French Donut Names: A Delicious Guide to French Pastry Terminology

Are you ready to dive into the world of French donuts? These delightful treats come with a variety of names, each reflecting their unique characteristics and history. From classic beignets to more elaborate creations, these names offer a glimpse into the rich culinary heritage of France. Whether you're a pastry enthusiast or simply looking for inspiration for your next baking adventure, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge to navigate the fascinating world of French donut names.
1. **Beignet:** A classic French donut, often deep-fried and dusted with powdered sugar, meaning "small cake" or "little cake."
2. **Choux à la crème:** A pastry made from choux paste, filled with crème pâtissière, meaning "cream puffs" or "cream cakes."
3. **Gâteau de riz:** A rice cake, often fried or baked, meaning "rice cake" or "rice pastry."
4. **Pain au lait:** A sweet bread roll, often filled with vanilla custard, meaning "milk bread" or "bread with milk."
5. **Baba au rhum:** A yeast-raised cake soaked in rum syrup, meaning "rum baba" or "rum cake."
6. **Bouchée à la reine:** A small pastry filled with savory chicken or game, meaning "queen's bite" or "queen's puff."
7. **Brioche:** A rich, buttery yeast bread, often used for sweet pastries, meaning "brioche" or "butter bread."
8. **Chouquette:** A small, round choux pastry dusted with sugar, meaning "little choux pastry" or "small cream puff."
9. **Croissant:** A crescent-shaped pastry made with laminated dough, meaning "crescent" or "half moon."
10. **Doughnut:** A common English term for a donut, meaning "dough nut" or "dough ring."
11. **Frittelle:** A small, deep-fried pastry, often made with flour, eggs, and milk, meaning "fritters" or "fried pastries."
12. **Gateau:** A general term for cake in French, meaning "cake" or "pastry."
13. **Kouign amann:** A Breton pastry made with layers of dough, sugar, and butter, meaning "butter cake" or "butter bread."
14. **Madeleine:** A small, sponge-like cake, often shaped like a seashell, meaning "Madeleine" or "little cake."
15. **Meringue:** A light, airy confection made with egg whites and sugar, meaning "meringue" or "egg white foam."
16. **Pain perdu:** A French toast, meaning "lost bread" or "soaked bread."
17. **Pâte à choux:** A versatile pastry dough used for cream puffs, eclairs, and other pastries, meaning "choux pastry" or "cream puff dough."
18. **Pâtisserie:** A pastry shop or bakery, meaning "pastry shop" or "bakery."
19. **Petit four:** A small, decorated cake or pastry, often served with coffee or tea, meaning "small oven" or "small cake."
20. **Pomme de terre:** A potato, meaning "potato" or "earth apple."
21. **Religieuse:** A pastry made of two choux puffs, one larger than the other, filled with custard and topped with chocolate icing, meaning "nun" or "religious woman."
22. **Rondelles:** A small, ring-shaped pastry, often made with puff pastry, meaning "roundels" or "round pastries."
23. **Sfogliatella:** A layered pastry filled with ricotta cheese, candied fruit, and spices, meaning "thinly layered" or "leaf pastry."
24. **Soufflé:** A light, airy dish made with egg whites, often served as a dessert, meaning "puff" or "blown up."
25. **Tarte:** A tart, meaning "tart" or "pie."
26. **Tartelette:** A small tart, meaning "small tart" or "mini tart."
27. **Tarte Tatin:** An upside-down tart made with caramelized apples and puff pastry, meaning "Tatin tart" or "upside-down tart."
28. **Viennoiserie:** A general term for Viennese pastries, meaning "Viennese pastry" or "Viennese bread."
29. **Donut:** An American term for a donut, meaning "dough nut" or "dough ring."
30. **Donut Hole:** A small, bite-sized donut, meaning "donut hole" or "donut miniature."
31. **Jelly Donut:** A donut filled with jelly, meaning "jelly donut" or "jelly-filled donut."
32. **Glazed Donut:** A donut coated with a sugary glaze, meaning "glazed donut" or "sugar-coated donut."
33. **Cake Donut:** A donut with a cake-like texture, meaning "cake donut" or "cake-style donut."
34. **Old Fashioned Donut:** A dense, cake-like donut, often deep-fried, meaning "old-fashioned donut" or "traditional donut."
35. **Apple Fritter:** A donut-like pastry made with apples, meaning "apple fritter" or "apple-filled pastry."
36. **Cinnamon Roll:** A sweet roll made with cinnamon and sugar, meaning "cinnamon roll" or "cinnamon bun."
37. **Cruller:** A type of donut with a twisted shape, meaning "cruller" or "twisted donut."
38. **Raised Donut:** A donut made with yeast, meaning "raised donut" or "yeast donut."
39. **Bismarck:** A donut filled with custard, meaning "Bismarck" or "custard-filled donut."
40. **Boston Cream Donut:** A donut filled with custard and topped with chocolate icing, meaning "Boston Cream Donut" or "custard-filled donut with chocolate icing."