I love it when I come across a new local food speciality; one that I didn’t know existed but has been around for the best part of a century delighting all who taste it. This particular discovery is called the Craquelin. It consists of an exquisitely light buttery brioche topped with crunchy caramelised whole almonds, infused with the taste of honey. I stumbled across it while showing a cousin from Australia around its home town Vence. We stopped for coffee and cake little realising as we ordered that we’d found a gastronomic treasure.
In 1927 a baker named Joseph Palanque opened a patisserie in Vence, in the Alpes-Maritimes near Nice. From holidays spent in Brittany he could remember a special cake made with honey and it was in recreating his version of this that he invented the Craquelin Vençois. The recipe has been passed down the generations and it is now Joseph’s grandson, Gérard, who runs the very same patisserie and continues to produce this mythical cake. Vence has become renowned for the Craquelin and many other bakers make their own version of it but if you want to try the original, and most say the best, then head to Patisserie Palanque just off the main square. I’ll certainly be back soon.
Do you have any local food specialities where you are? Do let me know.
Related Reading:
Top 8 must-try foods from Provence
We have vacationed in Vence for many years, stumbled across this last time and totally flipped out! No recipe captures it…wish I had brought back a dozen!!
Almonds are my favorite. Would love to try a slice of craquelin. Interesting name too.
Delicious find, Phoebe!
Thanks for linking up. Hope to see you again this week!
Thanks for commenting, you made me smile 🙂
Thanks fo rstopping by Irene.
If the photo wasn’t enough, I can tell you, your first sentence had my mouth watering! Yum. . .I want some of this one.
So nice to learn about the history of this appealing pastry!
Thanks for commenting Rachel, I wonder where your “it’s all good” bakery is?
😀
Hi Robin, yes this particular craquelin is only available in Vence. There are other craquelins in Normandy and Brittany but this in the south I think Vence is the only place to try it.
Ooh panettone is one of my favorites too Delmy and craquelin isn’t so very different from it actually.
I think so too Lorelle, let’s hope it continues into the next generation.
I know what you mean Marge, it’s often easier not to have the temptation.
Good on you Richard!
Let me know how it goes when you finally make your Teurgoule Rosie. :p
Happy to have inspired you!
Yum, I love a good crumble, lucky you.
Oh my…when I clicked on your link I thought that I would be getting a recipe. The cake looks delicious! My fav place to pick up desserts is “It’s All Good” bakery.
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Phoebe, this looks absolutely wonderful. I have never heard of Craquelin and would love to try it. Are these only available in Vence?
Just looking at the photo is so good! I love a speciality cakes, this has all my favorite ingredients. This time of year there are so many. I can think of each area where I have lived and their specialty cakes,
Panettoni has been a must since childhood. Pumpkin cheese cake is a traditional one here in USA.
Lovely, it’s a nice tradition for family to pass down recipes and cafe’s
I would love a sliver…though I may not be able to stop at just that. Our little town does not have any specialty shops and that may be to my good. Pastry is one of my weaknesses.
Well that looks amazing! would make a terrific gift for the holidays that a family could serve on Christmas morning!
Next time I’m in Vence I’ll certainly head for the Patisserie Palanque and have a slice.
That sounds absolutely divine … but then I am a lover of all cakes! Up here in Normandy we have our fair share of gastronomic delights. One I keep promising myself I will make is Teurgoule: a slowly cooked rice pudding, flavoured with cinnamon and made in a special teurgoule bowl. I have the bowl, now I just need to make one!
I lived in Vence area for some years now and I never tried it, thanks for the idea, off to Vence now!
Yummy. I could easily enjoy that. Where we live we have a lady who makes the most delicious crumbles out of whatever fruit she has in her garden. She sells these at our monthly church market. I try to get there early as they sell out within minutes.