A pet-de-nonne is a small, airy deep fried ball made of choux pastry sprinkled with sugar. Sometimes there’s a sweet creamy filling.
The story goes they were invented by one Sister Agnès, of the historic Abbey of Marmoutier, when she accidently dropped a spoonful of choux pastry into a pot of hot fat, when it made a ‘certain sound.’
Image by Žiga assumed (based on copyright claims).