French Desserts You Can Make Ahead (and Freeze!) From The Bonne Femme Cookbook - And A Giveaway

La Belle France inspires everyone in a different way. 

For Wini Moranville, it was the classic, delicious recipes that are cooked every day in the kitchens of France that became her greatest inspiration. Drawing on her many years of traveling and living in France, Wini wrote a cookbook detailing how to cook authentic French food without fuss, fear, or all that butter-- the way real French families eat today.

Without further ado, I am delighted to present Wini Moranville and a few French Desserts You Can Make Ahead...


Merci mille fois, Chez Loulou, for hosting my guest post.

The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid Food That French Women Cook Every Day is all about how you can get a life-enhancing, true-to-France meal on the table any night of the week—often in 30 minutes or less.  In fact, an entire chapter offers 30-minute entrées.

Does that include dessert? Yes, indeed, it can. 

Of course, lucky French women have it easy—they can just pop into their favorite neighborhood pâtisserie on their way home from work and pick up something beautiful.

But for those of us that don’t have glorious pastry shops in our neighborhoods, there’s another way: Turn your freezer into that dessert shop.

As I point out often in the book, quite a few French desserts freeze well, including crèpes, pound cakes (les quatres quarts, as they’re known in you-know-where), and profiteroles. Whenever I make one of these desserts for dinner, I usually have extra, which I stash in the freezer and bring out for any-night enjoyment.

This Chocolate-Cherry Pound Cake Bonne Femme is a prime example of a dessert that freezes beautifully. Enjoy some on the day you make it; then wrap the leftovers well in plastic freezer wrap and refrigerate up to one month.  

Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Pound Cake
(Le Quatre-Quarts aux Cerises et Chocolate)

While the photo shows fresh cherries, now that it’s winter, I suggest garnishing this with frozen cherries that have been macerated (that is, soaked) in a cherry liqueur. You could also serve it with a little fruit compote or poached pears. Enjoy!

Makes 10 servings

For the cake:
1 1/4 cups 2 percent or whole milk
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon kirsch (cherry brandy)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the topping
2 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved, or frozen pitted cherries, well drained and halved
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kirsch (cherry brandy)
Sweetened crème fraîche or sweetened whipped cream

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.

2. For the cake: Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it steams. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted; set aside to cool. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients and the chocolate mixture in batches, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, beating on low speed after each addition until combined; stir in the kirsch and vanilla. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly.

4. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake come out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and place it on the rack to cool to room temperature.

5. For the topping: At least 1 hour before serving, combine the cherries, sugar, and kirsch. Let the cherries macerate at room temperature for about 1 hour; refrigerate for longer storage (up to 2 hours).

6. To serve, slice the cake and place on individual dessert places. Spoon some macerated cherries atop each slice of cake and add a generous spoonful of sweetened crème fraîche or whipped cream. To store, wrap the cake well in plastic wrap; refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 1 month. 


Two more make ahead and freeze ideas:

Yes! You can freeze crêpes. Stack each cooled crêpe on a plate with a sheet of waxed paper between each. Cover with plastic freezer wrap and freeze up to 2 weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave. Refresh each thawed crêpe in a sauté pan over medium heat before serving. 

Freeze unfilled profiteroles in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Refresh from a frozen state on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 6 to 10 minutes. Cool and fill. 
Photo by Andy Fjellman.

Thank you, Wini!

As an added gift, Wini and her publisher have offered a copy of The Bonne Femme Cookbook to one of my readers.
To enter, simply leave a comment including your email so I can contact you if you win. Comments will be closed promptly at noon Paris time on Wednesday, December 19. 
The winner will be chosen by a random number generator, then announced here.

*The giveaway is now over. Thanks for your comments everyone and congratulations to Libby! Hope you enjoy the book!*

For more information on the Bonne Femme Cookbook, check it out on Barnesandnoble.com . Or go to Wini’s blog at http://chezbonnefemme.com. 

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Tarte au Citron

If I had to choose just one dessert to eat for the rest of my life, Tarte au Citron would be it. I think it is the most sublime of all French desserts.

My first introduction to the Lemon Tart came in 1994, when I was given a copy of Sheila Lukins' All Around the World Cookbook. This is the first recipe I cooked from the book and once I tried it, I was hooked. And so is everyone who has ever tasted it.

This version is perfect in its simplicity. It is tart and tangy and very, very lemony. The way a real Tarte au Citron should be.


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Weekend Links

Sometimes things get lost in translation.
To try to keep myself from making silly mistakes, I read the blog French Word-A-Day.  It has always helped me keep my foot out of my mouth (except for the time I told our friends that they had une truite (a trout) in their ceiling, when I meant to say une fuite (a leak) - oops!) by keeping me up to date with current French expressions and colloquialisms. 

