Baked

There’s nostalgia attached to baking that comes from the wonderful aromas filling a kitchen while making bread or cake or cookies, reminding us of our childhood. I especially love to bake because of this. My instant mood booster is to go into the kitchen to bake.

Some of these recipes were created with company in mind; some with nothing more in mind than wanting to bring a comforting dessert to the table to share with the family.

Fresh Fruit Papillotes with Melting Ice Cream

Papillotes de Fruits Frais et Glace Fondante Quicker | Serves 4

En papillote, cooking in a paper packet, means that you can cook without butter and produce intense flavors and natural juices from the steam that builds inside. It’s one of the easiest cooking methods and works beautifully for fresh fruit desserts. Approach this recipe with abandon, picking any seasonal fruit you may find and adding in fresh herbs from your garden if you wish.

I scoop balls of vanilla ice cream into a large bowl and keep it in the freezer until my packets arrive on the table. Each person will have their own packet of seasonal fruit. As they unfurl the paper packet, the aroma of warm fruit fills the air. Then the bowl of ice cream balls is passed to each person so they can place one on top of their hot fruit, where it melts, creating a cool vanilla sauce.

Special Equipment food processor; citrus microplane; 4 (14 x 14-inch) pieces of parchment paper; 1 baking sheet

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 vanilla bean

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large organic orange

2 kiwis

1 peach

2 bananas

12 large strawberries

2 cups mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)

Confectioner’s sugar

1 quart vanilla ice cream

Place the granulated and brown sugars into the bowl of the food processor. Slice the vanilla bean in half vertically and scrape the seeds into the bowl on top of the sugar. Save the bean pod for later. Add the cinnamon and process for 10 seconds. Scoop into a mixing bowl.

Using the microplane, zest the orange into the bowl. Use a sharp knife to cut away the remaining peel and white pith from the orange, slice it thinly, and toss into the bowl.

Peel and slice the kiwis and toss them into the bowl. Slice the peach in eighths and add to the bowl. Peel the bananas, slice into 1/8-inch slices, and toss into the bowl. Slice the strawberries in half, place in the bowl, and toss in the mixed berries.

Stir everything gently to coat and let set for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Working on a long counter or table, lay out the 4 pieces of parchment paper into an assembly line.

Evenly divide the fruit onto the middle of each piece of paper, drizzling any juices at the bottom of the bowl over the top of each pile. Slice the vanilla pod into 4 pieces and lay a piece over the top of each pile.

To make the packets, bring together the paper horizontally and fold it down to almost touch the fruit below, fold and twist the ends, and fold them under the packet. Place the packets on the baking sheet. You want them to be a size that will fit on a dessert plate.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the packets puff up. Leave on the baking sheet for 15 minutes then transfer each packet to a dessert plate and lightly dust with confectioner’s sugar. Allow people to open their own packet, and then pass scoops of ice cream for them to place on top and melt over the hot fruit. A little bowl of whipped cream doesn’t hurt either.

Tip

Opening the packets before bringing them to the table and scattering fresh edible flowers or fresh herbs over the top of the fruit makes a stunning presentation.

Peach Flaugnarde

Flaugnarde aux Pêches Quicker | Serves 6

A clafoutis is only made with fresh cherries. When using any other fruits, it is called a flaugnarde. But the two are similar in every other way. When I load up the car with sweet, ripe peaches from the farmers market, I head home and make this dessert for dinner. It’s quick to prepare and beautifully highlights the fresh peaches.

Special Equipment 1 (8-cup) baking dish

1 pound fresh peaches, sliced, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen sliced peaches

1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

5 tablespoons whiskey, divided

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half

4 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter the baking dish and flour the sides.

Bring the peaches, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3 tablespoons whiskey to a simmer in a saucepan and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the peaches and spoon them into the bottom of the baking dish. Discard any liquid.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and vanilla together to combine. Add the flour and half-and-half and whisk to combine. Pour in the butter and remaining whiskey and whisk well.

Pour this mixture over the fruit and bake for 35 minutes, or until set. Take out of the oven, sprinkle the top with the remaining sugar, and return to the oven to bake for 7 minutes.

Take out of the oven and allow to rest for 10–15 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. The flaugnarde will deflate, so don’t worry how it looks. It will be a delicious, comforting dessert that will taste even better with a scoop of ice cream on top to melt over the peaches.

