Fauchon's Pates de Fruits, original watercolor
Here is a French sweet, Les Pâtes de Fruits, I've heard about for a long time and never tasted until Fauchon's last days, when they gave me some gratis...
Chuckles is NOT fruit paste, though I grew up eating Chuckles at the movies (but never the licorice).I should be a prime candidate for Pâtes de Fruits, right?
The pâte is 50% boiled-down puree of fresh fruit + 50% cane sugar, so their flavors are intense. Les pâtes de fruits were first made in medieval Auvergne, though now they are made everywhere and every candy maker has their own version. “Dry jams” / "confitures seches" is another way to refer to these jewel-like candied jells...
The flavors are exotic: apricot, banana, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, clementine, coconut, damson plum, fig, grapefruit, green apple, lemon, lime, mango, morello cherry, orange, passion fruit, pear, pineapple, raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry, wild strawberry, apple cinnamon, apple earl grey.
Fruits confits are whole fruits preserved in sugar. The fruit must be fully infused with sugar up to its core; larger fruits take considerably longer than smaller ones to prepare.
Click here and watch a little slide show of the process by Lilamand Confisier in St Remy.
Some of Fauchon's fruit confits I photographed just out of curiosity.
A Fauchon combo box of chocolates (yum), les pates de fruits and whole strawberry confits. Here's a cocktail glass full of confit and those Provencal almond calissons - how I love themPlease tell your stories of pates de fruits.
mouthwatering as usual, the shops here are full of LGB's, in fact I am nibbling one right now, I have to eat to read your blog!
ReplyDeleteNow what's an LGB Muddy?
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...
Though I am not a big fan of fruit pate. i do like confit fruit, especially orange!
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to imagine how you could paint a fruit pate so perfectly pretty!? But you do and I'm impressed!
CHUCKLES??? I used to love those things as a child--haven't seen them in years. Brought back tons of memories. Lovely painting as always!
ReplyDeleteL indt G old B unny
ReplyDeleteI've never acquired the taste for fruits confits, but I LOVE les pates de fruits. I think the trick is less is more and infrequency is key. Once a year on my birthday (or sometimes for Christmas), my mother would buy one for each of us - my favourite was blackberry. The flavour is so intense, she always said to take little bites (kleine hapjes) and savour.
ReplyDeleteAh, intensely sweet and fruity memories......
nasty, nasty confections! but I agree, very lovely to look at.
ReplyDeleteAs a born and bred in Provence girl, I have never acquired a taste for pate de fruits or fruits confits...way too sweet and I like sugar! I like to use the fruit confits in breakfast breads and tart decorations.
ReplyDeleteI just got referred to your blog by my daughter's art teacher (Cris in Oregon). This is a very cool blog and it combines everything I love! Paris, food, art and all the memories I have from living in France (we lived in France in 2001) I love French food and shops, and love reading about them. Your watercolors are beautiful...I saw one Cris bought and when she told me the name "Paris Breakfasts" I just had to come check this out!
ReplyDeleteDear readers,
ReplyDeleteI think, in the name of research, I've been eating too much of my subject matter.
This morning I ate some of these pates de fruits before even eating breakfast, and this afternoon I'm feeling the consequences.
I think in future I should just stick to painting and let you all do the research...Hmmmm
May I volonteer for the dark chocolates? ;-)
ReplyDeleteMarrons Glacés are also pretty sweet, but one at a time, yes, I go for it. And candied orange peels, dunked in darkest chocolate. But fruit gummy, no, thanks. :-(
It's amazing to see how producticreative you are, besides the paintings you produce photos and posts with so much information. I feel like I am going to a college course. an advanced one, "Carol's Blogoversity of Advanced Study".
Ew pates de fruits... But those Calissons d'Aix - oh my!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Last time I was in France I bought a giant one from a petrol station on the motorway. It was deeee-lish! I love your blog. It reminds me of all the stuff I miss eating LOL
ReplyDeletequelle idée de venir par ici à une heure pareille, je fais comment moi maintenant pour assouvir mes envies de pâtes de fruits ? ;-)))
ReplyDeleteWould teach you for eating your subjects!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry for not posting comments lately but I am in Paris and the internet is not treating me well. Back to England later today so hopefully I will be back to normal. There has to be a price to pay for being in such a wonderful place!
ReplyDeleteI will help with the chocolate research. I can stand it.
ReplyDeleteI like, no I love pate de fruits!
ReplyDeleteBonne nuit
XXX
Jean-Pierre
They made these yumsters in Virginia in the mountains from fresh fall apples when I was growing up. Now I cannot find them anywhere!!!
ReplyDeleteCute blog!
I love pate de fruits, but you have to take tiny bites because they are very concentrated.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite pate de fruits are the ones made by the candy-maker Voisin: http://www.histoiresucree.com/product_categories/douceurs.html
ReplyDelete