Bastille Day Recipes for French Food Will Start a New Revolution

July 14, or Bastille Day, marks the start of the French Revolution. If you have French heritage or love French food, you can remember the fight for political equality with these yummy Bastille Day recipes for French Revolution food.

Mini French Dip

The French dip is a classic dish. With a fresh-baked roll, roast beef, and savory jus, it's rich, succulent, and satisfying. Since they are so heavy, we found an appetizer version you can try at home. If you're planning on having a Bastille Day party, you can get little French flag toothpicks for these bite-size sliders. It would look cute and go with the theme.

Marie Antoinette Cake Pop

Until she was executed by guillotine, Marie Antoinette lived out here days in a small cottage on the grounds of Versailles. You can remember her trademark powdered wig and ornate wardrobe by making these cake pops. We won't mention the irony of a body-less Marie Antoinette on a stick to celebrate her being overthrown. But you get it.

This version of the recipe uses marshmallows, sour belts and candy beads but there are many types of discount bulk candy you could use. Get creative with it! Here's another rendition if you'd like to give this French Revolution cake pop a try. Use your imagination to make these Marie Antoinette cake pops.

Cheese Fondue

Mmmmm. Fondue. With molten cheese, wine, and goodies like bread, fruit, and meats for dipping, what's not to love? The great thing about fondue is that it's super customizable. If you don't love Swiss cheese, choose something milder. If you have a certain white wine you love, use that in the mix. You could even try chocolate fondue for dessert and serve it with marshmallows, fruit, nuts, and more. Or, stick with this cheesy version and serve as an appetizer or decadent main course.

Guillotine Cake

Heads did in fact roll during the French Revolution. Most notably, Marie Antoinette's and King Louis XVI's. #historyNerd

This macabre dessert is an emblem of that bloody time when the French overthrew the monarchy and established a republic. You can enjoy a much less violent and tastier version of the guillotine by recreating the photo below with fondant. Although, there aren't directions to follow, if you're creative enough, you should be able to sculpt something worthy of this momentous day in French history.

Garlic Butter Escargot

Escargot sounds so much fancier than "snails." Drenched in garlic butter, it's actually quite good. Don't believe us? Give this recipe a try! If you like mushrooms, you can expect a similar texture and flavor from the snails. But with all the aforementioned butter and garlic, you won't taste them much. Serve these as hors d'oeuvres or alongside soup and crusty bread for a main course. Everyone will be impressed with your culinary gusto, and you'll be impressed with how little work this classic French dish en-snails! Oops, we mean, entails.

Madeleines

Madeleines are as iconic to French culture as the Eiffel Tower. The clamshell shape and sponge-like texture make these lightly sweet cookies perfect alongside café au lait or strong black coffee. You will absolutely need to buy a madeleine pan, since the design is what gives them their signature look! However, you can find them for cheap on Amazon or perhaps in a local vintage store. Here's a tip: add lavender, thyme, or almond to the mix for your own twist on this classic recipe.

French Napoleons

The short, cantankerous man know as Napoleon Bonaparte had a part in the French Revolution. Toward the very end, he seized power during a coup d'étas and became emperor. Eventually, he was banished to Corsica, but somehow, this edible namesake stayed in French bakeries! With layers of crisp, flakey pastry shell and layers of custard, it's light, dense, and creamy all at the same time. They take a little while to assemble, but this signature French dessert is something you should try to conquer on Bastille Day.

Bichon Frisé

This cocktail is red like the blood that ran through the streets during the French Revolution. It's also a famous French drink. Made with the French liqueur, St. Germain, grapefruit juice, and vodka, it's incredibly fresh and thirst-quenching. It would go well with a dessert fondue or even served with select cheese and bread. Don your berets, practice your French accent, and say "oui" to this delicious cocktail recipe.

Croissant French Toast

This is a double whammy of French cuisine. Not only is it a classic French toast recipe, but it also uses croissants as the bread! Prepare yourself for a buttery, sweet, and salty breakfast that would make French chefs proud. You can make this the night before and stick it in the fridge, so if you're planning on having breakfast at home or having company, you won't have to do much in the morning. That will give you time to decorate your home in French décor. Here's an idea: gather all the mirrors in your home and create your own "hall of mirrors" like the gilded original at Versailles! Or if that's too much, serve this French toast on red, white, or blue plates for subtle notes of the French flag.

French Crêpes

Fill them with whipped cream, bananas, and Nutella, chicken and gravy, or whatever else you can imagine! Crêpes are one of the most famous French breakfast foods and are incredibly versatile. Whether you're making them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, you'll adore this thin, spongey pancake. And don't be intimidated. You may have seen French chefs making these on the streets of Paris with special pans and spatulas, but they're pretty easy to make at home with what you have on-hand.

Cherry Clafoutis

The French aren't known for their healthy food. Instead, they're known for heavy, cream-based desserts, carb-heavy breads, and rich wines. This cherry clafoutis is an example of that. With a creamy, rich custard, tart cherries, and mint as a garnish, it's a sweet and super yummy dessert you can make at home. Don't forget to dust the top with powdered sugar and whole cherries with stems intact to complete this gourmet look.

Heads Will Roll Cake Pops

These are meant for Game of Thrones, but a lot of heads were removed from their shoulders on Bastille Day. If you thought the guillotine cake at the beginning of this post was too ambitious, try for these headless cake pops. Instead of putting these cake pops on spikes, you could put them on a plate. And, you could customize them further to coordinate with Bastille Day by making them look like French royalty and noblemen. It's violent and a little brash, but this menu item should appeal to those with dark humor.

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• Holidays,
• Recipes

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