Jamie's brilliant review of Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France by Joan Nathan was just the enticement I needed to order myself a copy.  A great read and a great cookbook!

Apple desserts are a no-brainer in the autumn, but I think they deserve further consideration during the winter.  My favorite French Apple Cake, Dorie Greenspan's Apple Cake, a ridiculously easy Baked Apple Crunch and a classic French Tarte aux Pommes are four fantastic recipes to try.

This has to be the most decadent hot chocolate ever. 

For me, it just wouldn't be Christmas without watching this SNL skit and listening to this song.
Happy Holidays!


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French Apple Cake

Because I've always been a Francophile and this dessert recipe had the word "French" in it, choosing it from a long list of Apple Cake recipes was a no-brainer. The fact that the cake batter is infused with a healthy splash of Calvados (or Cognac) helped make the decision that much easier!

This is one of those special recipes that I stumbled across about 10 years ago and have held on to ever since. It is buttery and rich and truly divine. And it is a dangerous cake to have around, because once you have a bite, you'll want another.
And another. And another.

So unless I feel like living dangerously, I only make it for special occasions, when I know there will be friends and family around to help eat up every last bite. When I offer second helpings I am often met with mild protests, but they always cave in eventually!


French Apple Cake
from Bon Appétit magazine
serves 8

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large Granny Smith apples (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled, cored, thinly sliced

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons Calvados, applejack or other brandy (I use Cognac)
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Coat pan with sugar; tap out excess. Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in 3/4 cup sugar, water and cinnamon and bring to boil. Add apples and cook until apples are just tender, turning frequently, about 15 minutes. Remove apples, using slotted spoon, and arrange decoratively in bottom of pan. Continue boiling liquid in skillet until thick and syrupy, about 4 minutes. Pour over apples.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into small bowl. Whisk remaining 1 cup sugar, egg yolks, eggs, Calvados and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Gently stir in dry ingredients. Fold in 1/2 cup melted butter. Pour batter over apples in pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes. Run small sharp knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Sunday Reading

A little time, a little brine, and you've got yourself some home cured olives.

I love to see our little corner of France through the eyes of others.

Simply making me drool.

I think I need to go redecorate and reorganize my home now. So inspiring!

Such a wicked sense of humor! I love her. And her Letter to Summer is spot on.

The perfect purple scarf.
The perfect purple prune studded and Armagnac infused autumn dessert.

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Photo du Jour - Charlotte aux Fruits Rouges

Le dessert du moment - Charlotte aux Fruits Rouges Pin It

Photo du Jour - Crème Brûlée

Pistachio Crème Brûlée. I could hardly wait to crack through the crunchy, caramelized sugar topping. Pin It

Photo du Jour - Strawberry Tart

Why I love France: Reason # 341

The Strawberry Tart Pin It

Tarte Tatin

I've fallen in love again...with Tarte Tatin.

It's not surprising that Tarte Tatin, one of the quintessential French desserts, is so celebrated.
Any dessert that combines buttery, sticky, caramelized fruit nestled in a cushion of buttery, golden, flaky pastry (and hopefully topped with vanilla bean ice cream) deserves to be worshiped.

quartered and ready to go


caramelizing slowly

Each rich mouthful of Tarte Tatin it is sheer, unadulterated bliss.


it could have been prettier, but it was so good we didn't care!


Want to know another great thing about Tarte Tatin? It is dead easy to make.
Seriously.
(and even easier if made with pre-rolled, pure butter French pastry)*

Tarte Tatin
Serves 8

1 recipe for pâte brisée (see below) or a frozen puff pastry sheet (from a 17-18 ounce box), thawed, or 1 pre-rolled pastry
1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vanilla sugar
about 3-4 pounds of firm apples, peeled, cored and quartered

You'll need either a 10 inch tatin mold or well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet (I use a sauté pan then transfer the apples and caramel to a ceramic baking dish before topping with the pastry and going into the oven because I don't have either a tatin pan or a cast iron skillet. But I don't let that stop me)

