Les Navettes de Marseille: a traditional Chandeleur treat

The Chandeleur is just around the corner, why not try some Navettes cookies instead of the usual crêpes?

Make sure your pantry is filled because on Sunday, you’ll put on your apron and have your utensils ready to celebrate the Chandeleur (Candlemas)!

February 2nd is the day the sacred Chandeleur is celebrated. For the occasion, most French people will bake and enjoy delicious crêpes, sweet or savory, your choice!
Although crêpes are famous in the whole country and quite classic, a certain place remains different from the others and has its own delightful tradition: les navettes de Marseille!
This culinary tradition is part of Marseille’s heritage and has not really been exported, though the city’s inhabitants hold this cookie and its legend close to their hearts.

Some historic background

As you can see on the picture, the shape of this cookie is distinctive as it represents the rowboats on which The Three Marys sailed from Jerusalem to reach the French southern coast of Provence, a legend that now holds a mythical aura for the navettes-lovers. Others will see a symbol of fertility.
Be that as it may, it has become a local cultural gem that also represents a lucky charm for some.

The first known appearance of the cookie goes back to 1781 when a baker founded the Four des Navettes bakery (the navettes’ oven), right by the Saint Victor abbey, that is now an institution in the city. Generations after generations, the bakery remained the guardian of the original recipe, and you will always be lucky to smell the enchanting flavor of orange blossom when you pass by the shop.

Even if they keep their ancestral recipe secret, we got a version you can try at home!

Navettes recipe

(This recipe makes about 25 cookies, each roughly 4 inches long and weighing about 1 ounce)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp Olive oil
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp Ground white almonds (or almond flour)
• 1 tsp Orange blossom water
• A small pinch of salt

Steps:

1. Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy for 5 about minutes.
2. Add oil, salt, orange blossom water, and mix for 1 minute.
3. Incorporate the flour and almond powder, mix for 1 minute.
4. Take your nice looking dough and hand-shape into logs and make a slit down the middle, as shown in the picture
5. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them, you don’t want them to be burnt

We hope you will enjoy these lovely cookies!

Follow this link for unit converting help Kitchen Calculator

Want to know more about the Chandeleur? Follow the link below!
https://www.afsf.com/news/blog/bcook/the-story-behind-the-chandeleur/

Still want to do crêpes? Take a look at our recipe!
https://www.afsf.com/news/blog/bcook/recipe-french-crepes/nt