Photo of people shopping at an outdoor market.

Baked Banana and Chocolate Pain Perdu

Pain Perdu au Four à la Banane et au Chocolat Quicker | Serves 8

I’ve seen pain perdu served in French restaurants as one slice topped with berries and confectioner’s sugar, and I’ve seen it in homes baked in small individual ramekins filled with little chunks of bread into a dessert resembling more of an American bread pudding. I prefer making it in a large baking dish then spooning it into dessert bowls or ramekins.

Special Equipment 1 baking sheet; 1 (9-inch) round or square baking pan at least 2 inches Deep; 1 roasting pan; 8 ramekins or serving bowls

1 unsliced loaf white bread, challah, or soft Italian bread

3/4 cup granulated sugar

5 large egg yolks

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons rum

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 cups half-and-half

4 ripe bananas, divided

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 (8-ounce) semisweet chocolate bar, finely chopped

Confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cut 9 slices of bread from the loaf, making them each 1 inch thick. Stack them and slice off the crusts. Cut each slice of bread into 1–inch cubes. Spread them out in 1 layer on the baking sheet, place in the oven, and bake for 8 minutes to dry out and crisp the bread. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on.

Generously butter the baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, eggs, rum, vanilla, and salt to combine. Add the half-and-half and whisk well. Slice 3 of the bananas into the mixture, making them about 1/4 inch thick.

Scoop the toasted bread into the mixing bowl, gently toss to coat, and let set for 5 minutes.

Pour this mixture into the baking dish and use a pastry brush to coat the bread that peeks up with melted butter. Slice the remaining banana and arrange the slices decoratively over the top then place the dish into the roasting pan.

Fill the roasting pan halfway up with hot water and bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top and bake for another 20 minutes, until the chocolate has melted and the custard below is set. Touch the center with the back of a spoon. If custard seeps out, you need to cook it a little longer.

Bring to the table and serve into individual ramekins with a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar.

Tip

If you like raisins, try soaking them in rum for 10 minutes and adding them to the pain perdu instead of bananas and chocolate. Do not use chocolate chips as the bar of chocolate melts much better.

Roasted Peaches in a Pool of Crème Anglaise

Individual Berries Gratin with Yogurt Whipped Cream

Gratins Individuels aux Fruits Rouges, Crème Fouettée au Yaourt Quicker | Serves 4

My girlfriend Nathalie makes her summer fruit gratins with yogurt, and the tang of it against the berries and topping is sublime. I took her cue and created a recipe with summer berries, serving it, like she does, with sweetened whipped cream mixed with a little yogurt.

Special Equipment 4 individual gratin dishes or ramekins; 1 roasting pan or baking sheet; electric hand mixer

Gratin

1 pound mixed berries, plus extra to garnish

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Confectioner’s sugar

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Gratin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and sugar the gratin dishes.

Add the berries to a mixing bowl, pour the superfine sugar over the top, and gently mix with your hands to coat. Divide the berries between the dishes and place the dishes in a roasting pan.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, vanilla, granulated sugar, and almond extract until well combined. Sift in the flour and whisk to combine. Pour this mixture over the berries and bake for 25–35 minutes, until golden brown.

Whipped Cream

Using the hand mixer, beat all the ingredients together until soft mounds form.

Serve the gratins warm with a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar, a dollop of whipped yogurt cream, and a few fresh berries scattered on top.

Tip

You can make this with frozen raspberries if needed, just don’t thaw them before baking.

Sweet Sugar Bread Ardennaise

Tarte au Sucre Ardennaise longer | Serves 4

A sense of serenity falls upon me when I make this bread. I reserve it for the weekends when I can sit down in the silence of the afternoon, brew tea, open preserves I made in the summer, and treat myself to a slice. It comes from the region of Ardennes in northern France. Most of the recipes on blogs and in French cooking magazines are virtually identical for the bread, and this is the sum of those recipes.

Special Equipment 1 (9-inch) pie plate

Bread

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 packet plus 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup milk, room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or orange flower water

Topping

1 egg

1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

Bread

Add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Whisk the eggs into the milk, add the melted butter and vanilla, and whisk well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a spoon to mix into a smooth dough. Sprinkle it with some flour and, with your hands, begin to knead it in the bowl for 5 minutes, sprinkling more flour as needed to keep it from being sticky.

