The Dessert That Made Julia Child Cry Tears Of Joy

Julia Child is often considered to be the first true American celebrity chef. She gained widespread recognition for bringing French recipes into U.S. households with her 1961 book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." (Ironically, Julia Child actually liked Chinese food the best.) Throughout the next four decades, Child would continue to write books and star in several cooking shows, becoming a household name. Child's approachable, warm, and humble demeanor made her an American darling. Watching her shows continues to feel like learning how to cook with your grandma. Perhaps this is why, more than 20 years after her death, we still pay attention to everything she ever did or said. One particularly touching moment happened during an episode of the late 1990s show, "Baking with Julia," during which, the famed chef cried after tasting a crème fraîche custard brioche tart.

The episode aired in 1997 in the show's third season, and featured Nancy Silverton, founder of the world-famous La Brea Bakery. Over the 30-minute segment, Silverton showed Child the recipe for her brioche tart, which she made by preparing fresh brioche bread and folding it as a tart, filling it with custard, baking it, and then topping it with her "secret" white sauce. She then added fruit doused in caramel, hazelnuts, and powdered sugar. The dessert looked as heavenly as it sounded, and Child's reaction confirmed what our eyes assumed. After tasting it, Child got teary, patted Silverton on the shoulder, and told her, "It's a dessert to cry over."

It's impossible to see Julia Child moved to tears by the deliciousness of this decadent brioche tart and not want to try it. The cook seemed genuinely moved, continuing on to say with a shaky voice, "That's a triumph! Well, I think this is the best dessert I ever ate." Nancy Silverton herself was taken aback by the reaction. She later said in a 2023 interview with Milk Street Radio that she thought at first that Child had gotten burnt. Once she realized the real reason for Child's tears, she was touched, calling it "The ultimate compliment." But the moving moment doesn't take away from the fact that this dessert is quite labor intensive.

Anyone interested in making it will have to spend more than a day with it, since the ever-popular brioche bread needs a long time to be ready. The rest of the components aren't as complicated, but they do require fresh ingredients, numerous steps, and proper technique. You could start by learning how to make a great custard since the filling is a very important part of getting this dessert right. If you're willing to set aside the time to make this recipe correctly, then you'll end up with a truly exceptional dish to add to your special occasions repertoire. Considering that Silverton earned the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef, we would trust her recipes even if she hadn't made Julia Child cry.