Desserts for Dummies - Couverture souple

In the end, desserts are no harder to make than entrées. And with Desserts For Dummies, you’ll cut even a Wedding Cake recipe down to size, flip Crepes Suzette with aplomb, and throw together a batch of Chocolate Truffles your local chocolatier will envy. And with this handy, down–to–earth guide from a leading pastry chef and a former New York Times restaurant critic, you’ll discover the proper way to read a dessert recipe, organize your ingredients, and also how to:

• Think like a sweet chef—including basic tips on measuring, weighing, presenting, gauging cooking time, and pairing desse rts with meals
• Stock a pantry, and use leftovers creatively (such as caramel and meringue)
• Set up a kitchen—including tips on counter height and ovens
• Select the right cooking tools and how to use them

Before you know it, you’ll start creating desserts that you’ve only dreamed of, like:

• Pies and tarts—including Mom’s Apple Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Raspberry Tart, and Linzertorte
• Puff pastry, cream puffs, and éclairs—Classic Puff Pastry, Profiteroles, Napoleons, and Eclairs
• Crepes and blinis—including Crepes Suzette and Chocolate Blinis with Diced Bananas
• Custards and puddings—including Zabaglione, Vanilla Pastry Cream, Traditional Bread Pudding, and Rice Pudding
• Homemade cakes—including Whipped Cream Layer Cake, Classic Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake, and Yellow Chiffon Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Includes More Than 130 Dessert Recipes Complete With Color Photos and Illustrations!

Need a quick way to dress up a meal? Do you find yourself craving a homemade dessert but don't think you have the time to make one after work? Would you like to be able to decorate a cake and have it look like it came from a bakery? Don't sweat it! With all the tips, techniques, and amazing recipes in Desserts For Dummies , you'll find just what you need to make delicious desserts guaranteed to impress your family and friends. Let These Icons Guide You!

• Highlights information about everybody's favorite ingredients
• Identifies must–know techniques for dessert–making
• Gives tips on how to make an ordinary dessert extraordinary

Inside, you'll discover how to:

• Give in to your chocolate cravings with a chapter for choc–a–holics!
• Make ice cream, sorbet, and other frozen desserts in your own kitchen
• Find the essential elements of dessert–making such as pie crusts, puddings, sauces, and more
• Use fillings, frosting, and decorations to turn a basic cake into a masterpiece
• Whip up impressive (and intimidating) desserts such as soufflés, tarts, and mousses
• Create quick, easy, delicious desserts on a moment's notice
• Dress up your creations with secret tips and techniques from the pros!
• Reduce the fat but not the flavor in almost any dessert recipe