best french recipes

easy chocolate recipes from popular french chefs,
translated FROM fRENCH, adapted, and thoroughly tested
by chocolatier zach townsend — SO YOU CAN ENJOY THEM TOO!

Chocolatier Zach Townsend is the French-to-English translator of multiple cookbooks.

POIRE BELLE HÉLÈNE

The simplest desserts are often the most satisfying for both the cook and the person they are served to. This is one of the reasons I’ve always loved Poire Belle Hélène, a quintessentially classic French dessert of poached pears covered in chocolate sauce, invented by the “cook of kings and king of cooks” Auguste Escoffier in 1864 as a tribute to the eponymous opera of Jacques Offenbach. It’s a rare dessert to find these days, but its ease and deliciousness make it the perfect chocolate dessert for home. Pears and chocolate have an amazing flavor affinity, and the French take full advantage of it.

Another reason I love this recipe is the limitless flavors you can create for the poaching syrup. Be sure to read my notes following the recipe for some suggestions.

Serves 2

For the poached pears

2 very ripe Barlette pears or other pears of your choice

½ cup (100 g) sugar

1 large pinch flaky sea salt

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

For the dark chocolate ganache sauce

Makes ½ cup (118 ml)

3 oz (85 g) Premium dark chocolate containing cocoa butter, such as Valrhona Equatoriale 55% cacao or other dark chocolate near the same percentage cacao

¼ cup plus 21/2 tablespoons (94 g) heavy whipping cream

1 pinch flaky sea salt

¼ cup (25 g) sliced almonds, toasted, for sprinkling (optional)

Two hours before serving (or a minimum of 45 minutes if in a hurry), in a small saucepan, bring 4 cups (1 L) of water and the sugar to a rolling boil. Let boil for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the pears, keeping the stems attached. For any pears that do not sit upright very well on a flat surface, trim off a little from the bottom to correct them. Set the saucepan off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Using a ladle or large spoon, gently lower the pears into the poaching syrup (they need to be covered by as much syrup as possible). Do not lift them by their stems, as doing so risks detaching them; the stems are part of the dessert’s appearance. Set the pan aside, covered, and allow the pears to steep in the hot syrup until the syrup cools. The pears need to be soft enough after steeping them to eat with a spoon.

Meanwhile, make the dark chocolate ganache sauce: In a microwave-safe 2-cup glass measure with a spout or a small bowl, add the chocolate, cream, and salt. Microwave for about 20 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir, using the heat of the cream to begin melting the chocolate. Once the chocolate has stopped melting, heat again for 10 to 15 seconds, stir, and repeat as necessary, until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Do not let the mixture get hot, only warm enough to melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool and thicken slightly. If made in advance, set aside, covered, at room temperature. It can be reheated as needed.

Remove the pears from the poaching liquid. Gently pat them dry with a paper towel. Set them upright on individual serving plates. Pour or spoon the warm chocolate sauce down all sides of the pears, starting from the top just below the stem, allowing the chocolate to flow down the sides and onto the plate. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds, if desired. Serve warm, with a spoon. You can also add a scoop of vanilla ice cream next to each pear and a dollop of Chantilly cream.

 Chef Zach’s Notes:

• This recipe makes enough poaching syrup to completely cover two medium pears in a small saucepan. However, you’ll have enough poaching liquid left to poach additional pears, if desired. Just reheat the syrup.

• Make the syrup flavor even more interesting by adding infusions, such as star anise pods, orange peel, or tea leaves (such as Earl Grey) that you enjoy as a nice pairing with the pear flavor. Escoffier also added a squeeze of lemon juice to help prevent the pears from browning, so that’s an option, too. Once covered in chocolate any slight browning is disguised.

• The chocolate ganache will coat better if it’s allowed to cool a little so that it thickens slightly and if the pears are dried once removed from the poaching syrup. You can easily heat the chocolate sauce again if it’s too thick. Reserve any leftover sauce in the refrigerator for a few days for another use.

• I highly recommend the Valrhona Equatoriale 55% cacao dark chocolate for this sauce. Its high fat content adds an amazing gloss for this ratio of cream to chocolate.

• If you need to reheat the ganache for pouring, gently warm it just to pouring consistency. Do not overheat it.

• Although the pears should be served while still slightly warm or at room temperature, there are times I let the pears steep overnight in the refrigerator in their poaching syrup. The next day, I simply warm the ganache and pour it over the cold pears. When the pears are cold under the warm chocolate, it’s a refreshing dessert for a hot day.

