Baguettes aren’t the only type of bread we eat in France and in this chapter I’ve included some easy but tasty breads, using ingredients such as chestnut flour. You’ll also find some cakes and biscuits – not the exquisite creations you see in the windows of patisseries in France but light and simple recipes that can be served as a snack or dessert.
CAKE AU CITRON
Lemon Cake
This simple cake is as popular in France as it is in England, but we serve it plain, without sweet lemon icing. Candied lemon peel can be bought in most good supermarkets or delis, but the recipe works fine without it if you can’t find any.
Makes 10 slices
75G BUTTER, SOFTENED, PLUS EXTRA FOR GREASING
200ML CRÈME FRAÎCHE
150G CASTER SUGAR
3 LARGE FREE-RANGE EGGS
220G PLAIN FLOUR
2 TSP BAKING POWDER
20G CANDIED LEMON PEEL (OPTIONAL)
ZEST AND JUICE OF 1 UNWAXED LEMON
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Grease a 450g loaf tin and line it with baking paper.
Using an electric hand whisk, beat the softened butter, crème fraîche and sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well.
Mix the flour, baking powder, lemon juice and zest and the chopped peel, if using, in a bowl, then fold this into the wet ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Turn it out on to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Fruit Cake
French fruit cake is much lighter than its British counterpart, but it doesn’t last as long and goes stale after about a week. Enjoy it while it’s fresh and delicious! You may be surprised at the initial high oven temperature, but starting the baking like this helps to set the fruit nicely so it doesn’t all sink to the bottom.
Makes 1 x 28cm cake
250G MIXED DRIED FRUIT (SULTANAS, CURRANTS, RAISINS, PEEL)
100ML RUM OR KIRSCH
500G SOFTENED BUTTER, PLUS EXTRA FOR GREASING
300G CASTER SUGAR
2 FREE-RANGE EGGS
4 FREE-RANGE EGGS, SEPARATED
2 TSP BAKING POWDER
500G PLAIN FLOUR
½ TSP SALT
To decorate (optional)
APRICOT JAM, WARMED
GLACÉ FRUIT
The night before you want to make the cake, put the dried fruit in a bowl with the rum or Kirsch and leave it to macerate.
Grease a 28cm cake tin and line it with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 240°C/Fan 220°C/Gas 9.
Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, then gradually add 2 whole eggs and 4 additional egg yolks. Keep whisking for about 6 minutes, until the mixture is pale.
Mix the baking powder with the flour and fold this into the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Fold in the soaked fruit and liquor.
Whisk the 4 egg whites with the salt in a clean bowl until they form stiff peaks, then fold them into the mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place it in the hot oven for 5 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 200°C/Fan 180ºC/Gas 6 and bake the cake for a further 45 minutes – cover the cake with some foil after about 10 minutes so the top doesn’t get too dark.
At the end of the cooking time, insert a skewer into the cake – if it comes out clean the cake is ready. If not, bake for another 5 minutes. Leave the cake to cool in the tin, then turn it out on to a wire rack. If you like, you can brush the cake with some warmed apricot jam and then decorate it with some glacé fruit.
Brittany Shortbread
This delicate shortbread is very buttery and delicious. It’s a speciality of Brittany, perfect with a coffee or with a dessert such as a fruit compote or frozen yoghurt.
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Makes 35 biscuits
200G BUTTER
120G CASTER SUGAR AND 1 TBSP GRANULATED SUGAR
3 FREE-RANGE EGG YOLKS
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
PINCH OF SEA SALT
280G PLAIN FLOUR, PLUS EXTRA FOR DUSTING
Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and caster sugar together in a bowl for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add 2 of the egg yolks, the vanilla and salt, then fold in the flour. Do not overwork the mixture. Wrap it in cling film and chill it in the fridge for half an hour to firm up.
Preheat the oven to 210°C/Fan 190°C/Gas 6½. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about to 1cm thick, then cut into small rounds about 4cm in diameter. Place them on a baking tray. Beat the remaining egg yolk with a little water, then brush the biscuits with this mixture. Make little indentations in the top of each one with the back of a fork and sprinkle them with the granulated sugar.
