Biscuits Roses de Reims

These sweet, fine biscuits from Reims are widely known under their French name "Biscuits Roses" or "Biscuits de Reims". Those typical French pink treats were first a perfect accompaniment for the Champagne wine but French gourmets now enjoy Reims Biscuits with a cup of tea or as an ingredient of the typical "Charlotte" cake.

The Biscuits de Reims are widely appreciated, whether on their own - dunked in Champagne - or to complement other French desserts. This delightful sweet cookie was originally to accompany the local Champagne wine but it was rapidly a great success in terms of confectionery throughout France!

Nevertheless, the original recipe of the famous "Biscuit Rose" is still kept secretly by Fossier's Confectioners who first made it in the late 18th century. Despite basic ingredients (only eggs, sugar and flour, vanilla-flavour) the traditional French recipe requires special expertise and delicacy.

The Biscuit de Reims is indeed famous for its distinguishing features: its pink colour resulting from the natural colouring called cochineal, and its typical crunchy consistency from a double cooking. The light, delicate dough is in fact baked twice successively, which gives the biscuit the particularity of not flaking when soaked up in liquids.

Slightly powdered with icing sugar, this French treat is traditionally enjoyed with outstanding Champagne wines; respecting the tradition, dunking the biscuit in a glass of Champagne or local red wine enhances all the wine aromas.

Provided the quality of this crisp cookie which melts in the mouth, the Reims biscuit is now a classic French pâtisserie. Housewives and Chefs like using it in desserts, especially for the well-known French Charlotte, a mouth-watering round cake that has tickled French palates for generations!

Top Tip! Do not mix up these authentic Pink Biscuits from Reims with the similar crisp, finger biscuits called Biscuits a la cuillère ("Sponge Fingers" in English) - another gem of French confectionery!