I have to admit I have a sweet tooth and I do like to finish a meal with a little something, even it is only a delicious biscuit with my coffee. French desserts can be complex and calorific but most of the recipes in this chapter are simple to make and not heavy. They range from easy compotes to dainty fruit tarts – something for every occasion.
TARTE TATIN AUX FIGUES
Fig Tarte Tatin
The classic recipe is with apple, but tarte tatin can be made with all sorts of fruits and I think this fig version is particularly good.
Serves 4
35G BUTTER
70G GOLDEN CASTER SUGAR
PINCH OF SEA SALT
12 FRESH FIGS, CUT IN HALF
250G PUFF PASTRY
Melt the butter, sugar and salt in a frying pan. When the mixture is bubbling, add the figs and cook them for 5 minutes over a high heat, turning them over after 2½ minutes.
Transfer the figs and juices to a tarte tatin pan or an ovenproof dish that’s about 20cm wide. Leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C/Gas 6½.
Roll out the pastry to a circle about 3cm wider than the pan. Place this on top of the figs, tucking in the excess pastry around them.
Cut 8 little holes in the pastry with the point of a knife. Bake the tart in the oven for 35 minutes, then remove it and leave it to cool slightly.
To turn the tart out, take a plate of about the same size as the pan and place it over the pan. Quickly turn the pan over to transfer the tart to the plate.
PAIN PERDU À LA NORMANDE
French Toast, Normandy Style
Sometimes you need a pudding that is unashamedly luxurious and this is it. However, it does use up stale bread and it’s quick to make for a once-in-a-while treat.
Serves 2
1 FREE-RANGE EGG
125ML MILK
1 TSP GROUND CINNAMON
4 TBSP SUGAR
2 THICK SLICES OF STALE BREAD OR BRIOCHE
3 TBSP BUTTER
2 EATING APPLES
CALVADOS
150ML WHIPPING CREAM
1 TBSP ICING SUGAR
Mix the egg, milk and cinnamon with a tablespoon of the sugar in a bowl. Dunk the slices of bread into this mixture to moisten them.
Heat a tablespoon of the butter in a pan. Take the slices of bread out of the milk mixture and place them in the hot pan with the butter. Brown the bread on both sides, then add a tablespoon of sugar to the pan and another tablespoon of butter to caramelise. Take the slices of bread out and set them aside.
Cut one and a half of the apples into wedges – no need to peel them. Heat the rest of the butter and sugar in the pan and fry the apples until they are just cooked and browned. Add a good splash of Calvados and then set the pan aside.
Whisk the cream with the icing sugar. Cut the remaining apple half into thin matchsticks.
Divide the warm apples between the slices of bread, spoon on some cream and sprinkle a few strips of raw apple on top. Serve at once!
Prune Clafoutis
You can make this great French classic with a host of different fruit, but I like to cook this version with prunes in winter, when there is less fresh fruit about. I always keep an airtight container full of prunes plumped up with brandy and they are what I use here. The ground almonds aren’t traditional but I find they add good flavour and texture. You can vary the spices – cinnamon is good but vanilla seeds or star anise are other options.
Serves 8
200ML MILK
60ML DOUBLE CREAM
2 CINNAMON STICKS
24 PITTED PRUNES, MARINATED IN BRANDY
4 FREE-RANGE EGGS
30G PLAIN FLOUR
30G GROUND ALMONDS
160G CASTER SUGAR
1 TBSP BUTTER
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Bring the milk and cream to the boil with the cinnamon sticks, then take the pan off the heat and set it aside.
Cut the prunes in half and add a couple of spoonfuls of the brandy to the milk mixture.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl with the flour, ground almonds and 130g of the sugar, then stir in the milk and cream to make a batter and set aside.
Grease a ceramic flan dish with the butter and sprinkle over the remaining sugar. Arrange the prunes in the dish, then pour in the batter.
Cook in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4 and cook for a further 20 minutes. Serve warm.
