Fraternite Notre Dame

If I could give them more stars I would! I am the Director at Durward’s Glen Retreat Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin. I met Sister Mary Martha when she visited here last summer and she explained about their French bakery and that the profits are donated to help feed those in need. We had a Fall Harvest Festival here and FND, Sister Mary Valerie, served their baked goods. Everything was presented beautifully and was unbelievably delicious! I especially loved the crème brule and quiches. If you ever get a chance to see them at a farmer’s market, STOP, you won’t be disappointed!

FND also shows up at local farmers markets. The one I am familiar with is Libertyville (North ‘burbs on Thursday mornings).
To make a very minor correction to the first reviewer — FND is technically NOT an order of the Catholic Church. They are not recognized by the Vatican from what I understand. Someone had previously left a snippy review regarding this. What do I or you care though (and really, I don’t because I am not into religion)? LET’S REVIEW THE GOSH DARN PASTRIES, AMIRITE?!
Basically, anything I’ve ever eaten that FND brings to the farmers market is just insanely good. They must spend a lot of time making these goodies. The tarts are not only delicious, but works of art. They slice the apples so thin and arrange them precisely, it looks like a cookbook photoshoot.
Chocolate croissants, plain croissants, apple, pear and apricot tarts, gallettes, various breads — every one of them that I’ve tried has been exquisite. Nothing like a croissant made by someone from the Land of Croissants.
So forget your theology and «isms» and just go enjoy a damn good pastry. I’m going to the Libertyville market tomorrow. I’ll try to remember to take pictures and upload them.

In a nutshell, a group of French speaking nuns in full habit that bake unbelievable French pastries that are to die for! I first ran across this group at our local Elmhurst Farmers’ Market after hearing about them from every client. They are an order of the Catholic Church, and they run a bakery in Algonquin, and their profits are donated to different charitable works around the world (hurricane katrina, soup kitchens, etc.). They would show up with the most unbelievable croissants of different flavors, the butter would just ooze from these delicacies; and they’d bring pictures of some of their pastries that you could order for delivery the following week. Now they’ve apparently taken over the train station coffee bar in Elmhurst — complete with their delectable tarts. I ran over for a coffee this morning and was tempted by a chocolate walnut tart — awfully sinful for a group of nuns to be tempting us with. Did I mention that they speak only French?