Traditional French Christmas Food Treats- Any suggestions?

[Dylanpickle]

Bit of a niche question but.....for the last lesson before Christmas our Adult French Class is having a Christmas themed drinks, snacks and games lesson (we are all going to contribute something.)

I'd like to take something very traditional, that we wouldn't really have in the UK. Any ideas for something a bit different that would be either easy to make or available online?

So far I have thought about some marron glacé or nougat, or possibly making a Bûche de Noël or some chocolate mendiants. But wondering if they are different enough? What are the Noël must haves in France?

I don't know any French people in real life to ask, so any suggestions welcome. Merci beaucoup!

Buche de noel is very traditional for French DH. They also have stollen but they are from the alps so I think it's more an alpine tradition than a French one.

Foie gras amongst our French family, but that’s less popular in the UK. There used to be huge queues for fancy macarons a couple of days before Christmas when I lived in Paris

Buche de Noel definitely and dried fruits

Thank you for the replies.

Macarons of course, hadn't considered them.

Fois gras may be a little too contentious, but will certainly look again at a buche de noel.

Salmon 'caviar' on bite-sized blini with sour cream? Russian in origin but v popular in France.
Or you can use smoked salmon if fish eggs don't float your boat. Or real caviar if you're feeling flush!

Oysters are popular at Christmas too but may be a teeny bit of a faff getting them opened sur place and then serving them with the all-important mignonette dressing - red wine vinegar with finely chopped shallots and coarsely crushed peppercorns.

They always have a buche de Noel. I was interested to discover just how different they are from our chocolate Yule logs! (I prefer ours but I don't have sophisticated culinary tastes )

IME French people ALWAYS have foie gras at Christmas and weddings, but I don't join in as I absolutely hate the stuff (the taste, that is, not just the ethics). Even if you could get hold of it in the UK, I doubt it would go down well.

DH's family also have snails in garlic butter but I don't know if that's traditional.

And copious amounts of cheese. You can't go wrong with French cheese!

Tourtiere is popular for Christmas eve in French speaking Canada, and would be a savoury dish that might be popular when everyone else likely brings sweets (it's a kind of meat pie with spices)

I want to come to this!

Champagne! Aldi, £12

You could do pompe a l’huile - normally makes up a big platter of thirteen desserts which has jewelled dried fruits, nougat, etc

A nice box of marrons glacés (candied chestnuts) would go down well I'm sure...

You could try making a galette des rois, which is traditional for New Year or Epiphany (can’t remember which). There is a Nigella recipe for one in either Feast or Domestic Goddess.

It’s new year rather than Xmas, but galette des Rois is lovely and a nice tradition. It’s a bit like a sixpence in the Xmas pudding in that whoever finds the little crown in their slice is crowned king for a day.

Ha- great minds @PushkinTheCat!!

YY to champagne
Actual champagne none of that inferior Prosecco (nb I do like Prosecco I'm just adopting the French food/wine snob persona )

Ooh galette des rois is a good shout! It's for Epiphany not New Year.

DH's family are not at all religious but they're obsessed with galette des rois.

My French relatives always have calissons at Christmas.
Not sure how traditionally Christmassy they are, but they are very French.

Cardoons (cardons)

Pâté en croûte

Definitely the bûche de Noël or marrons glacés or you could take something more savory like cheese? If you like to bake then I second the person above who suggested the French Canadian tourtière.

On Christmas Eve DH sometimes makes salmon coulibiac, don't know how traditional it is but it's delicious.

Here is a recipe for marrons glacés if you'd like to make your own.

Can I come to this? French DP's family does all of this. Champagne with foie gras, blinis with fake caviar and smoked salmon. Bûche de Noël a must and galette des rois with little "fèves" china figurines hidden inside- usually nativity themed but I also have some Pokémon ones from when the DC were into that. And my MIL's chocolate mousse with 1000s of calories.

Like all food-related French traditions, the reality is very regionalised. So while everything suggested above is French and traditional, it’s all From the South and the mountains for someone like me (Northerner, from West Flanders.)
Cougnou and an orange, and bière de Noël would tick my boxes.