SOUPE DE FRUITS ROUGES À LA VERVEINE
Fruit Soup with Verbena
This beautiful, verbena-flavoured dessert is summer in a bowl. And it is even better with a few little madeleines (see here) on the side.
Serves 4
75G CASTER SUGAR
2 TBSP BLOSSOM HONEY
2 FRESH VERBENA SPRIGS (OR A HANDFUL OF DRIED)
500G MIXED BERRIES (STRAWBERRIES, RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, REDCURRANTS, BLACKCURRANTS)
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER (OPTIONAL)
Pour 500ml of water into a pan, add the sugar and honey and bring to the boil.
Add the verbena and simmer for 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for about 10 minutes. Remove the verbena.
Pour the liquid into a bowl, add the fruit, then leave to cool. Chill the soup in the fridge until it is very cold.
Just before serving I like to add a little freshly ground black pepper.
Fruit Compotes
I was brought up on these. All through the year there is fruit that can be cooked and mashed up into a delicious sweet compote. The amount of sugar added really depends on the fruit and its natural sugar level – and your own taste – so adapt as you wish. These compotes can be kept in the fridge for a week to ten days and are lovely served with yoghurt or cream.
Serves 6
Apple Compote
3 SHARP COOKING APPLES
6 EATING APPLES
80G CASTER SUGAR
JUICE OF 1 LEMON
1 CINNAMON STICK
Apricot Compote
30 APRICOTS
180G CASTER SUGAR
2 VANILLA PODS
1 TSP ALMOND EXTRACT (OPTIONAL)
For the apple compote, I like to peel the apples but some people, like my wife, prefer not to! Up to you.
Core and cut the apples into small pieces, put them in a pan and add the sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon stick. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon to serve. Nice drizzled with a little honey if you like.
For the apricot compote, cut the apricots in half and discard the stones. Place the apricots in a pan with the sugar. Scrape the seeds from the halved vanilla pods into the pan and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes, then add the almond extract, if using.
I like this compote smooth so I blitz it in a food processor before serving, but you can leave it chunky if you prefer.
SALADE DE FRUITS
Fruit Salad
Fruit salad is such a wonderful way to end a meal but deserves to be carefully made. There should be a balance of sweetness, acidity and, of course, textures, and I like to add a little kick in the form of some eau de vie or kirsch. Serving fruit salad in a hollowed-out watermelon is a bit of theatre to try when you want to make something a bit more special. Nice served with some palmiers (see here) or speculoos biscuits (see here).
Serves 6-8
1 SMALL WATERMELON
2 TBSP CASTER SUGAR
200G STRAWBERRIES, HULLED
100G BLACKBERRIES
100G BLACKCURRANTS
6 APRICOTS, STONED AND QUARTERED
6 PLUMS, STONED AND QUARTERED
4 TBSP EAU DE VIE (OPTIONAL)
Dice the watermelon flesh and put it in a bowl with the rest of the fruit. Sprinkle on the sugar and add the alcohol, if using, then cover the bowl and put it in the fridge. After 30 minutes, carefully toss the fruit to mix it with the sugar, then serve.
If you want to serve the salad in the melon, slice the top off the melon and hollow it out, removing any seeds. Dice the flesh and proceed as above. Fill the melon with the fruit and take it to the table.
MOUSSE AU CHOCOLAT
Chocolate Mousse
Simple and quick to make, this is a true French staple with only 3 ingredients. There’s no cream, no butter, a small amount of sugar – but lots of chocolate! This recipe does contain raw eggs.
Serves 6-8
220G DARK CHOCOLATE (70% COCOA SOLIDS), BROKEN INTO PIECES
8 FREE-RANGE EGGS
2 TBSP CASTER SUGAR
COARSE SEA SALT (OPTIONAL)
Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Add the chocolate to the bowl with 2 tablespoons of water, and allow it to melt slowly, making sure it doesn’t overheat. Once melted, set the bowl of chocolate aside to cool slightly.
