Aix-en-Provence - Treize Desserts

Any place that boasts a tradition of eating 13 desserts for the holidays is alright in my book.  On Christmas Eve in Provence, locals celebrate with Treize Desserts.  In Aix-en-Provence, there was even a market dedicated to the tradition.  

We took some time to explore -- I was giddy just looking at all that sugary awesomeness.  Provençal macarons were my favorite.  

They were thicker and chewier than the more traditional macarons below.

This jaunty scarecrow in a beekeeper suit was a great spokesmodel for honey.

We bought some olive oil chocolates...

We tried generous samples of jams overflowing with plump fruit.

Olive oil cakes were selling like, well, hotcakes...

On Christmas Eve, we took our bounty from the market and elsewhere to put out our own spread of Treize Desserts including:

1. Olive oil bread
2. Clementines
3. Pears
4. Calissons
5. Navettes
6. Provençal macarons
7. Marshmallows
8. Rum Raisin Nougat
9. Candied melon
10. Figs
11. Almonds
12. Orange Spice Honey Cake
13. Chocolate with dried fruit

In reality, we took the Provençal tradition one step further and Americanized it a bit.  We actually had Quatorze Desserts since we added a special treat that I sourced on my last trip back to San Francisco... 

14. Sour Gummi Santas!