My three kids get home from school at 4 p.m., and the moment they walk in the door, they're begging for snacks. I usually give them apple slices, popcorn, or a granola bar—any little treat to tide them over until dinner. Every now and then, I like to surprise them with a special treat, like puppy kibble or chocolate-covered potato chips.
Recently, I surprised them with a snack I saw influencer Isabelle Bertolami showcase on TikTok: a baguette filled with salted butter and chocolate squares. Isabelle is an American mom living in France who shares some surprising and delicious differences in parenting cultures between the United States and France. She revealed that it’s a classic afternoon snack that French kids have, called a goûter.
Carbs, butter and chocolate: this is a combination that is obviously perfect, so I was excited to share it with my kids. They were blown away. My youngest son had the biggest smile when I gave him the treat, as you can see in the picture above.
Snack time is a wonderful and delicious daily snack ritual.
Le goûter is the French word for “snack” and according to Isabelle, le goûter refers to the afternoon snack that French children have to “bridge the gap between school and dinner.”
Cookbook author Dorie Greenspan described the drop in the New York Times:”When tea time comes, between 4 and 6 p.m., Parisians, young and old, can be found in cafés and tea rooms, savoring all sorts of sweet treats, or queuing up in front of local pastry shops to exchange their coins for a chocolate-filled croissant, a thick slice of brioche topped with almond cream, or a big meringue that will leave crumbs and shards in the folds of their mufflers.”
This sounds like a magical culinary ritual that I had to experience with my kids. Here's how I made this treat and my kids' honest reactions.
Simple Recipes / Myo Quinn
How I Made This Classic 3-Ingredient French Snack
You will need a baguette, salted butter (I didn't have any so I used unsalted chocolate with a generous pinch of kosher salt and milk chocolate). Cut the baguette lengthwise and spread a generous layer of butter on the bread. I did both cut sides.
Cut the chocolate bar into small squares and line them up on one side. Close the sandwich. That's it! The whole thing took me less than two minutes.
Simple Recipes / Myo Quinn
My kids are now in love with the snack ritual. Here are their honest reactions:
“I was born in the wrong country!”
“Do we have gout tomorrow too?”
“We should have some salted butter.”
They're going back to school this week and I think this sweet snack will be a big part of our school year. It's exactly the kind of joy our family loves – we've made it a Quinn family ritual.
