French Cooking Lesson for Kids

French Baguettes

Making bread from scratch is a fun hands-on activity for a French cooking lesson. Kids can watch yeast come alive, knead the dough and shape it into long loaves similar to traditional French baguettes.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• Cornmeal for the baking sheet, optional

Directions

1. Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water and let it stand for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture looks foamy.
2. Add 3 1/2 cups of flour, the salt and oil. Stir until a shaggy dough begins to form.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes, adding a little more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
5. Gently press down the dough and divide it into 2 equal pieces.
6. Shape each piece into a long loaf. Place the loaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet or a baking sheet lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.
7. Cover loosely and let rise for about 30 to 45 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
9. With adult help, use a sharp knife to make several shallow diagonal slashes across the top of each loaf.
10. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the baguettes are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
11. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow the bread to cool before slicing.

Béchamel Sauce

Béchamel is a classic French white sauce made by combining butter and flour to make a roux, then gradually whisking in milk. Learning this basic technique gives kids a sauce they can use with pasta, vegetables, casseroles and other dishes.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of ground nutmeg, optional

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the flour and whisk until the butter and flour form a smooth paste. Continue cooking and whisking for about 1 to 2 minutes. This mixture is called a roux.
3. Slowly pour in a small amount of the milk while whisking constantly.
4. Continue adding the milk a little at a time, whisking until the mixture is smooth before adding more.
5. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to gently simmer and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6. Stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg, if using.
7. Remove from the heat and use the sauce with pasta, cooked vegetables or another recipe that calls for a creamy white sauce.

Turn Béchamel into Mornay Sauce

A simple way to experiment with this basic sauce is to add cheese. Mornay sauce is a cheese sauce traditionally made from a Béchamel base.

After removing the Béchamel from the heat, stir in about 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese until melted and smooth. Try Gruyère, Swiss, Parmesan or a combination of cheeses.

Use the finished cheese sauce with pasta, vegetables or other dishes that need a creamy cheese sauce.

Easy Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a colorful vegetable dish from Provence in southern France. It traditionally combines summer vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and onions with olive oil, garlic and herbs.

This is a good French recipe for helping kids practice washing, measuring, stirring and identifying different vegetables. Older kids can also practice chopping with supervision.

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant, cut into bite-size cubes
• 2 small zucchini, sliced or chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence, or a mixture of dried thyme and oregano, optional
• Fresh basil or parsley for serving, optional

Directions

1. Wash and prepare all of the vegetables.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
3. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the eggplant and zucchini. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs, if using.
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover loosely.
7. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.
8. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
9. Sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley before serving, if desired.

Easy French Onion Soup

French onion soup turns a simple ingredient—onions—into a rich, flavorful soup. The secret is cooking the onions slowly until they become soft, golden and slightly sweet. The soup is traditionally served with toasted bread and melted cheese on top.

This recipe is especially useful for showing kids how time and heat can change the flavor, color and texture of an ingredient.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 large yellow or sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• 6 to 8 slices French baguette
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
2. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly for about 25 to 35 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are very soft and golden brown. Lower the heat if they begin to burn.
3. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
4. Pour in the beef broth and stir in the bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper.
5. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Remove the bay leaf. Taste the soup and add salt if needed.
7. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
8. Meanwhile, place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast until lightly crisp.
9. Sprinkle the toasted bread with shredded cheese and return it to the oven until the cheese melts.
10. Ladle the warm soup into bowls and place a cheesy baguette slice on top of each serving.

Crème Brûlée

Crème brûlée is a creamy French custard topped with a thin layer of caramelized sugar. The name means "burnt cream" in French, referring to the crisp sugar topping.

This recipe is a good choice for older kids who are ready to practice separating eggs, whisking, tempering and baking custard in a water bath. Younger kids can help measure and mix while an adult handles the hot cream, oven and caramelized topping.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar for the topping

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place 4 to 6 small ramekins in a deep baking dish.
3. Pour the heavy cream into a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the cream is hot and steaming but not boiling. Remove from the heat.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth.
5. Slowly drizzle a small amount of the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
6. Continue adding the warm cream gradually until it is completely combined. Adding it slowly keeps the hot cream from scrambling the eggs.
7. Divide the custard mixture evenly among the ramekins.
8. With adult help, carefully pour hot water into the baking dish around the ramekins until the water reaches about halfway up their sides. This is called a water bath.
9. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still have a slight jiggle.
10. Carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath and allow them to cool.
11. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until completely chilled.
12. Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of granulated sugar over each custard.
13. Have an adult caramelize the sugar with a kitchen torch, or place the ramekins briefly under the broiler while watching them very closely, until the sugar melts and turns golden brown.
14. Allow the topping to cool for a minute or two so it becomes crisp before serving.

Easy French Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate mousse is a light, creamy dessert with a rich chocolate flavor. The word mousse means "foam" in French, which is a good description of the dessert's soft and airy texture.

This kid-friendly version uses melted chocolate and whipped cream, making it an easy way to practice melting, whipping and folding ingredients together.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Fresh berries or chocolate shavings for serving, optional

Directions

1. Place the chopped chocolate, butter and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is almost completely melted.
3. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla and set aside to cool until it is no longer hot.
4. Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a mixing bowl.
5. Add the powdered sugar and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
6. Stir a small spoonful of whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture to lighten it.
7. Add about half of the remaining whipped cream and gently fold it into the chocolate with a rubber spatula.
8. Fold in the remaining whipped cream just until no large white streaks remain. Avoid overmixing so the mousse stays light and fluffy.
9. Spoon the mousse into small serving dishes.
10. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
11. Top with berries or chocolate shavings, if desired.