What Is a French Pan?

Crepe Pan

• Originating as a food for the poor, the French sensationalized crepes in 1895 as the "Crepe Suzette." French crepe pans are available in cast iron, nonstick aluminum, ceramic and copper. Crepe pans incorporate a slightly sloped edge with a shallow interior and an average 10-inch diameter.

Bread Pan

• Baguette pans are specialty fluted pans designed for simultaneous baking of two or three loaves of French bread. A pan averages 16 inches in length. Tin-plated, nonstick metallic and embossed aluminum bread pan finishes are available. Many of these pans are dishwater safe.

Madeleine Pan

• Madeleine cookies have a history dating to the 18th century in the French town of Commercy. According to tthejoyofcooking.com, a French girl named Madeleine made cookies for Stainslaw Lezcynski, the Duke of Lorraine. The Duke loved them so much he gave them to his daughter, Marie, the wife of Louie XV. French Madeleine pans incorporate a nonstick finish and individual cookie niches enabling nine to 12 Madeleine tea cookies to be baked per pan.

Tart Pan

• Savory French tarts with fillings of meats, cheese, eggs or vegetables and sweet-filled tarts of jams, custards, fruit, nuts or flavored creams are created in a French tart pan. Characteristics of these pans include nonstick finishes, fluted edges and unusual shapes. A removable bottom in many tart pans enables the tart to be removed from the pan and placed on a decorative serving dish.