14 French Desserts You Can Make at Home Without Flying to Paris
Do you think French desserts are only for fancy pastry chefs? Here is a little secret. Most French families bake simple, rustic sweets at home with butter, eggs, fruit and good chocolate. No special tools, no stress. A warm clafoutis on a Sunday, a bowl of chocolate mousse after dinner, crepes for the kids on a rainy afternoon. Feeling brave? Try our guide to French macarons next. Let us bake like a French grandmother today..
Ile Flottante, One of the Most Charming French Desserts
Ile flottante means floating island, and it is one of the most charming French desserts. Soft clouds of poached meringue float on a pool of cold vanilla custard, with a drizzle of golden caramel on top. It tastes light and creamy at the same time. French bistros have served it for generations, and it costs just a few eggs, milk and sugar.
You will need: Custard: 2 cups milk, 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla, 5 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar. Meringue: 5 egg whites, 1/2 cup sugar, pinch of salt. Caramel: 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tbsp water.
How to make it: Heat the milk with vanilla. Whisk the yolks and sugar, pour in the hot milk, then cook gently, stirring, until it coats a spoon. Chill. Beat the whites with salt and sugar until glossy. Poach big spoonfuls in simmering milk or water for 1 minute per side. Float them on the custard. Cook sugar and water to amber caramel and drizzle on top.
Tarte Tatin, the Happy Accident of French Desserts
Tarte Tatin is the famous upside down apple tart. The story says the Tatin sisters made it by mistake at their hotel in the Loire Valley over a century ago. Apples are cooked in butter and caramel in a pan, covered with pastry, baked, then flipped onto a plate. The result is glossy, sticky and amazing with ice cream or creme fraiche.
You will need: 6 firm apples peeled and quartered, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 tbsp butter, 1 sheet puff pastry, vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche to serve.
How to make it: Melt the sugar in an oven safe skillet until amber. Stir in the butter. Pack the apples tightly in the pan and cook 10 minutes. Lay the pastry over the top and tuck the edges in. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then flip carefully onto a plate.
Classic French Apple Tart
The French apple tart, or tarte aux pommes, is pure elegance with simple ingredients. Thin apple slices are arranged in a rose pattern over a layer of applesauce in buttery pastry. A brush of apricot jam at the end makes it shine like a bakery tart. It is a wonderful centerpiece for a fall dinner party. Do you think you could make the rose pattern?
You will need: 1 sheet shortcrust pastry, 1 cup applesauce, 4 apples thinly sliced, 2 tbsp melted butter, 2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp apricot jam warmed.
How to make it: Line a tart pan with pastry and spread the applesauce over the base. Arrange the apple slices in overlapping circles from the outside in. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375F for 40 to 45 minutes until golden. Brush with warm apricot jam.
Chocolate Fondant (Moelleux au Chocolat)
Every French bistro has this on the menu. A chocolate fondant is a small cake with a crisp outside and a warm, melting center that flows when you cut it. The trick is to bake it for just a few minutes. Watch the clock closely. It is the perfect dessert for a date night or any night that needs a little magic.
You will need: 4 oz dark chocolate, 1/2 cup butter, 2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tbsp flour, cocoa for the ramekins.
How to make it: Butter four ramekins and dust with cocoa. Melt the chocolate and butter. Whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. Fold in the chocolate, then the flour. Divide into the ramekins. Bake at 425F for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set but the center wobbles. Turn out and serve warm.
Classic French Crepes
Crepes are the street food of Paris and the easiest of all French desserts. Thin, lacy pancakes are folded around anything you love: sugar and lemon, chocolate spread, jam or fresh fruit. In France, families eat crepes on February 2 for La Chandeleur. Quick poll: what goes in your crepe? A) Lemon and sugar B) Chocolate C) Jam D) Fruit and cream.
You will need: 1 cup flour, 2 eggs, 1 1/4 cups milk, 2 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt, butter for the pan, fillings of your choice.
How to make it: Whisk the flour, eggs, milk, butter, sugar and salt until smooth. Rest 30 minutes. Heat a lightly buttered pan. Pour in a small ladle of batter and swirl to coat thinly. Cook 1 minute, flip and cook 30 seconds more. Fill, fold and serve warm.
Chocolate Mousse, the Easiest of French Desserts
A real French chocolate mousse needs only chocolate, eggs and a little sugar. Whipped egg whites give it that airy, cloud like texture. It is rich but light, and you can make it the night before a dinner party. Serve it in small glasses because a little goes a long way. Note: it uses raw eggs, so choose pasteurized eggs if you prefer.
You will need: 6 oz dark chocolate, 2 tbsp butter, 4 pasteurized eggs separated, 3 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt, whipped cream and berries to serve.
How to make it: Melt the chocolate and butter, then cool slightly. Stir in the egg yolks. Beat the whites with salt until foamy, then add the sugar and beat to soft peaks. Fold a third of the whites into the chocolate, then gently fold in the rest. Spoon into glasses and chill at least 4 hours.
Madeleines, the Little Shell Cakes of French Desserts
Madeleines are little shell shaped butter cakes with a signature bump on top. The writer Marcel Proust made them famous when he wrote about how their taste brought back childhood memories. Fresh from the oven, they are crisp at the edges and soft inside. Dip one in tea and see if it brings back a memory for you. Which memory would it be?
You will need: 2 eggs, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, zest of 1 lemon, 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 cup melted butter cooled, madeleine pan.