PIERRE HERMÉ’S VIENNESE CHOCOLATE SABLÉS

Pierre Hermé has long been considered “the” top pastry chef in the world. His beautiful boutiques located throughout the world, many books, TV appearances, and legendary stints heading Paris’s top pâtisseries have made him a pastry icon. I had the pleasure of translating his gorgeous and aspirational book Hermé Macaron: The Ultimate Recipes from the Master Pâtissier into English.

These are his chocolate sablés with a delicately sandy texture on the outside (sablé means sandy in French) and moist, buttery interior with deep chocolate flavor from Dutch-process cocoa. They aren’t too sweet, therefore highlighting chocolate rather than sweetness. I’ve made them for years, tweaking their approach a little at a time to fully understand how to best handle the thick dough. They bake up super fast (about 10 minutes) and stay moist and buttery for days. Pierre makes them in the shape of a “W” as homage to the Wittamer pastry shop in Vienna, but you can pipe them into any shape you want. For Christmas, I pipe them into wreaths and use a little corn syrup to glue pink peppercorns (the “holly berries”) and small pieces of pistachios (the “leaves”) on them for traditional color.

Makes 10 to 12 cookies, depending on size and shape

10 2/3 Tbsp (150 g)  Unsalted butter, very soft

1 large (30 g) Egg white, room temperature

1 1/4 cups (156 g) All-purpose flour

3 Tbsp (18 g) Unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process, well sifted

1/2 cup (60 g) Confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

1 large pinch Sea salt

Set the butter out at room temperature 1 to 2 hours ahead of making the cookies. For the recipe to be easily managed, the butter must be a very soft and spreadable consistency, appearing shiny on the surface, but not melted. Set the egg white out, covered, to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack near the center. Lightly grease a baking sheet using a little oil or cooking spray. Place a flat piece of parchment paper on top and press it to adhere it to the pan. Alternatively, line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Place the baking sheet on a dampened kitchen towel to secure it while piping the cookies.

Fit a tall pastry bag (such as an 18-inch) with a medium-size open-star pastry tube (The Ateco #825 is the perfect size) and set aside.

Lightly beat the egg white using a fork until slightly foamy.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa powder. In a separate medium mixing bowl, beat the butter, preferably with a flat whisk, until very creamy. Using the whisk, stir in the confectioners’ sugar and salt, then thoroughly stir in the egg white. The mixture will look somewhat separated at this point, which is okay; it will come together when the dry ingredients are added.

Add one-third of the flour-cocoa mixture into the butter mixture and partially incorporate it using the flat whisk. Add the second one-third of the flour-cocoa mixture and partially incorporate it. Add the final one-third and incorporate it just until the flour disappears. Do not overwork the dough.

Spoon the dough into the piping bag. Because the dough is thick, work in batches, if necessary, refilling the pastry bag as needed. Keeping the tip of the pastry tube about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) off the baking sheet, pipe the dough into squiggles resembling a “w” (see photo above; it’s essentially a compact squiggle of five continuous short lines), each about 2 inches (5 cm) long and 1¼ inches (3 cm) wide, spaced 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Be careful not to pipe the cookies too wide, as they do puff and spread a little.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes, or just until they lose their shine in the center. Immediately transfer the cookies off the hot pan and onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely. Lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Store in an airtight container. They are fragile when handled.

Chef Zach’s Notes:

• This dough is very thick. It can be difficult to pipe if the butter is not very soft, which can be more difficult to achieve in a cold kitchen. I recommend a canvas pastry bag rather than a disposable pastry bag because the canvas ones are stronger (or combine two disposable pastry bags). If the dough is too difficult to pipe, start with only half the amount in the pastry bag, then use your hands to help warm the dough inside the bag. As you pipe, the warmth of your hands will work in your favor to help soften the dough more.

• Do not be too discouraged if you can’t get the “w” shape in the same shape as Pierre at first. It takes some practice, and the dough must be soft.

• An oversized pastry bag can help you contain a pastry bag’s contents better since you’ll be able to wrap the top excess around your finger to keep the top tightly sealed.

• The flat whisk is ideal for this mixture, as a normal whisk will trap the dough inside the wires.

• You can use a natural cocoa powder here rather than the Dutch-process, but changing cocoa powder in a recipe can change the color, flavor, and texture, so this requires a little trial and error to know which one you’ll prefer. Dutch-process cocoa (i.e., cacao treated with an alkali), is mild and deeper in chocolate flavor and lends a dark chocolate color. This is the cocoa powder Pierre uses for this recipe.

