French foods and recipes

French foods and recipes 

French Butter Cakes (Madeleines 

Sponge cake cookie - in shell shaped molds

Ingredients

2 eggs

     3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

     1/8 teaspoon salt

     1/3 cup white sugar

     1/2 cup all-purpose flour

     1 tablespoon lemon zest

     1/4 cup butter

     1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

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Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter and flour 12 (3 inch) madeleine molds; set aside.

Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.

In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.

Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.

Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition.

Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.

Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.

Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.

Variation: Chocolate Madeleines: Omit lemon zest. Increase sugar to 1/2 cup. Substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the flour; sift into batter with flour

Chocolate Liqueur Souffles

These elegant individual souffles make a wonderful ending to a special dinner. Serve with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries, if desired.

Ingredients

1tablespoon butter, for ramekins

     white sugar for dusting

     2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

     2 tablespoons cornstarch

     1/4 cup white sugar, divided

     2 tablespoons butter

     2 tablespoons bread flour

     3/4 cup milk

     4 egg yolks

     4 egg whites

     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

     1/4 cup chocolate liqueur

     2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips, melted (optional)

     1/2 cup fresh raspberries for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Thoroughly grease the the bottom and sides of four ramekins with the tablespoon of butter. Coat with sugar, tipping out any excess. If desired, place a raspberry and a drizzle of chocolate as a "surprise" at the bottom of each cup.Combine the cocoa powder, cornstarch, and a tablespoon of the sugar; set aside. Mix the butter and flour to form a paste. Lightly whisk one egg yolk in a heatproof bowl.Heat the milk to the boiling point in a heavy saucepan; whisk in the flour-butter mixture until it melts. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg yolk in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring the custard to a simmer over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula.Cook and stir the custard until it thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stirring occasionally to keep it smooth. Combine the three remaining egg yolks with the vanilla, liqueur, and the sugar-cocoa-cornstarch mixture. Whisk in the warm custard, cover, and set aside. (The custard can be made ahead of time up to this point and refrigerated for a day before proceeding with the recipe.)About 35 minutes before serving, whip the egg whites until they are thick and foamy and have quadrupled in volume. Gradually mix in the remaining 3 tablespoons of the sugar, whipping until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the custard to lighten it, using a whisk or rubber spatula. Fold in the remaining meringue.Immediately transfer the souffle batter into the prepared ramekins, making a smooth mound slightly above the rim of each ramekin. (If you have a piping bag, you may pipe the mixture into the ramekins.) Bake at once in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the souffles have risen and the edges are set. Serve hot, with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries to garnish, if desired

Traditional Layered French Croissants

"Crisp buttery outer layers and a soft, delicate interior make these delectable croissants melt in your mouth."

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

     1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

     

     4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

     1/2 teaspoon salt

     3 tablespoons sugar

     2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

     1/4 cup lukewarm water

     1 cup milk

     1/2 cup heavy cream

     

     1 egg

     1 tablespoon water

Directions

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the butter and mix it together with your hands in a mixing bowl or on a work surface. Transfer the butter to a length of foil or parchment paper and pat it into a 6 inch square. Fold up the foil to make a packet and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.Combine 2 cups of the flour with the salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water (100 degrees F/38 degrees C) and set aside until frothy, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the milk and the heavy cream to lukewarm. Add the yeast, milk, and cream to the flour mixture and stir well. The dough will have a batter-like consistency.Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour 1/4 cup at a time to form a soft dough. It should no longer be sticky. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.To begin the rolling and folding process, both the butter and the dough should be at a cool room temperature. [See Cook's Note.] Place the dough on a floured surface and roll it into a 10-inch square. Set the block of butter diagonally on the square dough. Bring each point of dough to the center of the butter square; the edges of the dough should overlap. Pinch the edges together to seal.Starting from the center of the square and working outward, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangle. The butter should be pliable enough to roll smoothly with the dough; if it's too soft and starts to ooze out the corners, wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate before proceeding. Roll the dough into a long rectangle, approximately 8 by 18 inches. Fold the length of dough into thirds, like a business letter.If the dough is still cool, you can continue with another fold. Otherwise, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm up for about 10 minutes before you begin rolling it out again.Position the dough so that the open ends are at 12 and 6 o'clock. Roll the dough into a rectangle, working from the center of the dough and pressing outwards. Reposition the dough as necessary to fit your work space. You should have a long rectangle for the "book fold." Fold both ends of the dough into the middle; the ends don't have to be touching, but should be close. Fold the already-folded dough in half; it will look like a thick book. Wrap the dough well with plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Roll the dough into a rectangle again and fold it into thirds, like a business letter. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.To shape the croissants, roll the dough into a 10 - by 38-inch rectangle on a lightly floured work surface. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. Use a pizza wheel or sharp paring knife to trim the edges of the dough. Divide the rectangle in half so that you have two 5-inch wide strips of dough. Use a clean yardstick to mark each strip into triangles that are 5 inches wide at their bases. Cut the triangles and place them onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill for 15 to 20 minutes, if necessary.Starting at the base of the triangle, roll the dough up into a log; the tip of the triangle should be under the body of the croissant to prevent it from unraveling. Bend in the corners to form the traditional crescent shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.Arrange the croissants on the parchment-lined baking sheets and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Beat the egg with the tablespoon of water to make the egg wash. Brush the croissants with egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until deep brown, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving

Saucy Chicken Cordon Bleu

 

Ingredients

skinless, boneless 4chicken breast halves

     4 slices ham

     4 slices Swiss cheese

     1 cup all-purpose flour

     1 teaspoon salt

     1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

     1/2 teaspoon paprika

     2 eggs, beaten

     1/3 cup milk

     1 cup dry bread crumbs

     1/4 cup olive oil

     1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

     1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

     1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

     1/8 teaspoon curry powder

     1/4 cup white wine

     1/2 cup sour cream

     2 sprigs fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

     Flatten chicken breasts without breaking through meat. Roll each ham slice in a cheese slice, then roll up in chicken breasts. In a shallow dish or bowl season flour with salt, pepper and paprika. In a separate dish or bowl beat together eggs and milk. Dip chicken rolls in seasoned flour, then egg mixture, then bread crumbs. Heat oil in a large skillet and fry chicken in hot oil until golden brown. Set aside.

     To Make Sauce: In a large bowl combine the soup, mushrooms, garlic powder, curry powder, wine and sour cream. Mix all together. Place browned chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour sauce mixture over chicken and bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley sprigs.

Beef Bourguignon

"Hearty, tender beef in a sumptuous red wine sauce. This is an easy and tasty dish. Definitely not the normal casserole."

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

     1 teaspoon salt

     1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

     2 pounds cubed stew meat

     4 tablespoons butter

     1 onion, chopped

     2 carrots, chopped

     1 clove garlic, minced

     2 cups red wine

     1 bay leaf

     3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

     1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

     1 (6 ounce) can sliced ​​mushrooms

     1 (16 ounce) can canned onions

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Directions

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and ground black pepper. Coat the beef cubes with this mixture.

Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat and brown well on all sides. Pour this into a 2 quart casserole dish.

Return the skillet to the heat and add the onion, carrots and garlic to it. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until onion is tender. add the wine, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and liquid from the mushrooms. Pour over meat.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 2 1/2 hours. Remove cover, add canned onions and mushroom crowns, and bake for 30 more minutes