Roundup of the best French Christmas desserts

A Christmas bûche de noël, or yule log, is a French Christmastime staple and all the bakeries have a selection of Christmas bûches in a variety of flavors. Try your hand at one with this recipe from Molly Wilkinson, a blogger I've known for years. She also does pastry classes from her home in Versailles, so check those out too if you're in the area.

Madeleines are a common sight in French boulangeries, but why not put a twist on the traditional variety with the addition of chocolate. These are the perfect warm-up for the main dessert or for those whose tummies are already full.

French Christmas desserts can also serve as table centerpieces, so look no further than this Christmas Tree Croquembouche. Yes, it's a bit labor intensive, but the wait is worth it. First, you make the cream puffs that get dipped in hot sugar and attached to a cone. Once your Christmas tree is assembled, you glaze it in green icing and can go nuts with the decorations.

Chocolate mousse is popular for a reason, so whip up this salted butter-caramel dessert from David Lebovitz and your guests will never want to leave. If you can't decide on one dessert to make, this is it. French chocolate mousse made well is light, fluffy, and always a crowd pleaser.

These festive eggnog macarons are almost too beautiful to eat. Macarons aren't the easiest things to nail on your first try, so do a tasty test run so you get it right on the big day.

So these bad boys take a little while to make but are worth the effort. I'd never seen or tasted a chestnut like this until I moved to France, so give them a try and let me know what you think. They're the perfect bite-size treat.

The French love fruit tarts, so add a little zest to the end of your meal with this sure-to-remember tart. It's not too heavy and is one of the best French Christmas desserts that your guests will be sure to love.