Separate the eggs, making sure the whites go in a scrupulously clean bowl with no trace of fat or they won’t whisk properly. Whisk the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate.
Add the sugar to the egg whites and beat them with an electric hand beater until stiff. Fold them into the chocolate a little at a time. I like to add just a pinch of coarse sea salt to bring out the flavour of the chocolate.
Spoon the mixture into little cups or glass bowls and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
Chocolate Ice Cream
Chocolate ice cream is my very favourite and this is an easy one to make. There is quite a bit of whisking to do but you don’t need an ice-cream maker and there’s no need to keep taking the mixture out of the freezer to stir. Just freeze it and enjoy.
Serves 6–8
50G MILK CHOCOLATE
250ML DOUBLE CREAM
160G DARK CHOCOLATE (70% COCOA SOLIDS), BROKEN INTO PIECES
2 FREE-RANGE EGGS, PLUS 1 YOLK
90G CASTER SUGAR
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
Chop or coarsely grate the milk chocolate and put it in the fridge to keep cold. Whisk the cream in a bowl until it holds firm peaks.
Put the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Allow the chocolate to melt – don’t let it overheat – then carefully remove the bowl from the pan and set it aside.
Place the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla in another bowl and set it over the pan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture with a balloon whisk for 10 minutes until it is pale and frothy. Be sure to keep the temperature low or the eggs will scramble. This process partially cooks the eggs and sets the mixture, giving a lovely creamy texture to the ice cream.
Take the pan off the heat and carefully remove the bowl, then mix in the melted dark chocolate. Leave the mixture to cool a little, then fold in the whipped cream and grated milk chocolate.
Tip the mixture into a airtight freezer-proof container and freeze for about 8 hours before serving.
Yoghurt & Strawberry Ice Cream
This is such a simple ice cream – again, no machine needed. I like strawberry jam in this, but you can use another kind if you prefer. I also like to garnish the ice cream with some toasted nuts, such as pistachios and sliced almonds.
Serves 4
500G PLAIN YOGHURT
100G STRAWBERRY JAM
100ML DOUBLE CREAM
JUICE AND ZEST OF 1 LEMON
PISTACHIOS AND SLICED ALMONDS (OPTIONAL)
Blitz all the ingredients, except the nuts, in a food processor until smooth. Scoop the mixture into an airtight freezer-proof container. Place it in the freezer and leave for 6–8 hours.
Toast the nuts, if using, in a dry pan until golden, then set them aside. Serve the ice cream topped with the toasted nuts.
PÊCHES POCHÉES AU ROMARIN
Poached Peaches with Rosemary
Rosemary and peaches go so well together and this is great with all varieties of peach – white, yellow, red or nectarines. Any leftover poaching syrup makes great champagne cocktails or you can mix it with some tea to make the most delicious iced tea.
Serves 6
6 PEACHES
1KG CASTER SUGAR
2 ROSEMARY SPRIGS
If, like me, you are not a fan of peach skin, blanch the peaches first and peel off the skin. Cut a small cross in the base of each peach. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the peaches and leave them for 30 seconds, then remove and put them in a bowl of cold water. Peel off the skins.
Fill a large pan with 2 litres of water and add the sugar and rosemary. Bring to the boil, add the peaches and simmer them for 20 minutes – put a piece of baking paper over them to keep them down in the water. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.
Serve the peaches with a little of the poaching syrup.
POIRES RÔTIS AUX NOUGAT ET SAUCE CHOCOLAT
Roast Pears with Nougat & Dark Chocolate Sauce
This is such a good dessert and is simple to make – you can use shop-bought nougat which, when cooked, has the same texture as toasted marshmallows. Any type of pear is fine, as long as they are ripe. The chocolate sauce is made without dairy fats and only sweetened with maple syrup – it’s great with ice cream too.
