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piquenchâgne
brioche dessert from the Bourbonnais
In the Bourbonnais, a pomp (brioche) would be made for every party or reception, and it developed into this dessert. Its curious name, piquenchâgne means ‘stick in an oak’, because whole pears (or apples or quinces), macerated in a mixture of sugar, cream and alcohol, are stuck straight into the brioche dough in the same way that one ‘sticks an oak in the ground’.
The dessert fell out of fashion, but has recently been revived; there’s even a Confrèrie de piquenchâgne in Moulins.
Text © Dana Facaros
Image by Allier tourist office