CHRISTOPHE MICHALAK’S GIANDUJA CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Christophe Michalak is one of France’s rockstar master pastry chefs. In addition to his beautiful shops in Paris, which I love visiting, he’s also an author and TV presenter.

In his gianduja chocolate ganache recipe, he uses a delicious blend of two chocolates to create a desired flavor and sweetness profile—and I love it! The star here, of course, is gianduja chocolate (sometimes spelled gianduia), which is a chocolate that has a prominent flavor of hazelnuts, as it incorporates ground toasted hazelnuts as one of its ingredients. Originating in Turin, gianduja is one of Italy’s great contributions to the world of chocolate, and I feel it isn’t appreciated enough in the United States.

Gianduja can be produced as dark or milk chocolate. Christophe’s recipe doesn’t specify what he uses, but I am certain he uses milk chocolate gianduja simply because he cleverly adds a little dark chocolate to help temper the sweetness and offer more flavor complexity. This is a simple technique I often use, too, when working with milk chocolate mixtures that I prefer to be less sweet or to change their flavor profile somewhat.

I did make one small addition to Christophe’s recipe: salt. I rarely make a ganache without adding salt, which enriches the flavor.

Makes 1½ cups

8½ oz (240 g)               Gianduja milk chocolate (see Chef Zach’s Notes below)

1¼ oz (35 g)                Premium dark chocolate containing cocoa butter, such as Valrhona Caraïbe 66% cacao or other dark chocolate near the same percentage cacao

1-2 large pinches          Sea salt

½ cup + 1 tsp (120 g) Whipping cream (30–36% milk fat)

1 Tbsp + ¾ tsp (25 g)    Honey, preferably a mild honey, such as acacia

If the chocolates are purchased in bar form, chop them into small pieces for easy melting. Place the chocolates together in a medium bowl or a 4-cup glass measure. Add a generous pinch of salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, add the cream and honey and stir to combine. Heat to scalding (just below the boil; small bubbles will just begin to form under the surface).

Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Shake the bowl gently to settle all the chocolate into the hot liquid, then let sit for about 20 seconds without stirring. Using a whisk or a silicone spatula, begin vigorously stirring in the center, starting with small tight circles and gradually expanding out in larger circles to the edge of the bowl as the mixture blends. Continue stirring until the mixture is perfectly smooth. To perfect the consistency, blend using an immersion blender, keeping the head of the blender fully submerged to avoid pulling in air. The mixture should be perfectly smooth.

Set aside to cool slightly, then press plastic wrap against the surface and set aside at room temperature for several hours to fully set. The final texture will be glossy, thick, and lusciously spreadable. You’ll be able to scoop it with a spoon.

Chef Zach’s Notes:

• A practical quantity of gianduja for use in the kitchen is not easy to come by in shops. Instead, it’s usually found as wrapped bonbons (and quite expensive). However, there are quality bulk options from some of the best chocolate brands, such as: Cacao Barry Gianduja Plaisir Lait (20% hazelnuts), available in a compact 5.5-lb tub, or Valrhona Azélia (13.6% hazelnuts), available in the large 6.6-lb bags or in the small 9-oz bags. I tested this recipe with both of these, and they each produce an equally amazing texture and flavor, so it will come down to personal taste. The hazelnut flavor is more prominent in the Cacao Barry product since its hazelnut percentage is higher than that of Azélia, but the Azélia does offer a nice hazelnut flavor.

• If you are a fan of gianduja, it’s worth buying it in larger quantities, as you will find excuses to use it. For long-term storage (as with any chocolate) keep it in a consistently cool, dark environment, such as in a wine chiller,in its original container. Stored in this way, it will keep for months.

• This mixture is very smooth, thick, and creamy at warmer room temperatures. It becomes very firm when refrigerated, so keep that in mind when using it. At room temperature, this ganache is thick enough to be spread or piped. Christophe’s recommended uses are as a macaron filling (which I think would be perfect), as a filling between shortbread cookies, as a filling in a rolled cake, or as a tart filling. The consistency also begs to be piped (Be careful when piping ganache, as the heat of your hands can cause it to eventually break down.)

• You can experiment by working with the ratio of gianduja to dark chocolate, but keep in mind that the hazelnut flavor should stand out.

