Many people feel daunted at the thought of French food and cooking. (Some even think uttering anything French-sounding — like escargot, amuse bouche, entremet — is to show off!) Don’t let that get you. It’s not as scary as you would have believed. With just a search on the Internet, you will be swarmed with page after page of easy, promising recipes for French desserts. Here are five to get you started. In no time you will be jumping with joy, and can’t wait to impress family and friends with your labor of love! Roasted Fruit(s) with Marsala Syrup This fruit-centric dessert is simplicity at its best. In-season stone fruits — peaches, apricots, plums — are roasted in the oven until soft, which concentrates their natural sweetness and, at the same time, caramelizes the sugar on the outside. The Marsala “steams” the fruits while keeping things moist, eventually reducing to a syrup that makes a perfect sauce alongside tangy Greek yogurt. Get the recipe here. Chocolat Chaud (Hot Chocolate) Luscious, chocolaty, neither too rich nor too sweet. It takes only three simple steps and two to three ingredients but of the best quality. Possibly one of the easiest things you can whip up for an occasional treat. Get the recipe here. Chocolate Truffles Homemade truffles beat store-bought ones, hands down. Not only it’s cheaper (less for more!), you can also personalize them to your liking. Here, a good dose of brandy adds a boozy edge. But you can also swap for other liqueurs — rum, whiskey, Cognac. No matter what you do, though, don’t omit the light corn syrup; just a tablespoon will bring silky smoothness to the texture. (Can’t find it? Substitute glucose syrup, which you can buy from most baking supply stores.) Get the recipe here. Crème Anglaise That’s just a fancy Franco term for custard, except a runnier one in this case. It takes only milk, cream, sugar, and egg yolks to make. This mellow, creamy, sweet liquid gold complements other delicacies like crêpes, pound cake, angel food cake, and even just berries or stone fruits. Have we mentioned that it’s also the foundation for mousse and homemade ice cream? Get the recipe here. Pain Perdu This homey dessert puts dry day-old bread to shine, and is great enjoyed any time of day. Bread slices soak up a delicate, sweet, citrusy eggy mixture, get coated in almond flakes and pan-fried until the outside is crisp and golden brown while the inside marshmallowy and moist. Also, don’t skip the boozy macerated strawberries that come with the recipe — the bread begs to be enlivened even more with summery brightness! Get the recipe here.