France is a country well known for romance, food and wine. So what more can be more appetizing to a food lover than to try out the various cakes and bakes the French boast so much of?

The French are famous for their breads, which they usually bake in the old-fashioned way. They not only make typical breads, but they also make bread rings, pre-sliced petite loaves for party trays and, of course, the famous baguettes.

The specialty of the baguette lies in the fact that it is a steamed form of a skinny, oval bread. The carmelization process on the outside of the loaf is slowed down by steam, which enables the entire loaf of bread to continue expanding in the first few minutes of baking. This is how the holes and the wonderful texture are attained in the baguette. That is not the only reason the French use steam; they also use it because it gives the crust of the bread a shiny and crackly texture that everyone enjoys. So, if you take a genuine French baguette from the oven and let it cool, you can actually hear the crackling sound of the crust as shrinks back to its final size.

Of course, besides the baguette, one can also find delicious muffins, scones, bars, brownies, cheesecakes, deep-dish cookies and tarts and cakes in the French bakery. There are different flavors of pastries available, like Strawberry Rhubarb and Raspberry muffins, Pumpkin and Vegan Brown Rice Crispy brownies, Blueberry-Raspberry and Cinnamon Currant scones, which are all among the favorites. As far as cookies, one can go for white and dark chocolate chip or frosted oatmeal raisin cookies. The list is endless; so the next time you wish to have a taste of France, just hop down to the closest French bakery.