• Christophe’s original recipe uses 30% milk fat cream (equivalent to a light whipping cream, and commonly used in professional ganache recipes by French chefs), but I tested with the more common American 36% heavy whipping cream (most all brands; 5 g fat per tablespoon), and it works great.

CHEF SÉBASTIEN CURTALIN’S WHIPPED DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Chef Sébastien Curtalin is a head pastry chef at Valrhona in Tain-L’Hermitage, France, where the company is headquartered. Here, I’ve translated from French and adapted his Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache recipe from one of the demos he presented in French. Chocolate ganaches can be formulated in a way that allows them to be whipped into a light, creamy texture (opposite of their usual dense texture), similar to what you might describe as either delicate chocolate buttercream or rich chantilly cream (note: not all chocolate ganaches can be whipped; some will break down if you attempt to whip them). Making a whipped ganache requires planning ahead, as they have to be chilled for several hours to whip properly. I love this recipe!

Makes 1 3/4 cups

3 oz (85 g) Premium dark chocolate containing cocoa butter, such as Valrhona Guanaja 70% cacao or other dark chocolate near the same percentage cacao

1 1/3 cups (315 g) Heavy whipping cream, divided

1 1/2 tsp (10 g) Honey, preferably mild flavored, such as acacia

In a small bowl or a glass measuring cup, gently melt the chocolate (do not let it get too hot).

Heat 1/2 cup minus 2 teaspoons (105 g) of the cream with the honey (ensure the remaining cream stays cold). Add the hot cream mixture to the melted chocolate in three additions, stirring with a silicone spatula until blended after each addition. Ensure the mixture is fully blended, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure no streaks of chocolate remain.

Add the remaining cold cream and stir until fully blended (a whisk works great).

Press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, until thickened; it will have the consistency of a melted milkshake. Scrape the cold ganache into a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy and holds peaks. Pipe or spread as needed. Keep chilled.

Chef Zach’s Notes:

• In the photo, this ganache is used as the piped topping.

• The ganache is delicate and therefore susceptible to warm room temperatures if it sits out too long.

• In Chef Sébastien’s demo, he used Valrhona Millot 74%, but here I’ve changed it to the more commonly found Valrhona Gaunaja 70%.

HERVÉ PALMIERI’S EASY AND SUPER MOIST “SURPRISE” CHOCOLATE TORTE

French food personality Hervé Palmieri’s easy chocolate torte is super moist, tender, and full of chocolate flavor. A wedge of it begs to be picked up and eaten by hand (and I oblige) to accommodate bigger bites while being washed down with a cup of coffee. The surprise is that the cake has no butter (score 1 point for lower calorie count!) and instead incorporates two cooked, puréed carrots (another point for nutrition!) So although this cake includes carrots, it should not be considered a “carrot cake,” as no one will taste or see the carrots. The batter easily comes together using a blender to ensure the carrots are fully processed. The carrots contribute sweetness and offer additional moistness to compensate for the missing butter. It’s a delicious and decadent chocolate cake with a little less guilt.

Makes one 7-inch cake 

For the cake

7 oz (200 g) Carrots (2 medium)

7 oz (200 g) premium dark chocolate containing cocoa butter, such as Valrhona Equatoriale 55% cacao or other dark chocolate near the same percentage cacao

3 large (150 g) Eggs

2 Tbsp (30 ml) Neutral-flavored oil, such as canola, sunflower, grapeseed, or coconut

1 tsp (5 ml) Pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup scooped,
leveled, but not
packed (80 g) Dark brown sugar

¼ cup + 3 Tbsp (50 g) Cake flour, plus 2 tablespoons more for the pan

1 tsp (4 g) Baking powder

¼ tsp Salt

¼ cup + 3 Tbsp (50 g) Almond flour

For the glossy chocolate topping

2½ oz (68 g)             Premium dark chocolate containing cocoa butter, such as Valrhona Equatoriale 55% cacao or other dark chocolate near the same percentage cacao

1 tsp (5 ml)                      Neutral-flavored oil

Special equipment

One 7 by 4-inch cake pan

A blender

Prepare the carrots and pan. Peel the carrots and trim off their rough ends. Steam or boil the carrots just until tender, 15-25 minutes (See notes below. Test for doneness by inserting the tip of a knife through the thickest part to ensure they are tender all the way through.) While the carrots are cooking, grease the bottom of a 7 by 4-inch cake pan using butter or shortening and line the bottom with a round piece of parchment paper (Use the bottom of the cake pan to trace a circle of parchment paper the same circumference as the pan. Cut out the circle and place it upside down at the bottom of the pan so that any pencil marks are against it.) Grease the top of the parchment and the sides of the pan with butter or shortening. Add the 2 tablespoons of flour to the pan and tilt and rotate the pan to coat the bottom and sides; tap out any excess flour.

