Simple French Desserts [Paperback]

Forget about counting calories--the title has both "French" and "desserts" in it, for Pete's sake! You won't find any low-fat silliness in Jill O'Connor's latest masterpiece, and you won't care a bit. From extravagant honey madeleines, profiteroles, and almond macaroons to classics like chocolate mousse, meringues, and warm apple crepes, the recipes in this book will produce fantastic results for the novice and expert alike. The detailed, easy-to-follow instructions take you effortlessly through each step of even the most complicated recipes, and O'Connor's technique tips, such as "Fearless Folding" and "Mastering Meringue," offer the extra guidance so many of us need. Entertaining lessons, such as "How the Madeleine Got Its Hump," and first-hand descriptions of an American dessert hound in Paris give Simple French Desserts added charm. Photographs are sparse, but the ones shown are guaranteed to send your imagination soaring. As O'Connor herself puts it, "Let the bacchanal begin!" --Melissa Asher

In this concise collection, O'Connor (Phyllo and Sweet Nothings) offers an abundant selection of desserts ranging from cookies and pastries to crepes and tarts, ice cream and mousse. There are sables, the slightly sandy French version of shortbread, along with a couple of variations, such as Pistachio-Orange Sables. O'Connor includes French meringues and Almond Macaroons, Chocolate Eclairs and a much-simplified recipe for napoleons based on phyllo dough rather than tricky puff pastry. Lemon Tart is served on a cookie-like crust that's tempting on its own, while Fallen Chocolate-Souffl? Cake provides a more decadent option. Fruit desserts also figure prominently: there are apples in Tarte Tatin, berries in Red Fruit Gratin and cherries in almond-flavored Cherry-Frangipane Tart. O'Connor is equally inventive with her ice cream and sorbet recipes, including toasted walnut-studded Mocha Dauphinois Ice Cream. As with anything worthwhile, the confections here aren't exactly simple, at least in terms of the time they require. Many recipes involve multiple steps; however, clearly written description of techniques are interspersed. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

With Simple French Desserts, making French pastry is as easy as apple pie-but deceptively more impressive!- Pastry chef and author Jill O'Connor starts with the easiest recipes and gradually builds skills as she moves on to more challenging treats. Throughout, she demystifies the art of French baking, guiding cooks with step-by-step techniques, and clear and complete explanationsHere are over 50 recipes for delectable treats like Crme Caramel, Lemon-Almond Madeleines, Chocolate Eclairs, and a Strawberry Macaroon Tart, plus the only two chocolate mousse recipes you'll ever need. With awhimscally elegant design and collection of mouth-watering full-color photographs, Simple French Desserts is the perfect introduction to the art of the patisserie-sans signing up at the Cordon Bleu.

Jill O'Connor is the author of Easter Treats, Phyllo, and Sweet Nothings, all from Chronicle Books. She lives in San Diego.