Julia Child Nancy Silverton Brioche Tart Recipe

Nancy Silverton Brioche Tart is the legendary dessert that made Julia cry on national television. When Nancy Silverton prepared this for Julia on the PBS series “Baking with Julia,” tears streamed down Julia’s face as she took her first bite. She called it “the best dessert I ever ate” and “a dessert to cry over.”

The companion cookbook Baking with Julia (pages 386-388) describes it as “a simple but completely satisfying creation” that “can be served plain as morning fare, a luxurious breakfast treat to be sure, or offered as a sumptuous dessert topped with White Secret Sauce, an outstanding chilled sabayon made with caramelized sugar.”

I’ve made many fancy desserts over the years. None of them have ever made anyone cry. This one might.

What is the White Secret Sauce? A chilled sabayon made with caramelized sugar, vanilla beans, white wine, egg yolks, and whipped cream. The caramel gives it an unexpected depth that’s hard to identify, hence the “secret.”

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Made Julia Child cry: The highest endorsement in culinary history.
• Surprisingly simple: Just three components done well.
• Two ways to serve: Plain for breakfast, or with sauce and fruit for an elegant dessert.
• From Baking with Julia: The iconic PBS series that brought America’s finest bakers into Julia’s kitchen.
• Nancy Silverton’s signature: From the baker Julia trusted with her own show.

Julia Child Nancy Silverton Brioche Tart Ingredients

From Baking with Julia, pages 386-388. Serves 8-10.

For the Tart:

• ½ recipe (about 1 lb 2 oz) Brioche dough, chilled
• 1 cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)
• 1 large egg
• ⅓ to ½ cup sugar
• 1 large egg white, beaten
• Crystal sugar, for sprinkling

For the White Secret Sauce:

• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 vanilla beans, preferably Tahitian
• ⅓ cup water
• 2¼ cups dry white wine
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

For the Garnish:

• Assorted ripe but firm fruits (apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums)
• Reserved caramel-wine syrup
• Chopped toasted blanched almonds
• Confectioner’s sugar

How To Make Julia Child Nancy Silverton Brioche Tart

Step 1: Shape the Tart Shell

1. Line baking sheet with parchment. Butter a 1¼-inch-high, 10-inch flan ring.
2. Roll chilled dough into a circle: At least 1 to 1½ inches larger than the flan ring.
3. Mark the crimping guide: Center flan ring on dough, press gently to leave an impression.
4. Crimp the edge: Lift dough from edge, fold over about ¼ inch past guideline. Pinch between index fingers, twist slightly for a diagonal crimp. Work your way around.
5. Fit dough into ring: Press base firmly while lifting crimped edge.

Step 2: Rise

6. Let rise uncovered at room temperature until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour. The book advises not to worry about perfection: “As luxurious as this custard-filled brioche will be, it is still a simple, rustic tart.”

Step 3: Fill and Bake

7. Preheat oven to 275°F.
8. Make the custard: Whisk crème fraîche and egg together in a small bowl.
9. Press deep dimples into dough: Use your fingertips to cover all of the tart except the crimped edge with abundant, deep dimples. Press almost to the bottom of the pan.
10. Spread custard evenly: Going right up to where the crimping begins.
11. Sprinkle sugar over custard: Use ⅓ to ½ cup. The book notes the custard will tell you when to stop, as it will only absorb a certain amount.
12. Brush crimped edge with egg white. Sprinkle with crystal sugar.
13. Bake 30 to 40 minutes: Until crust is golden brown and custard jiggles slightly when you shake the pan gently.
14. Cool on rack: Slide a cardboard round under the tart and lift off the ring. Serve warm or at room temperature.

How To Make the White Secret Sauce

Step 1: Make the Caramel Syrup

1. Combine sugar, vanilla, and water: Put 1½ cups sugar in a heavy skillet. Split vanilla beans, scrape seeds into pan, add pods. Pour in ⅓ cup water. Don’t stir.
2. Boil until deep gold: Takes 7-10 minutes. Test color on a white plate.
3. Add wine carefully: Remove from heat. Stand back. The caramel will bubble and seize. Return to heat, boil to melt.
4. Reserve 1½ cups syrup through a strainer. Keep remaining in pan for fruit.

Step 2: Make the Sabayon

5. Whisk yolks in mixer bowl. Drizzle in hot caramel, whisking constantly.
6. Heat over simmering water: Whisk nonstop until voluminous and almost too hot to touch. Takes 5-8 minutes. The book warns: if the eggs start to cook, lift the bowl out, whisk off heat, then return.
7. Beat at medium-low speed: 10-15 minutes until cool to touch, pale in color, tripled in volume. Should look like whipped mayonnaise.
8. Fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipe Tips

• Dough must be chilled: Cold brioche is much easier to work with. Don’t skip the overnight rest.
• Deep dimples prevent puffing: Press your fingertips almost to the bottom of the pan. Don’t be shy.
• Sugar absorption tells you when to stop: The custard will only take so much. When it stops absorbing, you’re done.
• Stand back when adding wine: The caramel will bubble violently. This is normal. It will seize and harden, then melt again.
• Jiggle test for doneness: The custard should wobble slightly. A little loose is perfect.
• Rustic is the goal: The book says not to worry about getting the crimp just so. This is meant to be simple and homey.

What Julia Said

When Julia tasted this dessert on camera, she was visibly moved. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she declared it “the best dessert I ever ate” and “a dessert to cry over.”

Nancy Silverton later said she was so moved by Julia’s reaction that she could barely continue the segment. The moment became one of the most beloved scenes in culinary television history.

This dessert earned its reputation. If you’re going to make one elaborate recipe this year, let it be this one.

Make-Ahead

This is a multi-component dessert, so planning matters. The brioche dough requires an overnight chill anyway, but can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for longer storage.

The White Secret Sauce is your biggest time-saver. The book says it can be kept covered in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, so make it the day before and you’ve done half the work.

On the day you’re serving, shape, fill, and bake the tart fresh. Poach the fruits just before serving, or up to a few hours ahead if you keep them in the syrup.

One critical rule from the cookbook: the tart must be served the day it is made. The brioche softens overnight, losing its texture. Plan accordingly.

How To Store

• Refrigerator: The White Secret Sauce keeps covered for up to 24 hours. Poached fruits in their syrup will hold for up to 3 days.
• The Tart Itself: This does not store well and must be served the same day it’s baked. The brioche absorbs moisture from the custard overnight.
• Freezer: The brioche dough freezes beautifully before shaping. The assembled tart should not be frozen.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1/10 of tart with sauce):

• Calories: 450 kcal
• Protein: 7g
• Total Fat: 24g
• Saturated Fat: 14g
• Carbohydrates: 52g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 38g
• Sodium: 140mg
• Cholesterol: 180mg

FAQs

Source: Baking with Julia cookbook by Dorie Greenspan, pages 386-388. Contributing Baker: Nancy Silverton

– Claire