Arts & Culture
Holiday treats from the kitchen of Julia Child

Photo illustrations by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff

December 13, 2024 long read

Recipes from celebrity chef’s archive at Radcliffe

The French Chef episode #258: Sole bonne femme.

Photograph by Paul Child. © Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute. ID #8001636784.

Planning a holiday meal and need inspiration? The Schlesinger Library at Harvard Radcliffe Institute has you covered. It holds the papers of the late celebrity chef Julia Child, author of the iconic cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and personality behind the long-running PBS television series “The French Chef.” She famously hosted other cooking shows from the kitchen of her Cambridge home. Radcliffe curators helped pull together the following recipes for festive desserts drawn from their vast collection, which includes correspondence, documents, books, photos, audio, and videotapes.

Apple turnover

I am particularly fond of the free-form turnover, since one can make it any size and shape, from mini to gargantua. Round is pretty, but either square or rectangular is more practical because it uses less dough and the leftovers are evenly shaped and therefore easily turned into decorations.

For 1 large turnover about 9 by 9 inches (23 x 23 cm), serving 6 to 8

Sweet pie dough (Pate brisée fine, sucrée)

1 ½ cups (215 g) all-purpose flour, unbleached preferred

½ cup (70 g) plain bleached cake flour

1 ½ sticks (6 ounces or 170 g) chilled unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons shortening

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 dL), more or less, iced water

Other ingredients for the turnover

4 to 5 apples that will keep their shape in cooking, such as Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Newton, Monroe, Northern Spy

3 tablespoon or more sugar

½ teaspoon, more or less, powdered cinnamon (optional)

The grated rind and the juice of ½ lemon (optional)

1 teaspoon or more melted butter

Egg glaze (1 egg beaten in a cup with 1 teaspoon water)

The dough

Of course you can make the dough by hand or in an electric mixer, but the food processor is sensationally fast and foolproof using these proportions. Proceed as follows: With metal blade in place, measure the flours into the bowl of the machine, cut the butter rapidly into pieces the size of your little-finger joint, and drop into the flour, along with the sugar shortening, and salt. Using the on-off flick technique lasting ½ second, press 7 to 8 flicks, just to start breaking up the butter.

Then, with water poised over opening of machine, turn it on and pour in all but 1 tablespoon of the iced water. Process in spurts, on and off, just until dough begins to mass together but is still rough with some unformed bits. Turn it out onto your work surface and mass together rapidly with the heel of one hand into a somewhat rough cake. (Dough should be pliable — neither dry and hard nor, on the other hand, sticky. Pat in sprinkles more of all-purpose flour if sticky; cut into pieces and sprinkle on droplets more water if dry and hard, then re-form into a cake). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour, to congeal the butter in the dough so that it will roll easily, and to allow the flour particles to absorb the water so that it will handle nicely and bake properly.

May be made 2 or 3 days in advance and refrigerated — but if you have used unbleached flour it will gradually turn grayish; it can still be baked at that point if only mildly discolored since it will whiten in the oven. Or freeze the dough, which is the best plan when you want to have ready dough available; defrost at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator — dough should be cold and firm for easy rolling.

The apples

Quarter, core, and peel the apples, then cut into thinnish lengthwise slices. Toss in a mixing bowl with sugar and optional cinnamon and lemon rind and juice. Cover with plastic wrap and let macerate for 20 minutes or longer, so that apples will exude their excess juices.

Forming the turnover

(Always work rapidly from here on to prevent the dough from softening; if it becomes difficult to handle, refrigerate it at once for 20 minutes or so, then continue). Roll the chilled dough into a rectangle 20 inches long, and 10 inches wide (50 x 25 cm) and trim off the edges with a pastry wheel or a knife — refrigerate trimmings for decorations later.

Lightly flour surface of dough, fold in half end to end, and center on the buttered pastry sheet. Place a piece of wax paper at edge of fold, and unfold top of dough onto paper. Paint a border of cold water around the 3 edges of the bottom piece and pile the apples onto it, leaving a ¾-inch (2-centimeter) border free at the 3 edges. Sprinkle on more sugar, and a tablespoon or so of melted butter. Flip top of dough over onto the apples, and press edges firmly together, to seal. Turn up the 3 edges all around, then press a design into them (to seal further) with the tines of a table fork and, if you wish, press a decorative edging all around those sides with the back of a knife.

If you have time, it is a good idea at this point to refrigerate the turnover (covered lightly with plastic wrap) for half an hour (or for several hours); it will bake more evenly when the dough has had time to relax, and you, in turn, will have time to turn your leftover bits of dough into a mock puff pastry which will rise into a splendid design.

