At brasseries you will very often encounter what is called a Café Gourmand for dessert. And whenever I see it, my dessert order is decided.
As you probably know, the French don’t eat dessert with coffee; they order coffee at the end of the meal. We’ve grown to like this custom, and adopted it.
There’s one delicious exception to this rule. A Café Gourmand comes on a plate with an expresso at the center, and three or 4four small bites of different desserts. It’s less than a full dessert, but it’s a very smartly dressed coffee.
Recently we were at the brasserie 'Les Deux Frères' in Aix-en-Provence, that famous spot in the middle of the action on the Cours Mirabeau (pictured) which is surely the best place on earth for people-watching. There was a Café Gourmand on the bi-lingual menu, and their English version inadvertently summed it up perfectly:
“Café Gourmand– L‘assiette de Café Accompangé de 4 Mignardises: Gourmet's Coffee with 4 Little Sweetie Things.”
Gotta love that translation. The Little Sweetie Things in this case were: a pistachio mini-macaroon, with a dollop of whipped cream; a bite-sized piece of a many-layered chocolate cake; a tiny chocolate covered ice cream bar; and a sliver of a baby apple tart. Miam, miam. I regret to say that a photo opp was lost, as I scarfed it up in a flash.
I thought this would be a fun idea for company. Who doesn’t love four desserts? Or even for your family. Sweetie Things for your Sweeties!
RECIPE IDEA: Café Gourmand with Little Sweetie Things
When I made this for guests, I did one homemade Sweetie Thing and filled in with easier bits. A morsel of any dessert will do, but I made these super easy chocolate macaroons to anchor one corner of my plate. For the others, here are some ideas: a tiny scoop of ice cream, a slice of fruit or a berry with a mint leaf, a dried apricot with a pecan in the center, a truffle or other chocolate, a bite of a store-bought pound cake, tart, or a cookie, or one of those little ice cream ‘bites’, like Dove bars. On the plate, an expresso or just strong coffee in a small cup is fine. Below is a recipe to try for your Café Gourmand, or for any cookie emergency which might arise. Photo: Café Gourmand with a carmamel mousse, cookies, and a bite of fresh fruit with mint.
RECIPE: Chocolate Coconut Macaroons in a Skinny French Minute
This may be my most requested recipe, and my easiest. I’ve been making these nearly forever (the recipe is from a newspaper ad for Baker's chocolate, probably before some of you were born). I’ve tarted up these rich, chewy macaroons with a cherry on top, which makes them pretty for Christmas, too. By the way these are not fancy little sandwiches that the French call macaroons. We'll tackle them another day when we're feeling courageous.
4 one-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped (113 grams)
14 oz bag (400 grams) flaked sweetened coconut
1 14 oz. can (400 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
about 10 marachino cherries, each cut into 4 pieces
Melt chocolate on stove over hot water or in a medium bowl in the microwave, on lowest setting. This may take a couple of minutes but check it often, you don't want it too hot. Add condensed milk and vanilla, blend. Mix coconut in thoroughly , until there are no white specks remaining. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto well greased baking sheet (or better yet, line it with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat), 1-inch apart.
Bake at 350°F (180C), for about 10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from pan.
Favorite Reads: From my window I can see sheep and cows grazing, but our factory agricultural system is not so bucolic. I've started reading Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly
Our Reader's Blogs: We always seem to be ordering One For The Table, which is also the clever name of Amy Ephron's blog about the intertwining of food, politics, and love. You'll find recipes and much more: this week Michael Tucker shares his dreams of Umbria. Over at A Woman's Paris, Barbara Redmond is featuring a series for students looking to do a gap year or internship in Paris. This week you'll get the scoop on how to find the best places to stay.
If you're planning a trip to Burgundy's Côte d'Or wine region around Beaune, why not make the charming village of Pommard your home base. Our reader Carolyn rents out her lovely apartment there. You can see it at 3 Clos de Pommard.
12 thoughts on “Psst, Want a Little French Sweetie Thing?”
Your post reminds me why I always ask for a French menu….sometimes the translations are so different from what it actually is..especially when they have used computers for translating. My favorite is from a restaurant in Arles. Jambon cru was translated as ‘believed ham’!
Sounds delicous and perhaps not tooooooo fattening?? I will definitely try your recipe.
I love this idea! And the espresso cup could actually have a mini pot de creme inside instead. I’m trying this at my next dinner party.
Your charming photo (of the plate you made for guests) is one of the reasons I am simply glad to be alive. That moment of a day, each day, when I get to sit and ponder my glorious life. Thank you for sharing!
About the daily egg, or the patty of viande hache, I have abandoned all supermarkets and instead buy from a tiny co-op where all the products come from tiny farms or homesteaders who welcome visits and treat their animals humanely (weird phrase but the only one that serves).
This is a major and recent change for me, prompted by reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s book “Eating Animals.” On the birth of his first child, he accepted responsibility for what his child ate and looked deeply into the way animals are raised and slaughtered in the U.S. If you have a tender heart, approach the book warily or just skip it and find a good co-op
Bonjour, Lynn, and thank you for sharing our Pommard apartment with your readers! In fact, we would like to make a special offer to any of your readers who would like to make a booking through 2012. Just mention at the time of booking that you learned of 3 Clos de Pommard on “Southern Fried French” to receive a 10% discount. Also, we are a big fan of mignardises. I will send to you a photo we took of our apartment, all decorated for Christmas last year, with a little plate of these delights in the foreground!
I first ordered this by mistake. I thought I was just ordering really good coffee. What a wonderful surprise. I love the English translation and I think that “little sweetie things,” will become part of my culinary vocabulary.
I am often amazed at the menu translations that I find in France (42 days and counting). They often rival the instructions on an “assemble it yourself,” item from China. I also always ask for the French menu. Often when servers hear us speaking English they will automatically bring the English menu. Having both menus gives one a rosetta stone of eating out. Some things, however, simply do not translate. I love ordering something that doesn’t have English name, like Cafe Gourmand.
What a fabulous fun idea Lynn. I am eager to try out this charming way of presenting bite size desserts. Love the recipe for the
coconut macaroons and your beautiful photo brought back memories
of our own people watching from Les Deux Freres Cafe in Aix.
Bliss…Add chocolate, coffee and one has supreme bliss!
Lynn, once again,in both words and pictures,you’ve left me drooling!And smiling! Little Sweetie Things!Your macaroons!
What perfect desserts!What could possibly be better???!
WOW!! (Make that YUM!!!!)
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bon journee!!!
PS Paula, I completely agree with you!
What a delightful post. Little sweetie things are always of interest to me! I’m currently reading a coffee table book on Cezanne, so Aix is where I would love to be right now…sitting on Cours Mirabeau having a cafe gourmand would be just fine.
I have attempted macarons and look forward to whatever hints you may be able to provide when you do that post.
Lynn, I love this idea!!! Just FYI — I made your Provencal baguette crackers for Monty and Ali for their last dinner here
and we all loved them. This recipe has been added to
my recipe file. Thank you and keep them coming. Yummmm…..
Oh yum — I think *all* my teeth are the “sweet tooth” kind… mmmmm!! (and thank you,I think…)