French culture is the main inspiration for the beautiful, delicious pâtisseries Romina Rasmussen sells at downtown Salt Lake City bakery Les Madeleines. Rows of well-crafted cookies, cupcakes and macaroons (or buttons, as Rasmussen calls them) stand in neat, groomed rows inside the glass display of her shop, each more tempting than the last. For those who have seen it on Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate, there’s also no shortage of Les Madeleines’ famous butter pastry, Kouing Aman.

With the holidays just around the corner, Rasmussen has a new selection of traditional desserts and treats from around the world. Pronouncing them may be difficult, but eating them is certainly not. Les Madeleines will be making a bûche de nöel, a traditional French Yule log with gingerbread, brandied pears and Valrhona chocolate. It will also be making panettone, an Italian dessert cake with candied fruits; stollen, a German bread full of candied fruits and lots of different nuts, and pompe à l’huile, an olive oil brioche from Provence.

While Les Madeleines does not offer off-site catering, it will take large orders for parties and corporate gifts. “With three days notice, we can do almost anything,” Rasmussen laughs. “We do get booked up, so ordering sooner rather than later is better.”

Les Madeleines also has many pastries and desserts that customers can proof and bake themselves, including its best-selling Kouing Aman.

“We do a lot of things that no one else makes. It is unique in its variety. We use really high-quality ingredients and it’s got a global feel,” says Rasmussen. “We really love what we do and we really love being a part of other people’s celebrations. We are going to learn your name and we are going to learn what you like. We look forward to seeing you. It’s one of the things I really like about being in the community—seeing the people that come support us.”

Les Madeleines is located at 216 E. 200 South, Salt Lake City. It is open Tuesday – Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For additional information, or to place an online order, visit lesmadeleines.com.