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Roll the thawed puff pastry sheet out on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out a 10-inch circle of pastry with a sharp knife, using a plate as a guide. Transfer the pastry round to a baking sheet and chill.
Spread butter thickly on the bottom and sides of your skillet and pour sugar evenly over the bottom. Arrange as many apples as will fit in the pan, packing them tightly in concentric circles.
Cook apples over medium to medium-high heat until juices are deep golden and bubbling and the apples are golden and cooked through. The caramel might be unevenly colored at first, don't worry. And make sure they aren't burning! I often need to turn the apples a few times to create an even, golden color.
Either transfer the apples and caramel to a ceramic pie dish or leave them in the oven proof skillet and lay the pastry round over the apples, tucking the edges down around the apples. Watch your fingers, caramel is HOT!
If using homemade pastry, roll the pastry dough to a round just larger than the mold. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it to cover the apples. Tuck the edges down around the apples, working quickly so their warmth does not melt the dough.
Bake until the pastry is browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Transfer skillet or baking dish to a cooling rack and cool at least 10 minutes.
Invert a platter with a lip to catch any juice over the skillet and, using potholders to hold the skillet and plate tightly together, swiftly invert the tart onto the platter. Replace any apples that stick to the skillet and brush any excess caramel from the skillet over the apples.
Serve immediately.
With vanilla bean ice cream if you're feeling extra naughty.


*If the urge strikes to make my own pastry, (which isn't often) I use a recipe from From My Château Kitchen by Ann Willian.

Pâte Brisée
1-2/3 cup/200 grams flour
7 tablespoons/ 100 grams butter
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons/45 mls water, more if needed

Sift the flour onto the work surface and make a well in the center. Put the egg yolks, salt and water in the well. Pound the butter with a rolling pin to soften it, add it to the other ingredients in the well, and work them with the fingers of one hand until thoroughly mixed. Using a pastry scraper, gradually draw in the flour from the sides and continue working with the fingers of both hands until coarse crumbs are formed. If the crumbs seem dry, sprinkle with another tablespoon of water, it should be soft but not sticky. Press the dough together into a ball, but don't overwork it; the dough will be uneven and unblended at this point.
Blend the dough quickly so the butter doesn't become too warm. Put the dough in front of you and use the heel of one hand to push away a bit at a time and flatten it against the work surface; this flattening motion evenly blends the butter with the other ingredients without overworking the dough. When the entire ball of dough has been blended in this fashion, gather it up with a scraper into a rough ball, and repeat this process of blending with the heel of your hand until the dough is pliable and pulls away from the work surface in one piece, 1 to 2 minutes. Shape it into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Walt's recipe is also excellent.


Tarte Tatin. What better way to celebrate apple season?

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Top 100 - 68 Through 72

68. The Sweet Potato Queen's Big Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner) by Jill Conner Browne. Prepare to laugh your "big ass" off while you read this one! Who can resist recipes with names like these; Love Lard, Mystery Mush, My Very Own Ho-Made Blueberry Muffins, Bitch Bacon Bread Sticks, Chocolatopolous, Miss Lexie's Pineapple Casserole, Armadillo Hunters' Shrimp and Grilled Bologna Po-Boy. This hilarious book also offers "advice" on plastic surgery, motherhood and careers.

69. Tarte Tatin aux Poires. A simple and delicious tart with beautiful, golden chunks of pear nestled in caramel and pastry.

Tarte Tatin aux Poires

2 pounds firm-ripe Bosc or Anjou pears (4 to 6)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz. frozen puff pastry, defrosted (or your own puff pastry, if you choose)

Peel, halve, and core pears.

In a 9- to 10-inch ovenproof non-stick skillet or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and stir in sugar (sugar will not be dissolved). Arrange pears, cut sides up, in skillet. Cook without stirring until sugar mixture forms a deep golden caramel. (This can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as 25, depending on skillet and stove.) Cool pears completely in skillet.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place the pastry over caramelized pears and tuck the edge around pears, down into the skillet. Bake tart in middle of oven until pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Have ready a rimmed serving plate slightly larger than skillet. As soon as tart has finished baking, invert plate over skillet and, wearing oven mitts and keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together, invert tart onto plate.

Serve tart warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, ice cream or crème fraîche.

70. Filet Mignon with homemade Bearnaise Sauce. I'm not a huge fan of steak, but when our friend made this for us one evening, with potatoes on the side to pour even more Bearnaise sauce on, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. The filet was perfectly cooked and the Bearnasie sauce, oh my god, it was incredible!

71. AOC Minervois La Livinière in the Languedoc Roussillon. I live right in the middle of this small wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, so I'm a bit spoiled. Seven of our neighbor's are wine makers and I have to say, it is convenient to be able to walk up the street, knock on a beautiful, stone barn door and buy wine for as little as 2 euros a bottle. Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre are the main grape varietals.


72. CC's Coffee House in New Orleans, Louisiana. I was fortunate enough to have worked across the street from the one in the French Quarter, a contributing factor to what is now my caffeine addiction. Their iced coffee sustained me through the hot and humid summers.

CC's Coffee House
941 Royal Street
New Orleans , Louisiana 70116
504-581-6996
.
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