French pastries, whether you’re talking about a flaky croissant or a golden madeleine, are as beautiful to look at as they are delicious to eat. They also have a reputation for being difficult to make and as being something that is better to buy at a bakery than to attempt to make at home unless you have lots of free time. In Patisserie Made Simple: From Macarons to Millefeuille and more , you will find dozens of recipes that simplify classic French pastries and sweets for the home kitchen.
The book begins with an introduction that walks you through all the equipment that you need. Most of it, if you bake on a regular basis, you probably already have because they author tried to ensure that you didn’t need too much specialty equipment to make these recipes. There are some cases – such as the madeleines, for instance – where a specialty pan is required, but the tools needed are generally straightforward. The recipes are divided into several sections: Pastry, Cakes and desserts, Sweet treats, Masterclass and Basics. The chapter on the Basics, though it comes at the end of the book, contains recipes for essentials that you’ll use over and over again, such as shortcrust pastry for tarts. There are tarts, yeast breads, financiers, caramels and even canneles. The Masterclass chapter includes desserts like croquembouche and opera cake, which are not necessarily more difficult than the other recipes to make, but are more labor-intensive because they are more elaborate to put together.
The recipes are clearly written and include a great amount of detail to walk you through every step of the process. The recipes are given both by volume and weight, making them very easy to use, and most are accompanied by baking tips that will help ensure your recipes turn out perfectly. If you like French pastries, this book is wonderful to work with and will have you producing some French favorites in no time at all.
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