10 Of Julia Child’s Favorite Desserts

It would be hard to imagine a universe without Julia Child. Indeed, her legacy stretches beyond the culinary world. Her warbling voice, infectious energy, and passion for food have seemingly permeated every walk of life, from social media to the pervasiveness of the modern-day celebrity chef. Julia introduced Americans to French cuisine and her top cooking tips with her 1961 work, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and her subsequent award-winning series “The French Chef,” which premiered in 1963 and ran for 10 Seasons.

Among the many recipes she presented in both her cookbooks and many television programs were iconic desserts of all kinds. While we know her favorite cuisine was French food, including desserts like crème caramel and mousse au chocolat, she also favored basics, like the sweet treats from McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, located in Santa Barbara, where she spent most of the latter part of her life before her death at the age of 91 on August 13, 2004.

To fully comprehend the breadth of Julia Child’s favorite foods, let’s take a closer look at some of her most beloved desserts. While some may be recognizable to the average foodie, others might just be diamonds in the rough you have never heard of, but will be delighted to discover.

Read more: 12 Old School Desserts No One Makes Anymore

Baba Au Rhum

Among the more recognizable French classics that Julia was fond of is a boozy recipe known as baba au rhum. Not only did she feature the dish on Season 3 of the original “The French Chef” series, it made an appearance on Season 2 of her beloved “Baking with Julia” program, where she featured celebrity chefs who would bake alongside her and discuss their recipes.

At its most basic, baba au rhum is a yeast-based cake that has been soaked in a simple syrup made with copious quantities of rum to essentially rehydrate it before it is glazed and decorated with garnishes, like almond slivers and cherries. This cake has a rather storied history, meandering its way from Poland to France, where it eventually became a luxury item available in patisseries across Paris during the 19th century.

Though perhaps seemingly simple in presentation, a baba au rhum requires sound technique and the ability to produce a cake with the ideal sponge, one that is capable of absorbing the liquid without falling apart. This is no small feat for a novice baker. Julia described this dessert as “lots of fun to make, and it’s just deliciously fattening to eat, so you have to be a little bit careful.”

Île Flottante Or Floating Islands

Among the more unusual desserts that was one of Julia Child’s favorites is a meringue-based dish known as île flottante or floating islands. This dessert features a luxurious crème anglaise — a custard made from egg yolks, sugar, milk, and vanilla — upon which a poached pillow of meringue is delicately perched like a cloud. Featured in her original “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” this recipe may seem easy to execute, but, as you can imagine, the prospect of poaching meringue is one that requires some patience, a deft hand, and great skill to perform without the egg whites dissolving into a pile of goo before they get a chance to set up.

Also known as oeufs à la neige or “eggs in snow,” this recipe was first documented in a cookbook written by famed chef François-Pierre de la Varenne in 1651. This early iteration wasn’t bathed in custard, but rather baked and topped with an egg yolk that was cooked until just runny. It wasn’t until much later that the egg yolks morphed into a custard and the modern-day version of this dessert was born. Île flottante can now be found at fine dining establishments across France and beyond, where it may be known by different names, such as farófias in Portugal and madártej in Hungary.

Crème Caramel

When you think of classic French custard desserts, crème brûlée will likely come to mind, but this is hardly the only variety of this type of velvety dessert to hail from France. A version that was beloved by Julia Child, and which shares similarities to flan, is crème caramel. Unlike crème brûlée, which features a custard base that is topped with a crisp, burnt sugar topping, crème caramel is baked with the deep mahogany caramel sauce at the bottom of the dish, which isn’t on display until the finished recipe is inverted onto a plate.

To pinpoint an exact birthplace for this recipe would be nearly impossible. It has roots in cultures across the globe, beginning in medieval Europe and extending to Latin America and Asia. The recipe is quite rudimentary, featuring sugar, milk, eggs, and vanilla. The biggest hurdle to making a smooth, creamy crème caramel is to avoid curdling the eggs when the custard is produced.