Melt the chocolate and preheat the oven. Set the cooked carrots aside to cool. Meanwhile, place the chocolate in a medium mixing bowl and gently melt it set in a water bath or over a saucepan containing 1 inch of gently simmering water. Once melted, set aside to stay just slightly warm (the chocolate should not be overheated; if it feels hot, let it cool until it feels only slightly warm before adding it to the mixture). Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and position the rack in the center.

Make the batter. Cut the cooled carrots into large pieces and place them in the jar of a blender. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Blend on the purée setting until completely smooth. Add the brown sugar and blend again until the sugar is fully incorporated and the mixture is completely smooth again.

Thoroughly scrape the melted chocolate into the blender and blend again until the chocolate is fully incorporated and the mixture is completely smooth (you may have to stir a little at the end to achieve this). Pour the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl (use the bowl used to melt the chocolate).

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a strainer or sifter and sift half the mixture into the batter. Stir gently until nearly incorporated. Sift in the remaining flour mixture and stir gently until fully incorporated. Using your fingertips, break up any large lumps in the almond flour and then add it to the mixture in thirds, partially incorporating it with each addition and then fully incorporating it once the last third is added; the batter will be thick.

Bake. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and gently shake it to even out the top. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool and unmold. Set the pan on a cooling rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Run a small offset spatula around the edge of the cake to help release it from the sides of the pan. Place a serving dish upside down on top of the pan. Quickly but carefully invert the pan and serving dish so that the cake releases upside down and centered on the serving dish; the cake should remain upside down.

Make the glossy chocolate topping. Gently melt the chocolate in a small bowl just until warm and fully melted; do not overheat it. Add the oil and stir to thoroughly combine. Pour the warm chocolate coating onto the center of the cake and spread it out evenly, gently nudging it over the edges in a few spots for a drip effect.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Store covered, at room temperature, to maintain the soft, moist texture. The cake will keep this way for several days. The topping will firm up after several hours but will still be easy to slice.

 Chef Zach’s Notes:

• After a few hours, the glossy chocolate topping will set but will remain soft enough to slice. Combining oil with chocolate is common to maintain a softness to the chocolate for different applications, such as glazes. However, doing so can sometimes cause blotching due to the slight separation of the oil and chocolate after the chocolate sets; this only impacts the appearance. To minimize this, be sure to melt the chocolate at a very low temperature (it should never get hot, only just warm enough to melt). If some blotching occurs once the chocolate has set, just dust the top with a thin layer of confectioners’ sugar to mask it. You can also wait to apply the topping just before the cake is served for a wet, shiny look.

• Hervé uses a 7-inch (18 cm) pan (this is the one I use) to give the cake more height (1¾”/4 cm tall), but you can also use an 8-inch (20 cm) pan instead. The baking time will be about 33 minutes, and the cake will be just 1 inch (2.5 cm) tall. I prefer the taller cake.

• Using semisweet chocolate within 50–55% cacao lends more sweetness and a softer texture to the cake. The Valrhona chocolate is also a high-fat premium chocolate with a more melting consistency and interesting flavor than standard chocolate chips, so that’s the one I recommend.

• While translating, testing, and adapting this recipe, I decided to try the cake with puréed canned pumpkin instead after remembering leftover canned pumpkin from the holidays is common. Canned pumpkin didn’t offer the sweetness that carrots do, so I found I preferred the carrots instead—but canned pumpkin will work as an alternative.

• I chose cake flour rather than all-purpose flour to give the cake a more velvety crumb.

• As with any baking recipe, I recommend using the gram weights for consistency and accuracy. During my testing, I used the gram weights indicated and then converted those to the volume measures provided for those who do not have a kitchen scale.

• Brands: I used Swan’s cake flour, Rumford baking powder, Neilsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla extract, Organics dark brown sugar, and Bob’s Red Mill super-fine almond flour.

• You can quickly cook the two carrots by adding 1/2 cup water to a 10-inch skillet set over medium heat. Place the whole peeled and trimmed carrots inside. Place the lid on top (or a piece of aluminum foil) and cook until tender, 15-25 minutes.