The Old School Dessert Julia Child Transformed Into A Savory Cocktail Appetizer

The chausson is a traditionally sweet pastry, with origins dating back to the 17th century. Often, a pocket of flaky crust is filled with apples, pears, and spices like nutmeg, then pinched closed and baked. This old school dessert is a simple but indulgent pastry. It's a combination of traditional French cooking techniques, and on "The French Chef," Julia Child reimagined these "clever little mouthfuls" as a savory cocktail appetizer. With a bit of leftover pie crust, softened butter, tangy mustard, and anchovies, Child takes an adventurous approach to this classic recipe and reimagines a familiar favorite as a savory interpretation.

Child's iconic approach to French cooking makes foods like the chausson less intimidating for at-home cooks to create. Her practical ingenuity allows ingredients like leftover pie crust, canned anchovies, and Dijon mustard to come together and create an approachable, yet exciting twist on a classic recipe. Child has taken an old school recipe, acknowledging the roots of the dish, and reinvented it into a modern party appetizer for guests. This impressive approach to the chausson will surprise party-goers and satisfy their savory cravings.

Julia Child's version of the chausson encourages exploration and brings value to simple ingredients often found in a pantry or refrigerator. She encourages the use of cold leftover pie crust, a boxed dough mix, or cold quiche dough to begin, and then it's spa time. Softened butter is spread over the top two-thirds of a rectangular sheet of dough and massaged gently into it. Child folds the dough in thirds, then rolls it out for two turns. The more turns of folding and rolling, the more flaky and layered the dough becomes.

Preparing the filling of the chausson is similar to filling ravioli. Pockets of filling are spaced out on the dough. A smear of Dijon mustard is topped with a single anchovy for each chausson. If anchovies don't induce a mouth-watering effect on the palate, Child recommends using a tangy, creamy cheese for the filling, like the blue cheese Roquefort. Once filled, the dough is folded over, and the corners are pinched closed for baking. Bon appétit! This savory spin on an old school French dessert will have guests commenting on the indescribable "je ne sais quoi" of the appetizer, proving that nostalgia, practicality, and flavor can come together in one bite.