudauvergne.

[ludja]

Kouign Amann

Stop torturing me.

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Yes! I loved getting this freshly made.

Has anyone baked a Kouign Amann at home? I have some recipes but haven't yet.

[Fritz Brenner]

MMMMM..... the triangles with custard sound familiar... but I'm not coming up with anything. It's been a few years now since I lived there. I always found the best regional pastries when I traveled to smaller towns on the coast. Makes me miss being there...

[Bux]

Yes!  I loved getting this freshly made. 

Has anyone baked a Kouign Amann at home?  I have some recipes but haven't yet.

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Would it be authentic without fresh beurre de bretagne?