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Best Dariole in Chicago
“Medieval darioles hid fruit, cheese, bone marrow, or fish inside the pastry. The form has survived 900 years.”
What the real thing tastes like
Dariole is a French term for a small culinary mold in the shape of a truncated cone. The word also refers to the dessert that is baked in the mold. Classically, the dessert is an egg-custard filled puff pastry. In the Middle Ages, they sometimes included fruit, cheese, bone marrow or fish inside the pastry. An early 20th century recipe replaced the traditional custard with liquor-laced frangipane. Today there are also savory darioles, usually made with vegetable custards.
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A dariole is a small, cone-shaped French mold that holds both the vessel and its treasure. Classically, silky egg custard fills crisp puff pastry—though medieval versions wandered into stranger territory, tucking fruit, cheese, bone marrow, or fish inside. By the early 1900s, bakers swapped custard for almond-scented frangipane spiked with liquor. Today the form has expanded: you'll find savory versions too, their puff pastry cradling vegetable custards instead.
Order it here when it has
- versatile—sweet and savory
- long culinary tradition
- elegant presentation format
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