Cover with plastic wrap without the wrap touching the dough, cover with a towel, place on a kitchen counter or in a warm place, and allow to rise for at least 2 hours or more.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour the pie plate.

Place the dough in the pie plate and press down gently in the middle to make a shallow well to hold the topping.

Topping

Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons sugar and pour this into the well in the center of the dough, sprinkling the remaining sugar all over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

Puffs with Warm Chocolate Sauce

Choux à la Crème, Sauce Tiède au Chocolat longer | Makes 14 to 20 puffs

Although cream puffs look hard to make, they are anything but. Try them. Once you master them, you can go on to make the famous towering cake called croquembouche, which is simply lots of puffs held together with caramel in a pyramid as high as you want to make it. For now, present three in a row on each dessert plate then drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Special Equipment 1 baking sheet

Puffs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1 stick unsalted butter

3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Turbinado sugar or crystallized sugar

1 can real whipped cream

Chocolate Sauce

1 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa

Puffs

In a large saucepan, bring the water, milk, butter, confectioner’s sugar, granulated sugar, and salt to a simmer. When the butter is completely melted, add the vanilla and stir.

Turn heat down to low, add all of the flour, and vigorously stir to combine. Continue to stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan. Scoop this dough into a mixing bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Vigorously beat in 1 egg at a time until the dough becomes shiny and very smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 35 minutes, or more, while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Either pipe the dough onto the baking sheet or use a small ice cream scoop to shape small balls and place on the sheet, leaving some space in between them. Coat your finger with melted butter or water and gently coax each one into a round ball shape. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 20–23 minutes, until the puffs are golden. Turn the oven off, crack open the door, and leave them in the oven for 10 minutes.

To fill, slip the nozzle of the can of whipped cream into each one and fill. Place them in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Chocolate Sauce

Make the chocolate sauce by pouring all of the ingredients into a saucepan and whisking while it cooks on medium until it forms small bubbles around the edges and is thoroughly melted and smooth. If it needs to be thinned out, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

To serve, divide the puffs between dessert plates and drizzle them with the warm chocolate sauce.

Far Breton Prune Custard Cake

Le Far Breton longer | Serves 10 to 12

When I first visited Brittany, it was a bitterly cold day swept by rumbling winds and rain. I took refuge in a small café and ordered an espresso and a slice of Far Breton—a custard cake so solid and compact you can carry it in your hands and eat it on the street. All Far Bretons have prunes, and mine was packed with ones that had been soaked in Armagnac, juicy and wonderful against the egg custard.

The rain stopped and I strolled through a few shops where I found an antique serving spoon with a Celtic design. I thought back to my slice of Far Breton, and decided to buy the spoon to make beautiful designs with confectioner’s sugar over the top of the Far I would make when I returned home. The spoon makes the design you see in the photograph if I lay it flat and sift confectioner’s sugar over it. You can do the same with any cake server or flat utensil with cut-out work, or even with a paper doily.

Special Equipment 1 (9- or 10-inch) baking dish

4 cups whole milk, room temperature

4 large eggs

4 tablespoons salted butter, melted

1 teaspoon almond extract

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons salted butter

14 ounces pitted prunes

Confectioner’s sugar

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, melted butter, almond extract, and granulated sugar until combined. Gradually add in the flour and vigorously whisk until you have a smooth batter consistency. Let rest for 1 hour.

After 45 minutes have passed, generously butter the baking dish then add 2 tablespoons butter cut into pieces in the bottom. Place the baking dish in a cold oven and set the oven to 400 degrees F.

You want the butter in the baking dish to turn a light brown and smell nutty. Sometimes this takes 10 minutes or less, sometimes 15 minutes, depending on the oven, so check every 5 minutes. It ideally should coincide with when the oven reaches 400 degrees F.

When the oven reaches 400 degrees F, take the baking dish out and slice or cut the prunes in half and arrange them across the bottom of the dish. Pour the batter over the fruit and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 40–50 minutes, until a knife in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool to room temperature and slice into squares to serve. I like serving mine warm, but it is equally good chilled. Decorate with sifted confectioner’s sugar.

Tip

If you would like, you can swap out the prunes and use a combination of peaches and raspberries or apple and pear chunks or apricots.