Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Queen Amen

French Pastries and I are intimate friends. There is nothing untouched between us. Bakeries in France are the pearly gates to heaven!

When I arrived in France 19 years ago…I tasted a pastry called Kouign Aman; which is a teaspoon of flour, a ton of butter and an equal ton of sugar baked. A forbidden romance my mouth has never forgotten! The cherry on top of the cake!

Kouign Aman is second to God.
The first time I tasted this I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I had seconds, and a slice of heaven went missing! The third day I ate the entire sky. The next day the angels vanished as I ate and ate. By the fifth day hell started to shake. On the sixth day, in my husband birth place, I decided France and I could be friends as long as Kouign Aman and I remain close. On the seventh day there was one fat QUEEN AMEN!

Photo:  The image above does not depict Kouign Aman. It never makes it home. These are second best.

* Kouign Aman kinda sounds like Queen-A-man…though Queen Amen went better with this post.

** This is a re-post from last year.

Comments

52 responses to “Queen Amen”

  1. Jeanne

    How beautiful your words are and spirit of living in bliss!
    I love to visit you every day!
    Beautiful indeed!
    I love all of your photographs as well!
    Love Jeanne
    Ontario Canada!

    Reply
  2. Jane

    Oh, fabulous! It seems we share the same cake gods, as you say.

    Reply
  3. Connie

    You have successfully tortured me this morning by making your photo display those pasteries so well. Seriously they look like I could reach into the screen and politely help myself.
    Off the the bakery this morning but I am sure there won’t be anything that good. Maybe I will take my camera.
    Take care,
    Connie

    Reply
  4. susan

    Amen to the Queen!
    oh France is so full of yummy things to eat…
    hugs
    susan

    Reply
  5. Shannon Lewis

    Queen Amen is perfectly appropriate! I love it.

    Reply
  6. diana

    Oh Corey…What a fine way to begin the day ! Off to go eat my bowl of Special K lol !

    Reply
  7. Kristy

    I’ll just go wipe my chin!

    Reply
  8. Enid

    You have just amde me incredibly hungry and fascinated.

    Reply
  9. cruststation

    Now I desperately want to fly to France and raid all their bakeries!

    Reply
  10. berriehead

    sounds betta then an “o” *winky* wink*** :0) sweets and me go hand in hand!

    Reply
  11. lena

    hi, thanks for visiting my blog. your photographs are gorgeous… i really enjoyed browsing through them.

    Reply
  12. Michelle Caplan

    As the screen loaded to your wonderful post this morning, I swear I heard my tummy growl!! I think the tourism board could use a recruiter like you!! I can barely contain the urge to book a flight!
    xoxo

    Reply
  13. ULLA

    Mouthwateringly delicious… I remember travelling through France with my mother, whenever we went out, she always looked at the dessert menu first – to see if it was passable. I learned from her – the way to the heart is through French sweets…

    Reply
  14. andrea

    When I come to visit you must save me a piece so that I too can taste heaven.
    a.

    Reply
  15. expatraveler

    Corey that was so funny! I guess it is true because I overdosed and gained about 25 kilos when I first got to switzerland. Then I started hiking and thankfully lost all those desserts before moving back! I’m glad I won’t make that mistake twice!

    Reply
  16. Léonor

    You should come once to Carpentras and try the chocolate cake by Jouvaud ? – Jouveaud ? – sure, you will come back if you try it !

    Reply
  17. Marieke

    Thanks a lot for your comment. Love your post. Pastries can be so good…

    Reply
  18. cally

    I seriously sat for 10 minutes just now staring at that picture. Oh.
    But now I must leave it to help a friend move heavy furniture.

    Reply
  19. stephanie

    gorgeous – with your photos and poetry i think you would make a pig’s snout look like something i would wait in line for…

    Reply
  20. lauren Mumford

    HELLLLLLOOOOOO COREYYYYYY! I’M OVER HERE!! CAN YOU SEEE MEEEE?
    lol
    lauren

    Reply
  21. maria

    Corey,
    Can you find this delice here in the south? I have never yet tasted it, yet I must now.
    Maria

    Reply
  22. Josephine

    All hail that QUEEN! YUM! After that scrumptious description, I’m very, very hungry. And PMS, so this is extra-appealing!! I heart sugar, and butter!!
    🙂 Josephine

    Reply
  23. la vie en rose

    YUM!!!!

    Reply
  24. lulu

    That is my idea of heaven, too! You don’t happen to need a housegirl do you? I’d be ever so very happy working for pastries and cakes :0)

    Reply
  25. Katrina

    You had me at “French Pastries”! I remember my trip to France. We walked everywhere, miles and miles, in search of beautiful, tucked away corners and hidden ruins. Despite all the walking, I came back ten pounds heavier.
    I blame the pastries.
    And the cheese. Ohhhh, the cheese!

