Julia Child Cried Tears Of Joy Over This Dessert

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Beloved chef Julia Child was known for having a passion for food — and a belief that eating itself was a primary joy of life. So, of course, it comes as no surprise that certain dishes sparked a very real physical reaction in her. While there are meals she raved about — like beef bourguignon, the French stew Child called the best in the world, or the floating island, an old-school French dessert she adored — none of them ever brought her to actual tears like one creamy tart once did.

The dessert that pulled this feat off was none other than Nancy Silverton's crème fraîche custard brioche tart. Silverton, who founded and, at the time, owned the famous La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles, was appearing on Julia Child's PBS show, "Baking with Julia." In the episode, Silverton walked Child through all of the intricate steps to prepare the tart. 

Silverton's dessert is made with a buttery and soft brioche dough that's filled with a gorgeous crème fraîche (which is different from sour cream) custard, sprinkled with sugar, and baked low and slow. Once set, it's topped with white wine–poached fresh fruit, a dollop of creamy sabayon, freshly toasted nuts, and a light dusting of powdered sugar. Getting everything in one bite might take a little finagling, but since Julia Child called it "a dessert to cry over" before admitting, "I really am crying," we think that's something you should definitely try (via YouTube).

While Nancy Silverton's crème fraîche custard brioche tart does pop up from time to time on the menus of Silverton's restaurants, like Osteria Mozza, you can also take the time to make it yourself. Keep in mind that the dough takes about eight hours to proof properly, so plan accordingly. Additionally, you can swap in sour cream for the crème fraîche if that's all you have on hand. 

While the white wine sauce is irresistibly caramel-y, some people feel that it's not entirely necessary for the amount of time it takes, so you can decide if you'd like to include it. If not, simply macerating the fruits can work. Regarding them, it's noted in the episode that Silverton uses stone fruits (specifically peaches, plums, and nectarines), but she also states that you can switch up the variety with the season, like Julia Child's recommendation of using pears in the winter. Silverton also mentioned using dried fruits, and some recipes use berries, so it comes down to your preference and what's available.

Today, you'll find the tart in the "Baking with Julia: Savor the Joys of Baking with America's Best Bakers" cookbook, though versions are also available online. While it's not known to be an extremely difficult dessert to master, it is a bit time-consuming (and even takes up six full pages of the cookbook). Is it worth it? Well, Julia Child definitely thought so.