Bake the biscuits for 12–15 minutes until golden. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool, then store in an airtight tin.
GÂTEAU AU YAOURT
Yoghurt Cake
This simple cake is child’s play – in fact it’s often one of the first recipes that a French child cooks at home with the family. There’s no need to weigh anything, as you just use the yoghurt pot to measure the rest of the ingredients.
Makes 10 slices
1 X 125G POT OF PLAIN YOGHURT
1 POT OF VEGETABLE OIL, PLUS EXTRA FOR GREASING
1 POT OF FREE-RANGE EGGS (USUALLY 2 LARGE EGGS)
2 POTS OF CASTER SUGAR
3 POTS OF PLAIN FLOUR
1 TSP BAKING POWDER
1 TSP VANILLA ESSENCE OR GRATED LEMON ZEST
Lightly grease a silicone mould or a loaf tin. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
Whisk the yoghurt, oil and eggs together in a bowl, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Don’t overwork the mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 35–40 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling.
You can also make small cakes in muffin tins. Bake these for about 20 minutes.
Spicy Biscuits
These delicious spice-laden biscuits are made all over Flanders, Holland and Germany and are also popular in France. They keep for ages in an airtight tin and are a perfect accompaniment to light fruit desserts. You can vary the spices, but I find that including some ground ginger gives a really lovely warm kick of flavour.
Makes about 30
150G BUTTER, SOFTENED
200G SOFT BROWN SUGAR (PREFERABLY MUSCOVADO)
1 TBSP GROUND CINNAMON
2 TSP GROUND GINGER
1 TSP GROUND NUTMEG
½ TSP GROUND CLOVES
½ TSP SALT
3 FREE-RANGE EGGS
500G PLAIN FLOUR
1 TSP BAKING POWDER
Whisk the butter with the sugar, spices and salt in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking in between each one.
Mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl, then gradually fold them into the egg mixture to make a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Roll the dough out to 5mm thick and cut it into rectangles or whatever shape you prefer. If you like, score a pattern on the biscuits with the tip of a sharp knife.
Place the biscuits on a baking tray and bake for 20–25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the biscuits in an airtight jar or tin.
PALMIERS ET SACRISTAINS
Sweet Pastries
These are for lovers of puff pastry. They’re a perfect accompaniment to most desserts or delicious just on their own.
Makes about 20
60G CASTER SUGAR
200G QUICK PUFF PASTRY (SEE HERE)
PALMIERS
Sprinkle a little sugar on your work surface and over the pastry. Roll the pastry out into a neat rectangle measuring about 36 × 20cm.
Fold the 2 shorter edges in to join in the middle. Sprinkle the pastry with more sugar and fold the 2 short edges in again. Pressing down slightly with the rolling pin, repeat the fold. Press with the rolling pin again, then fold the pastry in half. Wrap the pastry in cling film and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours.
When you’re nearly ready to bake the palmiers, preheat the oven to 230°C/Fan 210°C/Gas 8. Cut the pastry into slices 1cm thick and place them on a baking sheet, cut-side down. Bake the pastries for 10 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes. Place them on a wire rack to cool.
Makes 10-12
200G QUICK PUFF PASTRY (SEE HERE)
20G CASTER SUGAR
1 FREE-RANGE EGG YOLK
40G NIBBED ALMONDS
SACRISTAINS
Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Dust the pastry with caster sugar on both sides, then roll it out to about 5mm thick. Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of water and brush this all over the pastry. Sprinkle the almonds over the pastry and gently press them down.
Cut the pastry into strips 2cm wide and at least 12cm long. Twist each one 3 times to make a spiral and place them on a baking sheet, pressing them down lightly at each end. Bake for 20 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
Buttery French Cakes
These dainty little cakes are gorgeous just out of the oven but you can make them in advance. They also freeze very well once cooked – just put them in a warm oven to heat through. Ideally, bake your madeleines in the traditional scallop-shaped moulds but you could also use fairy cake tins.
