Calisson d’Aix en Provence, French pastries

I know I am a little late with this recipe of Calisson d’Aix en Provence, but in my defense I will say that there is still a lot of Christmas ahead and we can enjoy them from now until the arrival of the wonderful night of Three Kings. Can you imagine their Majesties of Orient sitting in front of your Christmas tree and tasting this marvel along with a small glass of liqueur, infusion… while they place the gifts? I can see it.

Well, we can continue enjoying them after the Christmas holidays if we wish. Because even though many recipes are seasonal, there is nothing better than eating a roscón de Reyes in August or a half-kilo ice-cream tub in the middle of December. Going against the world satisfies our inner beauty, hahaha.

This recipe I thought to have published it last Christmas, in fact I bought myself the molds of calisson in December 2019…. But as I was already fair I said, for 2020. Bullshit, something always happens to me that makes me delay some publications. Last year it was because I was working hard to get the Roscón de Reyes online course. This year, I organized myself better. In fact, I did several courses, three in particular, and I even made the candied melon in summer. Everything was going smoothly. But, as fate would have it, I ended up making the recipe in November… And here we are, bordering Christmas Eve. I look like the classmate who lives across the street from the high school and is always late.

I am aware that preparing homemade candied melon for calisson is very rushed, but you can buy it in stores and make them without problems. Although, as I said above, let your hair down and get rebellious. Prepare these wonderful calissons when January is over and enjoy them to the fullest between now and Easter.

There are several legends about the origin of Calisson d’Aix.

Legend has it that it was Roy René‘s pastry chef who created the first Calissons d’Aix. This piece of confectionery was created for the wedding of King René of Anjou and his wife Jeanne de Laval. The future queen had a reputation for being impolite and austere and, on her wedding day, as she tasted the calisson, her face lit up with a wonderful smile.

She turned to the pastry chef and asked him what these wonderful sweets were, to which he replied: – “Di cuddle souns” (embraces, in Provençal). From that very moment, that delicate name was engraved in her memory.

“It seems that the shape of the calisson represented the queen’s smile that inspired the pastry chef.”

This beautiful story is only a legend about the origin of the calissons.

The calissons d’Aix were inspired by an ancient confectionery.

Another legend about the origin of these confectionery jewels could have its origin in the pastries made by the Romans. We already know that during Roman times it was common to confection or elaborate sweets with fruits and honey, in fact one of their elaborations was made with honey and almonds. At that time, these small almond and honey cakes were a way to protect the population from plague and cholera due to their nutritional qualities. The priests blessed these sweets for having the power to heal and strengthen the sick.

The word calisson could have a religious connotation. At Christmas or Easter time, the priest would pronounce “venite ad calicem” (come to the chalice) which translates in Provençal as “venes touti au calissoum“. Hence the derivation of the current word calisson. Its appearance would represent the shape of the niches of the Cistercian churches.

Calisson inspired by Italian pastries.

According to historians, calissons are sweets inspired by Italian recipes that have continued to evolve over five centuries. With the arrival of almonds in Provence in the 16th century along with their cultivation, the history of the calisson began. It was the pastry chefs of Aix-en-Provence who created this piece of pastry and hence the commercialization of this emblematic cake.

Opinions differ among historians as to the origin of the word “calisson”.

For some, it is necessary to go back to the 12th century to find traces in Padua in Italy of the “calisone”, a cake made of almonds and flour. In the 13th century, it was “calisons” that were distributed to the faithful during religious ceremonies in Venice. For others, it is on the island of Crete, then occupied by the Venetians, that one should look for “kalitsounia”, cakes made of marzipan and walnuts to which cinnamon and cloves were added.

While etymologists advance its Latin origins “calycion”, Greek “kalycion”, Italian “calicione”, it is probable that calisson comes from the Provençal “calissoum” (which would have changed to “calissoun” then in “calisson”) or from the Provençal “canissoum”. According to Frédéric Mistral, author of a Provençal-French dictionary, it designates a “small basket of rushes, clayon: round basket on which the pastry cooks carry several cakes, a kind of cookie; almond paste “.

The calisson d’Aix has its own museum.

It was created in 2016 and is included in the heritage of Aix-en-Provence, in fact the Calisson d’Aix is considered a gastronomic emblem of Provence. The “Confiserie du Roy René“, created almost a hundred years ago, is open to the public and extends over two hectares with 300 with green spaces, almond trees, an orchard, plus a garden with regional and Mediterranean plants.

This green space symbolizes the commitments to relaunch the almond tree in Provence and supports sustainable development. The ambition of this space, which concentrates the plant wealth of Provence, is to contribute to the protection of species. In this sense, flowers and trees are cultivated according to the rules of organic agriculture and agroecology.

Preparing Calisson d’Aix.

The calisson is a pastry that has not changed its formula since its creation for the queen. It consists of finely ground almonds together with candied melon and orange peel. A nougat wafer is placed on the base and decorated with a thin layer of royal icing made from egg white and powdered sugar.

Its formula has been followed to the letter since 1454 and has been passed from calissonier to calissonier;

“Mix 1/3 almond together with 1/3 candied melon and 1/3 hot syrup.”

Each calissonier has its own elaboration process and brings different quantities or nuances of each ingredient. Some add candied orange, vanilla, lemon zest, honey, orange blossom water, almond extract or bitter almond oil….

Cavaillon melon variety is used to make calisson d’Aix.

The history between Cavaillon and melons dates back to the 15th century. The variety “piel de sapo” melon, with its slightly elongated shape and green skin, is the oldest variety. Around 1495, the Cantaloupe variety, so called because it was originally grown in Cantaloupe (where the Popes used to spend their summers near Rome), settled in the pontifical lands of Cavaillon, where it remained until the 20th century.

This happened thanks to Pope Charles VIII, who brought seeds of this variety of melon to Provence. Although this variety is also cultivated in North America, only melons grown in Cavaillon can receive the official denomination of Cavaillon.

As was the case with the artichoke or the peach, the melon was considered a rare fruit until the 18th century. Its cultivation was subject to special treatment and multiple precautions, with plots of land reserved and guarded.

In 1882, the area devoted to melon cultivation represented one-fifth of all horticultural crops. The year 1825 marked the beginning of the cultivation of a new variety of melon, with smooth skin and well pronounced ridges. This variety contributes to the renown that Cavaillon enjoys to this day; a renown that quickly reached Paris.

Alexandre Dumas himself, having been asked to order some of his works from the Cavaillon library to enrich the collections, replied that he would gladly accept if he was granted an annuity of 12 melons per year, a request that was evidently granted.

Since 1988, a confraternity of the Knights of the Order of the Melon of Cavaillon has been in charge of its promotion.