In an earlier post I wrote about “Five for Fall,” the best in new savory cookbooks. With the holidays less than three weeks away, you definitely need the best in new dessert cookbooks. Here are “Four for Fall.” I’ve already posted from three of them, tomorrow the fourth will get its spotlight, and there will be plenty of posts with great recipes from all of them from now until New Years.
Why these four? They are all quite different books, as explained below, but they do share one common factor: they are well tested cookbooks with recipes that are beautiful to behold, wonderful to taste, and that you can make yourself. So, take a gander at these books and see what appeals to that hidden sweet tooth — you know, the one the dentist was going to remove but fortunately missed.
In alphabetical order we have:
Bake! by Nick Malgieri
With years of writing, teaching, and learning behind him, Nick has crafted a wonderful new cookbook. It’s filled with chapters each devoted to a specific technique or style of baking. You can go to the CIA and learn pastry for a couple of years, or you can spend some nights with a spatula in one hand and Nick’s book in the other.
I already blogged Maida’s Chocolate Bourbon Pound Cake from Bake!
Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
There’s this fabulous bakery in Brooklyn created by two very, very talented men. This is their second cookbook. When you look inside, you will say two things to yourself: that looks yummy and I could never do that myself. The first thing is true: very yummy. The second thing is not true: you can do it yourself. And you will.
Look the next post, on Monday 11/8/2010 for a cake that you will never, ever forget. [Yes, we had said I would post on 11/7 but I’ve caught up testing. Sorry, we will definitely blog this cake on Monday.]
Farmers’ Market Desserts by Jennie Schacht
The purpose of this book is very straightforward: how do you make fabulous desserts with just those ingredients you get at American farmers’ markets. Chapters on stone fruits, berries, the abundance of fall, winter citrus, tropical fruits, honey, and dried fruits and nuts give you plenty of recipes to go year round.
The Market Jam Gems were blogged recently. It’s a thumbprint cookie where you fill with dent with one of those delicious jams or jellies that line the tables of your farmers’ market.
Sweet Chic by Rachel Schifter Thebault
Tribeca Treats is a local bakery near me in Tribeca, New York City. In four years the owner Rachel Schifter Thebault has capture the taste buds of not just lower Manhattan, not just Manhattan, but nationwide. In that cupcake craze that has not ended, Rachel wins. You go into Tribeca Treats, look at the counter and tell the salesperson that a box, not just bag will be required.
Rachel shares her recipes and philosophy in this wonderful first book. I already shared with you her recipe for Sweet Chic Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Now, please look for these books, take one home, and treat yourself.
I’ll be blogging for you with what I think are the most interesting recipes that I’ve found in each book. I’m going as fast as I can, but it’s one recipe at a time. Someone has to do it.