Mock puff pastry decorations

(For massed scraps about the size of a half tennis ball)

Knead leftover raw pastry scraps briefly into a cake, roll into a rectangle, and spread 1 teaspoon of butter down two-thirds of its length. Fold into 3 as though folding a business letter; repeat with another roll and fold (but omit butter) 2 more times. For the simple decorations I used on this turnover, roll out again into a rectangle about 10 inches (25 centimeters) wide. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

Decorating and baking the turnover

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Paint top of turnover lightly with cold water. To simulate wrapping ribbon for your turnover “parcel,” crisscross 2 strips of dough, laying them from corner to corner, lay 1 crosswise from top to bottom, and a final one horizontally. Loop the final strip into a loose knot and place on top. Pierce 2 steam holes 1/16 inch (¼ centimeter) in diameter in top of dough with the point of a knife, going down through the dough to the apples. Paint top of dough and decorations with a coating of egg glaze, wait a moment, and paint on another coat. (Egg glaze goes on just the moment before baking). Make crosshatchings in the glaze with the back of a knife or the tines of a table fork to give it a more interesting texture when baked.

Set turnover in the middle level of preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, then check to see if it is browning too much. It bakes 35 to 40 minutes in all and does best at high heat so the pastry will crisp; if it seems to be cooking too fast, turn oven down a little and/or cover top of turnover loosely with foil. It is done when bottom has browned nicely and when juices begin to bubble out of steam holes.

Remove from oven and slide it out onto a rack. Serve hot, warm, or cold. You may wish to accompany the turnover with vanilla ice cream, fresh cream, lightly whipped and sweetened cream, or custard sauce.

Remarks:

Other sizes, other fillings

You can, of course, make turnovers any size and shape you wish, and you can use all sorts of fillings as long as they are not too juicy. Always macerate fresh fruit first with sugar and lemon to force out their excess juices, and a very juicy fruit should first be cooked. Canned fruits or jams bake well in turnovers, as do all sorts of dried nut and fruit mixtures.

Julia Child & Company. Scripts and recipes, show #101: Holiday lunch, 1978. Papers of Julia Child, 1925-1993, MC 644: T-139: Vt-23: Phon 15, 620., Box: 53. Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

Soufflé au chocolat

Cooked chocolate is heavy in itself, and requires special treatment to avoid a pudding-like soufflé. Therefore, instead of a flour sauce-base, one of cornstarch is used, and 3 egg yolks instead of the 4 which are usual for a soufflé of the following dimensions. Chocolate soufflé also takes 10 to 15 minutes longer to cook than other sweet soufflés.

This recipe will serve 4 people.

A 6-cup soufflé mold

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter the soufflé mold and roll cornstarch in it. Knock out excess starch. Measure out all your ingredients.

2∕3 cup (4 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate bits

2 tablespoons strong coffee

Stir the chocolate and coffee in a small saucepan over hot but not simmering water until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Keep over hot water until ready to use.

A 1-quart saucepan

A wire whip

¼ cup sifted cornstarch

1 cup milk

⅓ cup granulated sugar

Beat the starch and 3 spoonful of the milk in the saucepan until smooth and blended. Beat in the rest of the milk, and the sugar. Stir over moderate heat until the boil is reached. Boil 3 seconds. This will be rather gluey. Off heat, beat in the hot melted chocolate until well blended.

2 tablespoons softened butter

Clean off the sides of the saucepan and divide the butter over the sauce. Allow it to cool until tepid.

5 egg whites

Pinch of salt

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar together until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.

A 3-quart mixing bowl

A rubber scraper

3 egg yolks

Scrape the chocolate sauce into the mixing bowl. Beat in the 3 egg yolks, which may be added all at once. Stir in ¼ of the egg whites; delicately fold in the rest. Turn the scuffle mixture into the prepared mold, leaving at least 1-¼ inches between the top of the soufflé and the rim of the mold.

Demonstrations with recipes, 1963-1965. Papers of Julia Child, 1925-1993, MC 644: T-139: Vt-23: Phon 15, 664., Box: 58. Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

Peanut brittle

Homemade peanut brittle — a simple and inexpensive present that is unbelievably irresistible, and must be hidden away after each serving if you ever want to see any of it for another nibble. Have all equipment and ingredients right at your side because it goes fast and you must be at the ready.

Lightly butter a large tray (1 ½ by 2 feet), or two jelly roll pans, or a pastry marble.

Measure out 3 cups of toasted salted skinned peanuts (the regular, not the dry-roasted kind), ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, and 4 ½ cups of sugar stirred together with 1 ½ cups of water in a heavy 2 ½- to 3-quart saucepan.

Also have ready a cover for the pan, 2 metal spoons, a flexible-blade metal spatula, and a triple thickness of buttered wax paper folded handkerchief size.

Bring the sugar and water to the boil, swirling the pan by its handle to dissolve the sugar. When boiling, remove pan from heat, swirling gently, until liquid is perfectly clear — to make sure sugar does not crystalize later.

Cover the pan and boil over high heat until bubbles thicken, then uncover and boil, swirling pan slowly by its handle (but never ever stirring!) until syrup begins to color lightly — not too much, since it will continue to darken.

At once remove from heat and blend in the with a metal spoon peanuts, turning rapidly with a metal spoon to coat the nuts with caramel. Immediately stir in the bicarbonate of soda — the mixture foams and whitens — the soda changes the caramel texture so it will be brittle but won’t break your teeth.