Makes 12-16
100G BUTTER, MELTED AND COOLED, PLUS EXTRA FOR GREASING
100G PLAIN FLOUR, PLUS EXTRA FOR DUSTING
2 FREE-RANGE EGGS
100G CASTER SUGAR
¾ TBSP BAKING POWDER
ZEST OF 1 UNWAXED LEMON
Brush the madeleine trays with a little melted butter. Shake in a little flour to coat, tapping out the excess.
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is really light and frothy. Gently whisk in the flour and baking powder, followed by the lemon zest and butter. Leave the mixture to rest for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7.
Carefully spoon the mixture into the prepared moulds. Bake the cakes for 8–10 minutes until they have risen nicely and are firm to the touch. Tap them out of the tray on to a wire rack to cool briefly before devouring!
Buckwheat Pancakes
Popular in Brittany, galettes can be sweet or savoury but they are always a treat. You can fill them with anything you like to make a quick snack or a meal. Here are a couple of ideas.
Serves 2
Pancakes
100G BUCKWHEAT FLOUR
1 PINCH OF SALT
1 TBSP BUTTER, MELTED
1 FREE-RANGE EGG
300ML MILK
1 TBSP VEGETABLE OIL
Savoury Galette
1 TSP WHOLEGRAIN MUSTARD
2 TBSP VEGETABLE OIL
2 TSP RED WINE VINEGAR
HANDFUL OF MIXED BABY LEAF SALAD
4 SLICES OF HAM
10 WALNUT KERNELS
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Sweet Galette
1 TBSP STRAWBERRY JAM
100G PLAIN YOGHURT
125G STRAWBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES OR RASPBERRIES
Whisk the flour, salt, melted butter, egg and half the milk in a bowl to make a smooth paste, then mix in the remaining milk.
Heat a pan with a smear of oil. Spoon in just enough batter to cover the base of the pan and cook until the underside is golden. Flip it over to cook the other side, then remove the pancake and keep it warm. Continue until you have used all the batter.
SAVOURY GALETTE
Mix the mustard, oil and vinegar to make a dressing, season with salt and pepper, then dress the salad leaves. Fill the pancakes with the ham and salad and sprinkle with the walnuts, then roll them up and serve.
SWEET GALETTE
Stir the jam through the yoghurt so you get a ripple effect, then drizzle the mixture over the pancakes. Add the berries, roll the pancakes up and serve.
PAIN AU FROMAGE DE CHÈVRE
Goats’ Cheese Bread
This herby cheese bread is a great way of using up odds and ends of goats’ cheese – the drier the better. Lovely served with a bowl of soup for lunch.
Makes 1 loaf
15G FRESH YEAST OR 7G DRIED
250ML LUKEWARM WATER
80G COOKED MASHED POTATO
2½ TSP SALT
600G SPELT FLOUR
75G DRY GOATS’ CHEESE, COARSELY GRATED
1 TBSP THYME AND ROSEMARY LEAVES
2 TBSP OLIVE OIL
Dissolve the yeast in the water, then add the mashed potato, salt and flour. Knead for 10 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Put the dough in a bowl, cover and leave it to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
Once the dough has doubled in size, knock it back and knead in the grated cheese and the herbs. Shape the dough into a freeform loaf – a focaccia shape works well – and brush it with olive oil. Cover and leave to rise again until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 240°C/Fan 220°C/Gas 9. Put the loaf on a baking sheet and bake for 30–35 minutes.
GOUGÈRES
Choux Cheese Pastries
Choux pastry is a cornerstone of French patisserie and it’s wonderful as a savoury or sweet dish. This classic savoury version hails from Burgundy. I like to use Comté cheese but any good tangy hard cheese will work. When freshly baked, the gougères are good just as they are. But if you wish to be more indulgent, fill them with the fromage blanc or with mornay sauce (see here).
