Get expert tips for visiting the Palace of Versailles without spending all your time waiting in line. The Palace of Versailles (also known as the Château de Versailles here in France), is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country – and perhaps the world!  As a result, it can be a little overwhelming to visit the grounds of this gorgeous estate. If you’re visiting at peak times in the spring and summer, you can definitely expect to wait in long lines and navigate large crowds. But don’t worry! There are many tips on visiting Versailles that can make your trip more enjoyab ..read more

If you’re looking for a sweet and simple French dessert to make at home, this Tigre pastry recipe is for you! Tigre pastry – also known as a tigre cake – is a delightful, mini, dense and buttery almond cake speckled with chocolate pieces and filled with chocolate ganache. I was first introduced to this dessert while studying and living in Paris. I lived in a tiny apartment off Rue Montorgueil with floor space that was only about as big as a rolled out yoga mat. It was charming and oh-so Parisian though, and it was right down the street from the Stohrer, the oldest pastry shop in Paris (open si ..read more

Get 20+ tips for making French macarons at home, all tested by me, Molly Wilkinson, a pastry chef trained and living in France. When many home bakers think about French pastry, they think about macarons. They are always a popular topic with my social media audience and are typically on the baking bucket lists of many of my students in my French pastry beginner online course and online French pastry membership. Macarons can also be a little daunting. But here’s the good news – they don’t have to be hard! After years of working as a French pastry chef in Versailles, I’ve perfected the art of ma ..read more

Explore the different types of KitchenAid mixers and determine which one is right for you. Is there any kitchen tool more iconic than a KitchenAid Mixer? They’ve long been on the top of every home baker’s must-have list, also commonly popping up on wedding registries and housewarming wish lists. Even very casual bakers I know have a KitchenAid mixer at home – they’re that popular!  If you’re still looking for the perfect mixer for your kitchen or to give as a gift to your favorite baker, then keep reading for our guide to finding the one that’s right for you! This post may contain affili ..read more

The holidays have officially arrived which means if you’re anything like me, your kitchen has become a full-on Christmas Cookie production line! This season I’ve been making everything from Gingerbread Houses to Springerle Cookies (or when I’m feeling extra celebratory, a perfect cookie mix mash-up of Gingerbread Molded Springerle Cookies ) Though in my household cookies are a year-round delight, there is still something so uniquely special about holiday and Christmas cookies, something about the cold weather, cozy decorations, and of course all that chocolat chaud just makes cookies taste swe ..read more

Explore our carefully curated Francophile gift guide to find unique French-themed Christmas gifts for everyone on your list. Long before I ever moved to France to study French pastry, I was already obsessed with all things French culture. I knew I wanted to be in this beautiful country and I feel so lucky that I now get to call it home. Put simply, I was a total Francophile before I became an actual French resident. Because of this personal experience, I love getting unique French gifts for my friends and family who also love France. In this Francophile gift guide, I’m sharing some of my best ..read more

Looking for French gifts for her? I’m sharing a few of my favorite things that are perfect for gifting to family, friends and loved ones. When I was putting together my baker gift guide and Francophile gift guide this holiday season, there were several products I wished I could share with you that didn’t quite fit in either list. So, I made a separate list to share some of my favorite things! So, without further ado, keep reading to explore some of my favorite French gifts for her. This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I will get a small commission ..read more

In Season 14 of The Great British Bake Off Prue gives the remaining contestants the task of creating a classic French Tart (or Tarte Aux Pommes) for the technical challenge. I love every week on GBBO but get especially excited for Patisserie when I see some of my favorite familiar French classics on display, and this week with the infamous apple tart was no different. After watching the contestants struggle to perfect this tried and true French classic, I was inspired to go into my kitchen and whip up my take on this richly flavorful apple dessert known for its elegant simplicity and gorgeous ..read more

If you are a Great British Bake Off (otherwise known as Great British Baking Show for all my American friends, or GBBO for the truest among us) fan like myself, you may find yourself distractingly dreaming about the mouthwatering recipes that are revealed week by week and feel inspired to get in the kitchen yourself after watching. This week, during season 14’s semifinal episode celebrating all things Patisserie, (unsurprisingly one of my favorite weeks ) that certainly happened to me. The signature bake for the episode was to make a set of financiers, one of my favorite French desserts and on ..read more

Whether your Christmas tree needs a little something extra this year or you’re looking for a unique handmade gift, springerle cookie ornaments are a festive craft made for the holidays! These intricately decorated ornaments are surprisingly simple to make. You can leave them plain and strung with a festive ribbon, or paint them for an even more unique pop of color for your Christmas tree. What are Springerle Cookies? Springerle cookies are a traditional Christmas cookie from the Alsace-Lorraine area of France, and into Germany and Switzerland. They are made with a simple, stiff dough that is t ..read more