Desserts

The classic French Apple Cake gets a twist with the use of spelt flour; adding nutty notes to its signature buttery crumb filled with big apple clusters. Like in many countries through Fall and Winter, the apple cake is a classic in households. Of all, the French version is probably one the most unpretentious and bare. With no use of cinnamon like in America, nor crumble top, nuts or glaze. A cake reminiscent of the German Versunkener Apfelken or the Russian Sharlotka, both made in similar ways, with more fruit …

Known in French as “Teurgoule”, this slow-baked rice pudding with cinnamon is a family-style specialty from Lower Normandy. It is baked in an earthenware dish for several hours to create a thick caramelized crust on top and a soft, creamy pudding underneath. Fun fact, the name “teurgoule” means twisted mouth in Norman (the regional language from Normandy). It is a reference to the faces supposedly pulled by Normandy people tasting this dessert – not out of disgust, but astonishment, as cinnamon was once a very foreign taste.

This Mirabelle Plum Tart from the Lorraine Region is a typical late-summer treat from the area. If you can’t get your hands on mirabelles, try it with ripe golden plums.  With 10,000 hectares of orchards, the Lorraine region fruitages  nearly 40 thousand tons of Mirabelle plums each year  – representing 70% of the worldwide production. No surprise then that this sweet delicious fruit is the official symbol of the region. Two main varieties exist: the mirabelle from Metz (smaller, golden with red spots) and the mirabelle from Nancy (plumper with …

This rustic-looking Cherry cake has an incredibly light and airy texture – much like an angel food cake- with cherry jewels inside. It simply lets the plump stone-fruits shine, and is the perfect ending to a summer dinner. Originating from the Alsace Region of France, I like to think of this light Cherry Cake from the Vosges Montains as the summer (and lighter!) version of the famous Black Forest Cake. And it makes sense, when you know that the uplifts of The Vosges Montains – stretching along the German border …

The love of the French for “tatins” no longer needs to be proven.  These classic French upside-down cakes or pies are traditionally made with apples, but you can embrace the season by using other fruits: peach, blueberry or pineapple, or vegetables: endives, carrots or tomatoes. This simple Rhubarb Tatin Cake embraces the late-spring/early summer season and offers a great way to showcase this perennial vegetable (yes, rhubarb is a vegetable!). The cake is simple and light, with small hints of vanilla and lemon, subtle enough to let the rhubarb shine …

The entire week, I was craving a slice of delicious strawberry galette. Not a pie, not a tart, just a rustic galette. A simple buttery crust, filled with the first strawberries of the season. Simple, honest and oh so delicious. As a lover of all rustic dishes and of yesteryear, I have always loved galettes. I love that they don’t need to be fancy, they don’t really need to look pretty… and they let the fruits shine in all their glory. They are also very easy, and to me, always …

There are a few staples that every French home cook should master, and French crêpes are without any doubt in the top 3. For myself, being from Brittany, the birthplace of crepes, they are actually #1. And as a true Brittany native, I must start by emphasizing the fact that savory and sweet crepes are quite different in Brittany, and surely not meant to be mixed up. The difference starts right from the choice of flour … Crêpes de “blé noir”: Literally translated as “buckwheat flour crêpes” are meant to be garnished with …

Just a simple, honest, rustic Peach Galette recipe, with fresh yellow peaches and a buttery crust. A perfect home-style summer dessert.  each season is in full swing here in Niagara. All the roadside farmers’ stands are overflowing with sweet and juicy tree-ripened peaches – a real feast for the eyes, and our stomachs!  And I just can’t wait for the Niagara Peach Festival Celebrations happening in two weeks. The whole town will gather to celebrate the Peach Harvest and the local growers – the kind of event right up my alley.  The …