This delicious rustic-elegant French Almond Plum Cake features a delightfully delicate crumb infused with the flavor of almonds and juicy plums. It's easy to make, works equally well with apricots or cherries, and is a guaranteed hit wherever you serve it! Plum Cake … Continue reading →
Black Currant Jam
Enjoy this delicious homemade black currant jam spread on toast, scones, ice cream, hot buttered rolls, pancakes, waffles, grilled meats, meatballs or used in muffins, tarts, cakes, pastries and more! You can even add some of it to your barbecue sauce - yum! Whether … Continue reading →
Ultimate Beef Bourguignon
Thank you to Easy Off for sponsoring this post. Beef Bourguignon is simply incredible and just when you thought the flavor couldn't get it any better...well, it does! We're giving the classic beef bourguignon a major flavor boost with an added technique and a "secret" … Continue reading →
Parisian Hot Chocolate (Le Chocolat Chaud)
Parisian hot chocolate is luxuriously thick, smooth, creamy and flavorful. It's like drinking hot molten chocolate and simply no other hot chocolate can compare! After a long Winter walk through the streets of Paris, you slip into a nearby cafe to warm up. Rubbing … Continue reading →
Nonnettes (French Gingerbread Cakes)
French for "little nuns" and dating back to the Middle Ages, Nonnettes are small gingerbread cakes filled with jam and drizzled with a tangy lemon glaze. They're absolutely irresistible! Gingerbread in a huge variety of forms can be found throughout the world, each … Continue reading →
French Gingerbread (Pain d’épices) Spice Blend
A highly aromatic and flavorful pain d'épices blend to give your gingerbread creations an authentic French flavor! When it comes to spice and seasoning blends the old adage was never more true: Homemade is always BEST! This pain d'épices blend (French gingerbread … Continue reading →
Blackberry Clafoutis
This classic French dessert is not only incredibly delicious, it's one of the easiest desserts to make. And that's always a winning combination! It's blackberry season here in Washington State and as usual the harvest is abundant. The grow practically everywhere and … Continue reading →
French Pork Rillettes (Rillettes de Porc)
I'm always amused by dishes now considered gourmet and upscale that were in years past ridiculed as peasant food. Foods like lobster, oysters, foie gras, and famous dishes like coq au vin and boeuf bourgignon used to be the food of the poor - now they're only served in the … Continue reading →
How To Make a Cheese Soufflé
The soufflé has been around for 300 years, originating in France in the early 1700's. The word soufflé is the past participle of the verb souffler which means "to breathe" or "to puff." It was first developed by French master chef Vincent La Chapelle who was the personal … Continue reading →
Easy Mexican Chocolate Pots de Crème
I first introduced you to my Easy Chocolate Pots de Crème in early 2015 and it has remained our favorite chocolate dessert since. It's the sweet treat my husband requests the most and is always a hit with our guests. We've gotten many emails from our readers echoing the … Continue reading →
Classic English Custard (Crème Anglaise)
Custard serves two basic culinary purposes: Either as a thick pastry cream (crème pâtissière) or a thin dessert sauce for pouring (crème anglaise, French for "English cream" because of its popularity in English desserts). The difference between the two is its thickness and … Continue reading →
Black Olive & Fig Tapenade with Roquefort
A special thank you to Lindsay® for sponsoring this post. Today's dish features one of the most influential foods in the world's history - olives - and takes us to the Provence region of southern France. Olives were first introduced to Marseilles by the Phoenicians 2500 … Continue reading →
French Lentil Soup
Soups like this one are very nostalgic to me. One bite with its familiar and comforting flavors transports me back to Europe. I'm biased but I stand by the conviction that some of the best soups and stews come from Germany and France. And not surprisingly many of their … Continue reading →
French Beef Stew with Old-fashioned Vegetables
The French really know how to make great stews. Here is one of them and it uses a method similar to that of German Sauerbraten and corned beef to achieve both an exquisitely tangy flavor and a lusciously tender beef. Many of you have already been introduced to my French … Continue reading →
How To Make a Bouquet Garni
If you like French food and you want to cook like the French, you have to become acquainted with the Bouquet Garni. An indispensable part of French cuisine, the bouquet garni is quick and simple to put together and will do wonders for your food. Plus, I've got some great … Continue reading →
French Entertaining Part II: Nouvelle Cuisine (+ Alexian/Le Creuset Giveaway!)
I've teamed up with Alexian to bring you this post. Welcome back to Part II of French Entertaining! In our last post French guest cook Sandrine Vannson enlightened us on French entertaining "country style" with Duck Rillette and Pheasant & Rosemary … Continue reading →
French Entertaining “Country Style” + Alexian/Le Creuset Giveaway!
I've teamed up with Alexian to bring you this delicious post! I recently had the opportunity to try some amazing products from ALEXIAN. Let me tell you a little about them. Alexian is America's premier producer of the finest pâtés and mousses all made with the … Continue reading →
Easy Chocolate Pots de Crème (incl. dairy-free option)
If anyone were to ask me, "What is the ultimate chocolate dessert?", my answer would be Chocolate Pot de Crème. For chocolate richness, this dessert is unrivaled. A classic French favorite since the 17th century, a love affair with chocolate is incomplete without a … Continue reading →
Blonde French Onion Soup
Sponsored Post - The Art of Cheese with Castello Aged Havarti This all-original Blonde French Onion Soup is a deliciously creamy twist on the classic version. You'll love it! French onion soup is rather sentimental to me. It played a special part in the dating years … Continue reading →
Baked Endives with Ham & Bechamel
If you've never had endives before, let this be your first experience. And if you have had them before, be prepared to fall head over heels. … Continue reading →
Béchamel Sauce with Parmesan
An easy, perfectly creamy béchamel sauce with Parmesan cheese for a wonderfully delicate flavor. Probably the most versatile of all sauces, you'll be making this again and again! … Continue reading →
Pan-fried Fingerling Potatoes with Leek
Simple and quick to make, this side dish is elegant and delicious. … Continue reading →
Chocolate Peppermint Meringues
An elegant and delicious treat to enjoy during the Christmas season. Alternatively, use natural green food coloring and dip the chocolate in crushed green candy canes. These beautiful and yummy meringues are guaranteed to impress your family and friends! … Continue reading →
French Almond Cake with Lavender Lemon Glaze {Appreciation Post}
Another Daring Gourmet original to enjoy before the Summer is through. This cake is special. The smell of it baking, its magnificent flavor, its delicate texture and graceful appearance...this cake is absolutely delightful. … Continue reading →
Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon custards, puddings and pies have been made and enjoyed since the Middle Ages. Meringue came on board some time during the 1600's and then, in the 1800's, Swiss baker Alexander Frehse came up with the brilliant idea of combining the two - lemon and meringue - to make … Continue reading →
Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
I purchased some marvelous hazelnut oil from an international grocery store in Seattle a week ago. I finally opened it and inhaled...deeply. The aroma, oh my, the aroma! I bought it with the intention of using it as a finishing oil, primarily for salads and vegetables. … Continue reading →
French Almond Cake with Green Tea Honey Glaze
Oh. My. Golly. Goodness. Don't let the simple appearance of this cake fool you - there's nothing simple about the flavor. Almonds, vanilla, green tea and honey combine to make this a truly remarkable cake. Light and airy, layers of flavor, and the perfect touch of … Continue reading →
Coq Au Vin
Another feast for the palate, prepare to have your taste buds enthralled by this famous French dish, a braise of chicken cooked with wine, bacon, mushrooms and onions. Various legends exist as to the origin of Coq Au Vin, some of which trace it back to Julius Caesar's … Continue reading →