When making a recipe for crème renversée au caramel on Season 2 of “The French Chef,” Child demonstrates how easy and delicious this recipe is to make, though she does caution the viewer to pay close attention to the caramel-making process, which can easily become a dangerous proposition. As she notes, “everybody loves custard and everybody will love you if you serve them one of these delicious caramel desserts.”

Bavarian Cream

If you read the book “Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen” or watched the movie “Julie & Julia,” you may recall mention of a dessert known as Bavarian cream. This recipe, which was included in the original “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and was featured in Season 2 of “The French Chef” series, is a fluffy, custard-like dessert that is typically transferred to a mold and chilled before it is served.

Lighter and airier than a traditional custard, this dish is made by preparing a classic crème anglaise and augmenting it with gelatin to stabilize it. Once cooled, the base is combined with fresh whipping cream before it is placed in its mold or dished into serving cups. Variations of this dessert can be made featuring fruit, like the one represented in the movie, which uses raspberries.

Though its name would suggest clear origins, the history of this dish isn’t especially straightforward. It was not popularized until the 18th century when a recipe for the dessert was documented by famous French chef Marie-Antoine Carême. Perhaps the most impressive part of this dessert is its unveiling, during which the custard must be inverted from its mold, a feat that can go spectacularly awry without taking the proper measures, resulting in something more closely resembling soup than a cloud-like custard.

Reine De Saba Or Queen Of Sheba Cake

In Season 5 of “The French Chef,” Julia Child called this recipe “the best chocolate cake you ever put in your mouth.” The recipe she was speaking of is for none other than a classic Reine de Saba or Queen of Sheba cake. It was the first French cake Child ever consumed and she apparently never let go of the experience, recreating it every chance that she could and popularizing it in mainstream American culture.

This recipe features rum, chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar, and almonds combined to create a cake that is decadent, rich, moist, and somewhat dense. Similar to a brownie in texture, it is typically encased in a chocolate and butter glaze and garnished with blanched almonds before it is served. It can be prepared fresh or frozen to serve anytime a special treat is required.

Though it is named for the queen of Abyssinia (now modern-day Ethiopia), who purportedly had an affair with King Solomon, the origin of this cake remains something of a mystery. It is believed to have gotten its name because of its deep color, rich flavor, and unctuous texture, all of which conjure exotic royalty.

Mousse Au Chocolat

Featured in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and on Season 1 of “The French Chef,” mousse au chocolat or chocolate mousse is a recipe that Julia Child once stated “has such a lovely flavor and texture that it brings tears to your eyes when you taste it. It’s that good.” It may be tempting to think of chocolate mousse as nothing more than a fancy term for chocolate pudding, but the recipe made by Child was something far more sophisticated and intricate.

Whereas many quickie recipes for chocolate mousse rely on whipped cream to provide the light, airy texture that is quintessential for this dish, Julia’s recipe leans on eggs and egg whites to provide the structure for this dessert. It is a relatively labor-intensive process that requires quite a bit of elbow grease to obtain exactly the right ribbon-like texture. It is also a recipe that cannot be done while multitasking.

Child was meticulous about technique, but she was also particular about the brand of chocolate she used when baking. Her favorite was a domestic brand known as Scharffen Berger. Like many of its European counterparts, Scharffen Berger was known for being the first domestic brand to list cocoa percentages on its labels, allowing master bakers to select the appropriate type of chocolate for whatever it is they were making. In the case of a chocolate mousse, this would be semi-sweet chocolate, which should have between 35 and 60% cocoa.

Charlotte Malakoff

When it comes to desserts with unusual names, the elegant Charlotte Malakoff takes the proverbial cake. This dessert, which appeared in both “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and on Season 3 of “The French Chef,” is made from a chocolate almond cream molded in lady fingers. The finished dessert is visually stunning, when it comes out correctly, which can be a challenging proposition. The un-molding process can be notoriously fickle, resulting in a cake that can easily fall apart if it is not handled with care.

