Bonjour! We are popping into Les Halles Boulangerie and Patisserie in Epcot’s France Pavilion today to take a closer look at a new-to-us pastry!
You may remember last year around Mardi Gras time when we shared with you the Beignets commemorating that time of year. They were really interesting — unlike what we normally think of as beignets. (You know, those fluffy fried pillows of deliciousness. Rectangular or Mickey-shaped — we’re good either way.)
But on a recent visit to Les Halles we were intrigued to read that the Beignets seemed to be different, since they were described as Chocolate Hazelnut-filled.
Wait. What?!
Yeah…that’s all it took to get us there.
Le Beignet at Les Halles
The previous beignets at Les Halles were Bugnes Lyonnaise, diamond-shaped with a hole in the middle, and were rolled in granulated sugar. So when I was handed this treat, it was clear that we were dealing with something completely different.
Enjoying a Beignet in a Quiet Spot
We took the snack to my favorite secret hide-y place in the France Pavilion. (Nope, not tellin’ ya where…OK, behind the perfume shops. But don’t tell.) It’s a wonderfully quiet and shady spot — a perfect place to dig into Les Halles loot!
As you can see, it looks like a traditional filled doughnut. Actually, it reminded me a lot of the Berliner featured at the Germany Booth during last year’s Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
Les Halles Beignet — Up Close
Time to cut into it! I went for it, expecting to see a snug little pocket of chocolate Hazelnut filling. But this is what greeted me on the cross section.
Beignet — Cross Section
Well, I knew there was filling in there. It was too heavy for there not to be! And so I cut it again and the chocolate filling began to reveal itself.
Beignet — Getting There…
But I knew you guys would really want to see inside! So I went for one final cut. Jackpot! Here, you can see that the beignet is completely filled with what tastes a whole lot like Nutella.
Beignet — Filling-Viewing Success!
So how did it taste? Pretty awesome. The pastry was tender and fresh. And of course, you can never go wrong with the flavor combo of chocolate and hazelnut. This was a win for me! And since we split it four ways (and, er, may have also purchased a macaron collection), it was perfect for sharing. Everyone got just a bite or two of the pastry and filling, and the ratio was perfect.
If you’re intrigued, are looking for a step up from your garden variety breakfast doughnut, or you just really love Nutella, then this one is definitely for you!
Will you be trying the Beignet at Les Halles? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
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Can’t wait to try the beignets! We bought the macaroon collection last week. Enjoyed the vanilla and chocolate but the others weren’t that good. The yellow (lemon?) tasted like chemicals, the green (lime?) was a little lime-y but not much, the blue had seeds in it but no flavor, and the pink was the same (seeds, no flavor). My husband and I were really disappointed. We buy pastries every time we go to Epcot (once a week usually) to bring home and enjoy, but the macaroons we’ll skip from now on.
That looks more like a donut than a beignet to me. I wish they would bring back the original napoleon instead.
Wow…I totally didn’t expect that when the post said beignets. I was expecting more of the French quarter kind like in NOS at DLR or Ralph Brennan’s. This looks too soft for me, but i’m willing to try anything!
I’ll definitely be trying those beignets out on my next trip. They look just like the ones I used to get when I studied abroad in Paris more years ago than I care to admit. (I’m a big fan of New Orleans style beignets too, but these look just right for the France section of the park).
How much did those goodies set you back. Will have to save room after drinking all the beer maybe thats why i got bloated last vist.
maybe will have to ask for a loan on my bentley with all the price going up at mickeys place
Is there any chance you have the recipe or will they ship them?