Have you ever put something special down, intending to use it the next day? And then a couple of years later, you pick up a piece of paper and, oh my, there that thing is. You’d forgotten all about it and now you wonder how that could ever have happened.
I got my copy of Flavorful by Tish Boyle in September 2015. It is, I believe, the 11th book by Tish and as magnificent as any of her wonderful books — like The Good Cookie and The Cake Book. In this book Tish tackles a favorite them: flavor. Why do we, as humans, love a basic set of flavors so much. Vanilla may be vanilla but it is our favorite by far. Given our devotion to key flavors, how can you maximize the enjoyment from them?
Tish examines her “top nine” flavors:
Vanilla
Berries and Cherries
Apple
Citrus
Sweet Cheese
Nuts
Caramel
Coffee
Chocolate
For each one, Tish has fashioned exemplar recipes that exploit the flavor to, she believes, the max. Flavor to the max is the theme in recipes like:
Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cake with Bourbon Soaking Glaze
Vanilla Sponge Roll with Strawberries and Cream Filling
Apple Croissant Bread Pudding
Chocolate-Glazed Peanut Butter Mousse Cake
Devil’s Food Layer Cake with Milk Chocolate-Malt Frosting
Frosted Espresso Streusel Cake
Orange Cardamom Scones
Caramel Pecan Brownies
Espresso Layer Cake with Mascarpone Topping
Compared to her earlier books, I believe these recipes reach a new level for Tish. The recipes often involve multiple components that undergo a final assemble for the grand finale. There are two or three pages of instructions, often close to 20 ingredients. I love The Good Cookie because I can knock off something in half an hour. Here, it is going to take you half a day. But the time, the exertion, all will be welcome with that first bite. Here’s a truncated picture of the Chocolate-Glazed Peanut Butter Mousse Cake. Can you imagine it? Can you taste it? Can you wait? Flavorful has been around for almost two years. If you haven’t enjoyed it yet, don’t delay.