Serves 4
2 RIPE PEARS, PEELED AND CORED
1 TBSP BUTTER, MELTED
200G NOUGAT
Chocolate Sauce
2 TBSP MAPLE SYRUP
2 TBSP COCOA POWDER
100G DARK CHOCOLATE (70% COCOA SOLIDS), BROKEN INTO PIECES
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Cut the pears in half, put them in a baking dish and brush them with a little melted butter. Cut the nougat into chunks and scatter them over the pears. Roast the pears in the oven for about 12 minutes or until golden and tender.
For the sauce, put the syrup and cocoa powder in a pan and add 100ml of water. Bring to the boil, while whisking. Add the chocolate and stir until it melts.
Serve the sauce with the pears.
TARTLELETTES AUX FRUITS ROUGES
Fruit Tarts
Vary the fruit for these little tarts as you like, but always make sure it is ripe and seasonal. I enjoy arranging the fruit prettily or you can just pile it on if you prefer. I usually make round tarts, but you can also make boat-shaped ones in special barquette moulds.
Serves8
250G SWEET PASTRY (SEE HERE)
500G FRUIT, SUCH AS STRAWBERRIES, RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, REDCURRANTS
Sweet Almond Paste
80G BUTTER, SOFTENED
80G CASTER SUGAR
100G GROUND ALMONDS
1 PINCH OF SALT
2 FREE-RANGE EGGS
1 TBSP DARK RUM
To Glaze (optional)
MELTED APRICOT JAM
ICING SUGAR
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 5mm and cut out shapes to line your tart moulds.
To make the almond paste, place the butter, sugar, ground almonds and salt in a food processor and blitz until the mixture is pale and well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the rum, and blitz again.
Spoon the almond paste into the tarts to fill them three-quarters full. Cook the tarts for 20 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked. Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool.
Arrange the fruit on top. Do this just before serving, otherwise the fruit may soften the pastry. If desired, glaze the tarts with melted apricot jam or sprinkle with icing sugar.
TOURMENT D’AMOUR
Guadeloupe Pastries
These are delicate sweet pastries, originally from Les Saintes archipelago, Guadeloupe, but now found all over the French West Indies. Traditionally, they were made by fishermen’s wives as a treat for their husbands on their safe return. You’ll need eight tartlet moulds, about 9 x 5cm.
Serves 8
300G SWEET PASTRY (SEE HERE)
Coconut Jam
80G DESICCATED COCONUT
JUICE AND ZEST OF 2 LIMES
1 TSP GROUND CINNAMON
30G BROWN SUGAR
1 RIPE BANANA, MASHED
Crème Pâtissière
2 FREE-RANGE EGG YOLKS
50G CASTER SUGAR
30G CORNFLOUR
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
1 TBSP DARK RUM
250ML MILK
Genoise Sponge
3 FREE-RANGE EGGS
90G CASTER SUGAR
90G PLAIN FLOUR, SIFTED
Put the coconut in a pan and add lukewarm water to come level. Leave it to soak for an hour.
Add the other ingredients for the coconut jam, including the mashed banana, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Stir regularly so the mixture doesn’t catch on the base of the pan. The coconut jam should be thick, sticky and light golden in colour. Leave it to cool.
For the crème pâtissière, whisk the yolks, sugar, cornflour, vanilla extract and rum together in a bowl until pale. Bring the milk to the boil in a pan, then pour the boiling milk into the egg mixture. Mix well, then tip it all back into the pan. Bring to the boil, then take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Roll out the sweet pastry and cut out circles to fit your moulds. Line the moulds with sweet pastry. Add a good tablespoon of coconut jam, followed by 2 generous spoonfuls of crème pâtissière to each pastry case.
For the sponge, whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until pale and firm (this will take about 10 minutes), then fold in the sifted flour. Divide the sponge mixture between the moulds.
Bake the pastries in the oven for 35–40 minutes. Leave them to cool a little before serving – if you can!