Like tiramisu, this recipe requires ladyfingers to create the base of the dessert, which Child makes from scratch rather than purchasing them from the grocery store. The filling consists of a generous amount of butter, orange liqueur, almond extract, ground almonds, and whipping cream, creating what Child playfully refers to as “a dessert for people who don’t have to lose any weight whatsoever.” The finished product is garnished simply with grated chocolate and served in slices.

This dessert is believed to have emerged in the 18th century. It was created by French chef Marie-Antoine Carême in honor of Czar Alexander I, by whom he was employed. Charlotte was the name of the Czar’s sister-in-law, who was married to George III, the monarch of Great Britain and Scotland. While there are a number of different iterations of this dessert made across Europe, this one is among the most decadent, with an elegant presentation befitting royalty.

Crèpes Suzette

While there are many different types of crêpes made in France, among the most famous recipes is that for crêpes Suzette. This recipe was recreated with much fanfare on Season 1 of “The French Chef.” What sets this recipe apart from others is its final presentation, which involves placing folded crêpes layered with an almond cream into an oven-safe pan, drenching these in sugar and liquor, and lighting the whole lot aflame in dramatic fashion before serving it.

This dish was purportedly invented by accident in 1895 at the famous Monte Carlo Café de Paris. A young teenage waiter was assisting the maître d’hotel with serving a meal to the Prince of Wales when he inadvertently set the cordials in front of a chafing dish filled with crêpes on fire. The duo assumed the dish was ruined when they were delighted to discover the resulting syrup created a masterpiece of flavors and the recipe was born.

When it comes to perfecting this dessert, using the right type of liquor to flambé the crêpes is a must. Julia Child’s preferred liquor for crêpes Suzette was an orange-flavored liquor, like Grand Marnier or Triple Sec. If you do not have an orange liquor, any liquor that is 80-proof or contains at least 40% alcohol can be substituted, including cognac, brandy, rum, bourbon, or whiskey.

Brioche Tart With Crème Fraîche Custard

One French dessert that quite literally made Julia Child cry on national television was a recipe for a brioche tart with crème fraîche custard. This recipe was the brainchild of famous pastry chef Nancy Silverton. Silverton was the owner of the iconic Los Angeles institution, the La Brea Bakery, which she opened in 1989. She appeared on Season 3 of Julia Child’s beloved “Baking with Julia” series in 1997, where she demonstrated this luxurious and decadent delight.

The base of this dessert is a rich, buttery, brioche tart that is punctuated with a crème fraîche custard. These are topped with sautéed fruit, toasted nuts, powdered sugar, and a “secret sauce,” featuring caramelized sugar, vanilla beans, white wine, and whipped cream. The sauce, which is called a sabayon or zabaglione, is a classic Italian custard that is frequently paired with fresh fruit and requires some finesse and strong arm muscles to pull together.

When presented with the dessert, Child takes a bite and is instantly rendered speechless. Not only does she proclaim it to be “its a dessert to cry over,” she states that it is the best dessert that she has ever eaten. A bold proclamation for a woman who has spent a lifetime enjoying meals prepared by some of the finest chefs across the globe.

Berry Clafoutis

A delightful summer treat that Julia Child loved and included in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” is for seasonal berry clafoutis. This simple recipe remains popular because it is festive, great for guests, and easy to make. It can be served for any meal of the day and is made from a basic pancake-like batter, resembling something akin to a Dutch baby or German pancake. It can be served warm or cold, as-is or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, scoop of ice cream, or dusting of powdered sugar for effect.

The classic recipe hails from the Limousin region of France, which is well-known for its legendary fine porcelain. It was popularized in the 19th century and was originally made using cherries, though virtually any kind of fruit or berry can be used that is in season and is at peak ripeness. The key to perfecting this recipe is to produce a batter that is smooth, light, and airy, allowing it to puff up as it bakes in the oven. It can also be helpful to use a preheated baking dish, which will encourage the batter to begin cooking immediately after it has been added to the pan.

Read the original article on Chowhound.