Makes 25–35
Choux Pastry
120ML WHOLE MILK
1 TSP SALT
1 TSP SUGAR
110G BUTTER
140G PLAIN FLOUR
5 FREE-RANGE EGGS
80G HARD CHEESE, GRATED
Fromage Blanc Filling
200G FROMAGE BLANC (LIGHT CREAM CHEESE)
1 TBSP CHOPPED CHIVES
1 TBSP CHOPPED TARRAGON
40G SMOKED HAM, CHOPPED
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Preheat the oven to 240°C/Fan 220°C/Gas 9. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the salt, sugar, butter and 120ml of water. Bring to the boil, then take the pan off the heat and beat in the flour with a wooden spoon. Return the pan to the heat and stir vigorously to cook out the excess moisture. This will take a couple of minutes and the paste should start to come away from the sides of the pan.
Transfer the paste to a bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth. Using a piping bag, pipe blobs of the mixture on to a non-stick baking mat: 2–3cm for snacks or starters, or 5–6cm to serve with filling and sauce as a meal with salad.
Sprinkle some grated cheese on top, then bake at 240°C/Fan 220°C/Gas 9 for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6, open the oven door for a few seconds to let out excess steam, then bake for another 15 minutes.
Leave the gougères on a wire rack to cool slightly. If using the filling, mix the ingredients together. Make a hole in each gougère, then spoon in some filling or pipe it in with a piping bag.
If using the mornay sauce (see here), pipe it into the gougères and serve them warm. If you want to prepare the gougères in advance you can warm them through in a low oven before filling and serving.
Garlic Bread
Try this different way of preparing a French favourite. Lightly grilled and drizzled with olive oil, my garlic bread is a perfect accompaniment to any soup or salad.
Makes 1 loaf
25G FRESH YEAST OR 12G DRIED
400ML LUKEWARM WATER
500G WHITE BREAD FLOUR
200G RYE FLOUR
1 TBSP OLIVE OIL, PLUS EXTRA FOR BRUSHING
1 TBSP PICKED THYME LEAVES
2½ TSP SALT
Garlic Confit
12 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED
2 TBSP OLIVE OIL
SALT
First prepare the garlic confit. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then drain. Put the garlic cloves on a piece of foil, sprinkle them with the olive oil and a little salt. Wrap the garlic up loosely by bringing the corners of the foil together. Place the parcel in an ovenproof dish and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Leave to cool.
For the bread, dissolve the yeast in the water in a large bowl. Add the white and rye flours, oil, thyme and salt, mix well and knead for 5 minutes. Cover and leave the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
Knock the dough back and knead it again for 5 minutes. Roll the dough out into a long flat oval shape and dot the garlic over it evenly. Fold the dough over on itself, then shape it into a loaf. Brush with a little olive oil, cover and leave to rise. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7.
When you’re ready to cook the loaf, make 3 or 4 cuts about 1cm deep across it. Cook the bread in the oven for 20 minutes, then turn the heat down to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6 and bake for a further 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before using.
PAIN À LA FARINE DE CHÂTAIGNES
Chestnut Flour Bread
Chestnut flour adds a lovely sweetness to bread and this loaf is perfect toasted for breakfast or to serve with salty charcuterie. You will find this style of bread in the Cévennes, parts of Provence and in Corsica, where chestnuts are grown in abundance. Chestnut flour on its own can be a bit heavy so I add some wheat flour to help. I like to use wholegrain spelt.
Makes1 loaf
25G FRESH YEAST OR 12G DRIED YEAST
UP TO 400ML LUKEWARM WATER
350G SPELT FLOUR, PLUS EXTRA FOR DUSTING
200G CHESTNUT FLOUR
3 TSP SALT
Put the yeast in a large bowl and add 350ml of the lukewarm water. Stir to dissolve, then add both flours and the salt. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough is elastic and not sticky – you may have to add a little more water depending on the quality of the flour. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Knock the dough back and shape it into a round ball or your desired shape. Place it on a baking tray, dust with flour, then cover it with a cloth and leave to rise again for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 240°C/Fan 220°C/Gas 9.
Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, make 2 or 3 cuts about 1cm deep in the dough. Put the bread into the oven, then throw about a quarter of a cup of water into the bottom of the oven to create some steam. This helps to give the bread a good crust.
Bake the bread for about 35 minutes, then leave it on a wire rack to cool before slicing.
