Millefeuille, the classic French pastry that consists of layers of razor-thin puff pastry and cream filling, is having a resurgence all across the country. You may have them sweet and savory, modern and traditional, and love them all. So we did our research to understand what exactly a millefeuille is, how on earth we're supposed to pronounce it, and where to eat it here in the Triangle. Here's what we learned:

What Is a Traditional Millefeuille? Translated to English, millefeuille (pronounced meel-foy) means one thousand sheets, layers, or leaves. It's an old-school French pastry that's airy, crispy, flaky, and decadent in all the right places. The flavors of a millefeuille are simple, but the textures are amazing.

The very first recipe for a millefeuille appeared in Fran�ois Pierre La Varenne's cookbook in 1651. If we're being official about it, a g�teau millefeuille is constructed of three layers of puff pastry and stabilized pastry cream (mixed with a little gelatin for a tighter cream that's not too runny), decorated with fondant and garnished with a chocolate spider web design on top, detailed Pagano. It is not the same thing as a Napoleon, an Italian dessert where almond paste, similar to frangipane, is sandwiched between its many layers.

Where to Find in the Triangle - Located on a side street off Western Blvd. you'll find Kader's French Bakery, best known for their decadent millefeuille. Kader's prepares French cakes from original recipes, making this one of the finest French Bakery's in the Triangle. Owner and baker, Abdel Kader trained at a French culinary school, making him one of the few pastry chefs with this skill.

Walk in and explore the beautiful millefeuilles and just smell the wonderful aromas of all the freshly baked pastries. The temptation to buy one of everything will be hard to control. Rows of cakes, pastries, cookies and bread fill the pastry cases. Special desserts for any type of celebration can be ordered.  

Just as indulgent as Kader's collection of cakes and cookies are the custard filled croissants. Generously stuffed with a sweet custard giving the pastry even more decadence. And the Mediterranean desserts such as Baklava consisting of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts, held together with syrup is a favorite among customers.

Kader's French Bakery - 1007 Method Rd, Raleigh, NC 27606, Phone: (919) 302-4882. Hours Monday - Sunday 9am - 9pm. Website.