Scoop it all out onto the oiled surface, spreading it with your spoon. While still warm, continue spreading and thinning, lifting under it with your spatula, pulling with the bowl of a spoon, and, when cool enough, stretching it with your fingers (protected by the wax paper). When cool, in 10 minutes or so, break it up into serving pieces. Store in plastic, then airtight tin box — and hide it!

Remarks:

One Variation: Toasted hazelnuts make a delicious brittle, too. To toast them, which brings out their flavor, spread in a baking pan and set in the middle level of a 350°F oven, tossing and turning them frequently until a light toasty color. Rub in paper towels to remove loose skin, then proceed as for peanut brittle but stir ½ teaspoon of salt into the sugar as you make your caramel.

Another: Grind up small pieces of brittle and use as “streusel,” to scatter over ice creams and custard desserts — this makes a nice gift, too, packed in a pretty screw-topped jar.

Parade typescripts. Christmas, December 1982. Papers of Julia Child, 1925-1993, MC 644: T-139: Vt-23: Phon 15, 912., Box: 83. Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

Plum pudding

For about 6 cups baked in an 8-cup mold, serving 12 people at least

Timing: Like a good fruit cake, a plum pudding develops it’s full taste if made at least a week ahead and allowed to cure. It’s then reheated
2 hours before serving.

3 cups (lightly pressed down) crumbs from white homemade type bread (a ½ pound loaf, crust left on)

3 cups (1 pound) mixed black and yellow low raisins and currants, chopped

1 ⅓ cups (½ pound) sugar

½ teaspoon each (more if needed) cinnamon, mace and nutmeg

½ pound (2 sticks) butter, melted

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

A few drops, almond extract

½ cup bitter orange marmalade

½ cup bourbon whiskey or rum

Special equipment:

An 8-cup bowl or uncomplicated mold; a cover for bowl or mold; a roomy kettle with cover; a trivet or steamer basket to hold mold.

Step 1: Pudding mixture

Toss the bread crumbs with the raisins, sugar and spices. Then toss thoroughly with the melted butter before tossing with the rest of the ingredients listed. Taste carefully for seasoning, adding more spices if needed.

Step 2: Steaming — about 6 hours

Pack the pudding into the container, cover with a round of wax paper, and a cover. Set on a trivet or steamer basket in the kettle, and add water to come ⅓ the way up.

Parade typescripts. Christmas, December 1985. Papers of Julia Child, 1925-1993, MC 644: T-139: Vt-23: Phon 15, 948., Box: 84. Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

Chocolate and almond cake

Ingredients for 8 x 1 ½ inch cake pan

¼ pound softened butter

⅔ cups granulated sugar

3 egg yolks

4 ounces or squares semisweet baking chocolate melted with 2 tablespoon strong coffee or rum

¾ cups sifted cake flour

⅓ cups pulverized almonds

¼ tsp almond extract

3 stiffly beaten egg whites

Cream butter and sugar together then beat in the egg yolks.

Beat in the melted chocolate, then the flour, almonds, and almond extract.

Stir in ⅓ the egg whites, fold in the rest.

Turn into a buttered and floured cake pan and bake in middle level of a preheated 350° oven for about 20 minutes.

Cake should remain slightly moist. Cool 10 minutes, then reverse on a cake rack.

Ice with chocolate and decorate with almonds.

FOR THE ICING: 2 squares melted chocolate creamed with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 10 to 12 whole almonds.

Pasadena Guild of Rosemary Cottage, 1961-1962. Papers of Julia Child, 1925-1993, MC 644: T-139: Vt-23: Phon 15, 662., Box: 57. Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

The French Chef episode #87: Quiches.

Photograph by Paul Child. © Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute. ID #olvwork538495.

Julia Child demonstrating a frosting technique, with Merida.

Photograph by Paul Child. © Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute. ID #olvwork478684.

Presents at base of tree.

Photograph by Paul Child. © Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute. ID olvwork584632.

“There are the pleasures of giving at Christmastime, and the most welcome pleasure of receiving guests bearing edible gifts — something good to eat!”
Julia Child, Parade Magazine, Dec. 13, 1982

The French Chef episode #66: New Year’s – Croquembouche.

Photograph by Paul Child. © Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute. ID #olvwork538469.

Holiday recipe book.

Washington Gas Light Company issuing body. (1958). Holiday recipes 1958. Washington Gas Light Company.

Julia using a squeeze bag to create a heart outline.

Photograph by Paul Child. © Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute. ID olvwork587060.

Portrait of Julia Child in her Cambridge kitchen.

Photograph by Paul Child. © Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute. ID olvwork642475.

Bouchee illustrated instructions.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Vol. 2. Original drawings: graphic material. Papers of Julia Child, 1925-1993, MC 644: T-139: Vt-23: Phon 15, 804., Box: 71. Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

The French Chef episode #215: Apple dessert.

Photograph by Paul Child. © Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute. ID olvwork539525.

Julia Child on The French Chef in the WGBH studio.

Photograph by Paul Child. © Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute. ID olvwork586661.