Breton | A French Collection

The Best of Breton Cakes – Brittany’s Most Popular Desserts

Life in Brittany includes our fair share of delicious cakes and especially the cakes traditional to the region which are collectively called 'Breton cakes', even though this broadly includes biscuits, lollipops and caramels.

The Best of Breton Cakes - Brittany's Most Popular Desserts

Breton cakes are famous for their layers of pastry and creamy butter which is proudly produced locally. The most well known of the 'Breton Cakes' is the Gâteau Breton (Breton Cake), Far Breton and the Kouign-Amann. Surprisingly, the popularity of these desserts with inhabitants of Brittany doesn't correspond with how well known in general.

Sweets that have originated in the region include Salted Caramels, Niniches (artisanal lollipops from Quiberon), and Gavotte (a lacy golden mini crêpe). Breton butter cookies (Sablés Breton) are also a very popular dessert in Brittany. You'll find them in prettily packaged in tins in just about all supermarkets, souvenir stores, markets and in many boutique boulangeries.

Quintin – A Charming French Town

Quintin is a charming French town southwest of Saint-Brieuc city, and is only a short drive from our village. The smallish town has lots to offer to visitors with its blend of old-world charm and modern attractions. Quintin is built in the heart of the scenic “Le Gouët” river valley and is set on a hill perpetually overlooking the serene waters of Étang de Quintin (Quintin Lake).

Quintin - A Charming French Town

Situated between Armor and Argoat, Quintin, which was a fortified town and the centre of the Marian cult, boasts thirteen classified historic monuments. That's a lot of historical monuments for one small town!

It's architecturally rich urban heritage, which is principally the legacy of two centuries of prosperity arising from the manufacture of linen, is what makes it so attractive.

Far Breton – An easy & delicious recipe from Brittany

Far Breton - an easy & delicious recipe from Brittany

Okay, so you want to eat something sweet that's easy to cook, doesn't have fancy ingredients and is very French? Then Far Breton is just what you want. It's the great French classic #2. Far Breton comes in at #2 after Kouign Amann which is the big #1 dessert of Brittany.

Far Breton in its authentic version contains prunes because sailors used to bring back dried prunes from their voyages and prunes added a fruity touch to the cake. You can also add a touch of rum or raisins to add more flavour. This recipe serves 8.

6 of the Best Beaches in Brittany

Brittany abounds in natural beauty and beautiful beaches and in this post I list the 6 best beaches in Brittany so that you too can explore them on your travels. The region is well known for its creamy butter, abundant seafood, salty caramels and cooler temperatures. It also has some of the nicest beaches in France. That's easy considering that the region sports a coastline of over 1,200 kilometres! Over the years, our family have visited many beaches along the Northeast and Western France coastlines and I believe that the beaches in Brittany offer something for everyone.

Whether it's a white sandy beach hidden away that only the locals know about, or a pebbly beach that simply calls out for a scenic stroll, Breton beaches are just waiting for you to discover them. Here's 6 of the best beaches in Brittany.

The Little Breton Bistro: Book Review

The Little Breton Bistro is set in Brittany

Do you love sitting in French bistros watching the world go by or wonder about the lives of the other bistro patrons? Well, the book The Little Breton Bistro by Nina George features a quirky bistro set in Brittany, together with a mixture of unique but believable characters.

On the lookout for a book to take away recently I came across The Little Breton Bistro, the new book of Nina George, the author of The Little Paris Bookshop. As I enjoyed The Little Paris Bookshop with its unusual and sensitive characters I was sure I would also enjoy this book about my favourite part of France, Brittany.

Annette Charlton

Annette lives with her family between their homes in France and Australia. She’s been featured in International magazines including French Property News, on numerous blogs and travel websites and appeared on ABC National Radio. You can connect on Instagram or Facebook.