Audrey

Although French baking is kind of my playground, I enjoy taking on a challenge once in a while. And this week, I decided it was time for me to tackle the infamous Chez Panisse Almond Caramel Tart.

They say Marseille is a city you either love, or hate. And for me, it was love at first sight. I fell hard for Marseille the first time I visited the city two years ago. And I have been bizarrely obsessed with it since then. Which, being a Brittany girl, was a bit against all odds – given how our two regions’ cultures, mentalities and lifestyles are so opposite (both on the French map and abstractly too). But somehow, for the past two years, there isn’t a day I haven’t …

Slightly tart, with a crisp crust and an intensely-flavoured filling, a lemon pie is one of the French’s most favourite desserts. Any bakery in France will have a “Tarte au Citron” to offer (with or without a meringue topping – although it seems French cooks tend to stay away from the fluffy-sugary topping lately).

Known in French as “Crêpes Vonnassiennes” or “Crêpes Parmentières”, these fluffy little Potato Pancakes are actually properly known as “Crêpes” and are a delicious specialty hailing from Vonnas, in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region of France. 

With Valentine’s Day coming up (actually, tomorrow), I am jumping on the occasion to share with you my new baking love – this Buttermilk Chocolate Fondant Cake! True to a Classic French Chocolate Fondant, this one is indulgent and intensely chocolatey. But the addition of tangy buttermilk cuts through the richness and makes it just a little bit more tender and moist. I have baked a lot of French Chocolate Fondant cakes in my life (some melty, some gooey, some firm), and this one has to be one of my …

Who knew that dark chocolate and honey mustard were a match made in heaven? The addition of honey mustard to this dark chocolate tart (in both the crust and the filling) brings out the sweetness of it all, in a very surprising, but elegant way. Best of all, it’s truly addictive!

If you ask anyone who went to elementary school in France during the 90s (like myself) what a “crème caramel” makes them think of,  99% of the time they will respond, a “Flanby”. Flanby is a very popular brand of Crème caramel sold in French supermarkets. They come in multipacks of little fluted plastic pots, and are a dessert staple in French “cantines” (school canteens).  As a kid, I remember being served « flanby » pots for dessert at school, at least twice a week. And all the kids loved it! We …

All crumb, with little crust. I know this might not be the idea you have of a classic French bread, but it is the best way to describe this Pain de mie, which is a delicious French household staple in France. Now the truth is, while growing up in France, I was not particularly fond of this style of bread. Pain de Mie is sold in every French supermarket and grocery store, sliced and packaged. And seeing these industrial-like, pre-packaged and sliced soft white breads is a vision that never …

For anybody who doesn’t know Kig Ha Farz, this recipe will probably sound very unusual. But truth is, behind the funny name “Kig Ha Farz” (meaning “meat-and-flour,” in Breton) is actually just that – slow-simmered meats served with dumplings made from two different flours (white and buckwheat).

Horseradish, known in French as “raifort”, is particularly loved in the Alsace-Lorraine Region, where people enjoy it to accompany charcuteries, a pot-au-feu (stew) and of course the famous Choucroute garnie (“dressed sauerkraut”). Hot, spicy and peppery, horseradish has everything to please the French’s palates, who are fond of all nose-itching condiments (like mustards and vinaigrettes).