    Reply
  26. kali

    Heaven ~ YESSS!

    Reply
  27. lee

    I’m on a mission now. To find out more about Kouign Aman. And is there a shop in Melbourne that sells it?

    Reply
  28. mademoiselle a.

    Kouign – it sounds like a very old word, parent to our German “Kuchen”, but it’s Breton (and means ‘layers of butter’?). You always know how to fuel my curiosity.
    (yes, back 🙂 I missed you!)

    Reply
  29. jinxthegypsy

    mmm… the picture itself can make one’s mouth water.. haha

    Reply
  30. D

    French pastries….ooh la la! Never have I tasted anything quite like it. When it comes to baguettes, cheeses, and desserts….no-one beats the French!

    Reply
  31. Brock

    Oh they look so divine!
    I am going to get over to France, that is one of my life goals, I think I will live there for two or three years to learn the language, but I heard so much about the pastries.

    Reply
  32. c

    I’m so with you regarding the Kouign Aman!!! Did you eat yours in Brittany?

    Reply
  33. Hasmin

    YUM! heavenly french pastries…for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 😉

    Reply
  34. poppy fields

    Some of my neighbors must be from your husband’s part of France, because they have shared this cake with me and I agree, it’s oh so very good!

    Reply
  35. Marie-Noëlle

    When we last visited Brittany, I was surprised to see markets with many stalls selling “kouign amanns” and “Breton fars”…
    They looked very successful !
    PS I thought there was a ton of flour in K.A. too !

    Reply
  36. Jeanne

    Sounds delicious my lovely friend.
    Love Jeanne

    Reply
  37. Beverly

    Kouign Aman and other French pastries for 10 months of the year…beer and tacos for the other two…
    You have a delictable life Corey!

    Reply
  38. rochambeau

    Never heard of Kouign. Must look into it. Sounds like my kind of heaven too!
    Have a delicious day.

    Reply
  39. delphine

    wonderfully put!
    delphine

    Reply
  40. Pam Aries

    Lord have MERCY on us all! I am so hungry for a pastry now!!! (drooling)Of course , there is NOTHING around here that even comes close!

    Reply
  41. beachy

    oohhh! My very pregnant SIL, who loves EVERYTHING French and loves to cook using French recipes, I am certain woukd love to while away the hours of her pregnancy eating these bits of heaven!
    PS – Corey, I think I need to make a trip to France. SIL has a wishlist for the baby and everything is FRENCH! ahhhhhhh! lol

    Reply
  42. ParisBreakfasts

    I ALWAYS loved that photo!
    This trip I will get to taste my first REAL Kouign Aman and I can’ wait!!!

    Reply
  43. cruststation

    You are one funny queen, I am totally drooling!

    Reply
  44. Rhoda

    Oh, yes! Sweets & pastries & anything dessert…love it. Pretty pic, would love to try those.
    Rhoda

    Reply
  45. Merisi’s Vienna

    Should we perchance say a prayer of thanks for not leading us too much into temptation? I imagine that an actual photo of Kouign Aman would have us all desperately trying to book the next flight out to France. 😉
    I haven’t had time to surf to my favorite blogs for some days now and I must say, I am smitten by your new look, Madame! 🙂

    Reply
  46. Alice

    What lovely pastries! ….I think I must go out now and find some of my own! I know they won’t be as beautiful, but perhaps as tasty!
    Thanks for sharing such a lovely post.

    Reply
  47. Amanda

    Those are just gorgeous. Wouldn’t it be special to be able to make those wonderful treats? I doubt I would have the patience for it, but it would be such a romantic profession.

    Reply
  48. fleur

    Oh, I completely agree. I tasted Kouign Aman by sheer serendipity on my first trip to France and brought it home to the U.S. where I refused to share it with ANYONE. It’s just so good.

    Reply
  49. annie lockhart

    mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….that’s not a hug this time…that’s what we said we mustn’t do when something that delicious touches our lips…
    mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…now that’s a hug, dear one.

    Reply
  50. AnnieElf

    I immediately googled this as I could not get a fix on what it looked like. I was so surprised to see the simplicity of its appearance. Clearly good things come in simple packages.

    Reply
  51. Elaine L.

    I couldn’t top Beverly’s post . . .
    “Kouign Aman and other French pastries for 10 months of the year…beer and tacos for the other two…”
    Sounds good to me! LOL
    ~elaine~ from SoCA

    Reply
  52. Alexandra

    Not looking, not looking, droool. I’m dieting, but still let myself have a little chocolate. I couldn’t get near anything that looked as good as the chocolate in your picture. 😉

    Reply

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