How to make it: Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and pale. Add vanilla and zest. Fold in the flour and baking powder, then the butter. Chill the batter for 1 hour, which helps create the bump. Spoon into a buttered madeleine pan. Bake at 400F for 9 to 11 minutes. Turn out and dust with sugar.
Tarte au Citron (French Lemon Tart)
The French lemon tart is sharp, smooth and wonderfully refreshing. A crisp sweet pastry shell holds a silky lemon cream that is tangy enough to wake you up. It is the dessert to serve after a heavy holiday meal, because it feels light and bright. A few berries or a dusting of sugar is all it needs. It is one of the most refreshing French desserts you can make.
You will need: 1 baked sweet tart shell, 4 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, zest of 2 lemons, 1/2 cup heavy cream.
How to make it: Whisk the eggs and sugar, then add the lemon juice, zest and cream. Pour into the baked tart shell. Bake at 300F for 20 to 25 minutes until just set with a slight wobble in the middle. Cool, then chill for 2 hours before slicing.
Cannelés From Bordeaux
Cannelés are small fluted cakes from Bordeaux with a dark, caramelized crust and a soft custard center flavored with vanilla and rum. Bakers say they are tricky, but the batter is simple. The secret is resting it in the fridge for a day or two. Have you ever tasted one? If not, this is the bake that will make you a fan. Few French desserts reward patience like this one.
You will need: 2 cups milk, 2 tbsp butter, 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup flour, 2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, 2 tbsp dark rum (optional), butter for the molds.
How to make it: Heat the milk, butter and vanilla until steaming. Mix the sugar and flour, then whisk in the eggs and yolks. Pour in the warm milk slowly. Add the rum. Chill the batter 24 to 48 hours. Pour into buttered cannele molds. Bake at 450F for 15 minutes, then 375F for 45 to 50 minutes until very dark.
Cherry Clafoutis, a Rustic Classic of French Desserts
Clafoutis is a rustic dessert from the Limousin region. Fresh cherries are baked in a sweet, custardy batter that puffs up like a soft pancake. In France, many cooks leave the pits in for extra almond flavor, but you can remove them for safety. It takes ten minutes to mix and is wonderful warm with a little powdered sugar.
You will need: 2 cups pitted cherries (fresh or frozen), 3 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/4 cups milk, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, butter for the dish, powdered sugar.
How to make it: Butter a baking dish and scatter the cherries in it. Whisk the eggs and sugar, then the flour, milk, vanilla and salt until smooth. Pour over the cherries. Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool a little and dust with powdered sugar.
Pain Perdu (French Toast Dessert)
Pain perdu means lost bread, because it was a way to save stale bread from the trash. In France it is often served as a dessert, not breakfast. Thick slices of brioche are soaked in sweet custard and fried in butter until caramelized. Top with berries, cream or a scoop of ice cream. Breakfast or dessert, which do you vote for?
You will need: 4 thick slices brioche or day old bread, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of cinnamon, 2 tbsp butter, berries and cream to serve.
How to make it: Whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Soak each slice for about 30 seconds per side. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Fry the bread for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden. Sprinkle a little sugar on top for the last minute to caramelize. Serve with berries and cream.
Tarte aux Fraises (Strawberry Tart)
Walk past any French bakery in spring and you will see rows of shiny strawberry tarts. Crisp pastry is filled with creme patissiere, a rich vanilla pastry cream, and topped with fresh strawberries. It looks fancy, but each part is easy to make. Small tartlets are perfect for a party or bridal shower.
You will need: 1 baked sweet tart shell or 6 tartlet shells, 2 cups milk, 4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp butter, 1 lb strawberries, 2 tbsp warm jam.
How to make it: Heat the milk. Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornstarch, pour in the hot milk, then return to the pot and whisk until thick. Stir in the vanilla and butter. Chill. Fill the tart shell with pastry cream. Arrange the strawberries on top and brush with warm jam.
French Chocolate Truffles
Chocolate truffles are named after the precious mushrooms they look like. French truffles are simple: smooth chocolate ganache rolled into balls and dusted with cocoa. They make a beautiful homemade Christmas gift in a small box. Kids love rolling them too, even if it gets messy. Will yours be classic cocoa, or rolled in nuts or coconut? They are among the easiest French desserts for gifts.
You will need: 8 oz dark chocolate chopped, 2/3 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp butter, pinch of salt, cocoa powder for rolling.
How to make it: Heat the cream until steaming and pour over the chocolate. Wait 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Stir in the butter and salt. Chill 2 hours until firm. Scoop small balls, roll quickly between your palms and toss in cocoa. Keep in the fridge.
Opera Cake
Opera cake is the showstopper of French desserts, made famous by Paris pastry shops. Thin layers of almond sponge are soaked in coffee syrup and stacked with coffee buttercream and chocolate ganache, then finished with a shiny chocolate glaze. It takes time, but each layer is easy. Make it for a big birthday or New Year celebration and watch faces light up.
You will need: Almond sponge baked in a sheet pan and cut in 3, 1/2 cup strong coffee with 2 tbsp sugar, 1 cup coffee buttercream, 1 cup chocolate ganache, 4 oz chocolate melted with 2 tbsp oil for the glaze.
How to make it: Brush the first sponge layer with coffee syrup and spread with buttercream. Add the second layer, soak, and spread with ganache. Add the third layer, soak, and spread with the rest of the buttercream. Chill until firm. Pour over the chocolate glaze, chill again and trim the edges for clean layers.
