Basic French Macarons
Want to learn how to make macarons? We've taken the guesswork out of making these patisserie beauties, so you can prepare them at home. Our foolproof macarons recipe calls for making your own almond flour (it's so much easier than it seems), then adding just four other ingredients: powdered sugar, egg whites, white sugar, and any filling you please.
Simple Crepes
Crepes are easier to make than you think. In fact, we believe they're easier than pancakes. They're also more versatile and can be dressed up with sweet or savory toppings and any number of flavorful fillings. The batter for our simple crepe recipe—which is thinner than pancake batter because it doesn't contain leavener (that's why crepes are thin, flat, and delicate!)—comes together in the blender. You don't need a special crepe pan to cook them, either. Simply use a nonstick skillet.
Classic Cream Puffs
The foundation of the perfect cream puff is light, airy pâte à choux, which is made with eggs, flour, and butter—there's no leavening other than eggs in this classic French dough. It's piped into circles to form the cream puffs. After baking, a small "x" is scored in the bottom of each cooled puff, then the pastry cream filling is piped inside.
Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche
This versatile dish goes from the brunch buffet to dinner table in a snap and is great with a leafy green salad. The flaky crust and custard filling make it a perfect vehicle for an array of mix-ins. Baking the crust before adding the filling, known as blind baking, ensures it won't get soggy. Our favorite pie dough recipe is Basic Pie Crust.
Bechamel Sauce for Lasagna
One of the mother sauces of French cuisine, béchamel is a true classic. This simple white sauce made with milk, butter, and flour is the basis of other sauces and used in many recipes, like our Lasagna Bolognese. A secret to success with a béchamel sauce recipe is to cook the roux long enough to avoid a floury taste, but don't let it brown. Another tip: whisking constantly while adding flour, then milk, prevents lumps from forming.
Dauphinoise Potatoes
Dauphinoise potatoes, a classic French bistro dish, is an easy, creamy casserole you'll want to make for dinner parties and family meals. We use Yukon gold potatoes because they hold up well to stovetop cooking in a mixture of cream and milk. Once transferred to a casserole dish, the mixture is baked and topped with rich, nutty Gruyère—a cheese that melts wonderfully.
Pate Brisee (Pie Dough)
Pate brisee is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. Pressing the dough into a disc rather than shaping it into a ball allows it to chill faster. This will also make the dough easier to roll out, and if you freeze it, it will thaw more quickly.
Potato Pave
Pave, the French word for "paving stones," is a term chef Thomas Keller uses to describe any such rectangular or square food preparation. His potato pave is a slightly more refined version of scalloped potatoes. When he made the recipe on Martha's TV show, he showed how he slices russet potatoes into thin rectangles, tosses them in cream, and layers them in a baking pan.The pave is baked then chilled overnight and cut into individual portions and browned on the stovetop to serve. This dish makes an unforgettable holiday side dish.
Chocolate Souffle
Soufflés have a reputation for being temperamental, but they're actually very simple. They get their signature height from stiffly beaten egg whites. Using a few staple ingredients, you can whip up a chocolate dessert that's guaranteed to impress at a dinner party yet easy enough for a casual supper.
Ratatouille
This hearty ratatouille is a country dish from the Provence region of France that's an easy mix of seasonal vegetables, garlic, and olive oil.
Bacon-Cheese Quiche
This versatile dish goes from brunch buffet to dinner table in a snap and is great with a leafy green salad. The flaky crust and custard filling make it a perfect vehicle for a variety of mix-ins. Baking the crust before adding the filling, known as blind baking, ensures it won't get soggy. Our favorite pie dough recipe is Basic Pie Crust.
French Onion Soup
There's nothing like French onion soup on a cold day, and thankfully, this bistro classic is easy to make at home. We use sweet Vidalia onions and cook them slowly so they caramelize—that’s the key to this recipe. A touch of Marsala, Madeira, or Port adds richness to the beef stock. Serve the soup in ovenproof bowls so you can broil the Gruyere-topped toast in each portion.
