The croissant : The star of French pastries uncovered !

The star of French pastries uncovered, for the pleasure of our tastebuds: an emblem that will never flake! The veritable celebrity that is the croissant is famous for being one of the essential components of breakfast à la française. Golden brown, and with a delicious buttery-tasting dough that melts in your mouth, it is a perfect accompaniment for a good cup of coffee. Its origins date back to 17th-Century Vienna, Austria. Viennese bakers saved the city by sounding the alert when the Ottoman Army invaded. As an homage, they produced a croissant, whose crescent shape was directly inspired by the emblem on the flag of their former enemies. 

The beginnings of the croissant, of pastries, and of a delicious story: Queen Marie-Antoinette, originally from Vienna, introduced the Austrian pastry to the French Court during the 18th Century. It was a huge success. The original recipe, using bread dough, changed over the years. It was Parisian bakers at the onset of the 20th Century who created the croissant we know and love: flaky pastry very rich in butter and cut into triangles rolled up to make crescent moon shapes. You may know the all-butter and standard varieties of croissant, but do you know its sweet variations - the almond croissant, with cream and flaked almonds, or the 'diplomate', glazed with custard and garnished with dried fruit. Savoury variations include the delicious stuffed croissant, with ham and grated cheese.