Learn to bake online with a French chef
French baking from the comfort of your own kitchen (c) martiapunts/Getty Images - Credit: Archant
This online cooking class run from Uzès in the south of France is a great travel alternative, Brigitte discovers
Chef Eric shares his French baking technique (c) Cook’n With Class - Credit: Archant
Cook’n With Class Uzès has ventured into the world of online classes. Relaxed and cheerful Chef Eric Fraudeau shares sweet and savoury recipes and his years of expertise with amateur chefs and bakers across the world from his kitchen in southern France.
Through a zoom connection on my laptop, I joined the two-day Les Petits Gâteaux class. It was a fun and absorbing experience that gave much-needed novelty and French flair to my weekend in a year where travel is so restricted.
As I was joining from the UK, each two-and-a-half-hour class began at 7pm while those connecting from across the Atlantic were at the beginning of their day.
Together we made seven recipes including madeleines, croquant aux amandes and a gluten-free corn cake with chocolate ganache which proved to be a winner among those who helped me work through the collection of cakes and biscuits afterwards.
You will need to pre-measure your ingredients before the class starts - Credit: Archant
_____________________________________________________________________________
More French food and drink
Recipe: Basque-style Chicken by Michel Roux Jr
14 French culinary terms explained
My kitchen set up ready for the baking class - Credit: Archant
A quick guide to French beer (and 3 top tipples to try)
Most Read
- 1 Iconic landmarks: The story behind Paris’ Arc de Triomphe
- 2 10 Romantic Hotels In France
- 3 Take a stroll in and around Pornic in Loire-Atlantique
- 4 French Properties: 5 houses with swimming pools for sale in France
- 5 See inside: Escape to the Chateau DIY's Chateau de Lomenie for sale
- 6 Discover the South of France villa from the upcoming Downton Abbey film
- 7 Why Boulogne-sur-Mer makes for a perfect family escape
- 8 Real Life: Canalside life in an idyllic Hérault village
- 9 What’s inside the May 2022 issue of FRANCE Magazine UK?
- 10 Who are the Kretz family members from Netflix’s The Parisian Agency?
_____________________________________________________________________________
This group class is perfect for those who already have a bit of experience in home baking and want to add some French recipes to their repertoire. Instructions are clear and easy to follow, but there is a significant ingredients and equipment list that would prevent you from doing the class on a whim. It is possible to make substitutions and adjustments, if you don’t have the exact shaped tin for example, however with the tight schedule of bakes you do need to have multiples of whatever types of bowls and baking trays you use.
For an online class there was a great sense of camaraderie and plenty of opportunities to ask questions and show our finished goods to each other. A few of the participants were returning students who got a friendly welcome back from the hosts.
With recipe booklets and a recording of the class offered to keep afterwards, it is easy to make the cakes over and again after the course is done. I myself will be pulling out my rolling pin and warming up the oven again this weekend to make the shortbread cookies and financiers for a friend’s birthday.
Chef Eric also offers private online lessons from €43.00 per person, where he can talk you through making a two-course meal of your choice. Other online group sessions include a French Bistro class for dishes such as Steak Tartar and Blanquette de Poisson, or a class on how to make perfect homemade bread. Visit cooking-classes-uzes.com for more information or take at look at the online calendar of classes.
Look out for more about Brigitte’s experience in the February issue of France Magazine.
There are still spaces available for the next Les Petits Gâteaux class –17 & 18 October from €50 per person. If you are interested you can book here.
