Baking Chez Moi

Starred review from October 6, 2014
While a trip to France may not be in everyone’s near future, veteran cookbook author Greenspan takes home bakers on a tour of Paris through her exceptional collection of recipes (divided into chapters including “Simple Cakes,” “Fancy Cakes,” “Tarts and Galettes,” and “Baby Cakes and Petite Pastries”). French “cousins” to American recipes such as the “Fluted Carrot-Tangerine Cake,” and the author’s adaptations on French creations such as “Gâteau Basque Fantasie,” give readers something they won’t find in other baking tomes. While some multistep selections are more suited for the experienced baker, less involved yet equally impressive recipes include a simple plum tart and Nutella-banana panna cotta. Unusual finds like pithiviers, a French pastry named after a city in northern France, are also included. Hefty headnotes and serving notes provide information about recipe origins and traditions. This is an ideal holiday gift.

Starred review from August 1, 2014

Acclaimed author Greenspan (Around My French Table)--who lives part time in Paris and has collaborated with such famous chefs as Pierre Herme, Daniel Boulud, and Julia Child--has learned that some recipes are best left to the pros. While several of Greenspan's 11 cookbooks feature intricate, show-stopping desserts, her latest focuses on homey baked goods and pared-down versions of traditional French pastries. Home cooks won't need beeswax and expensive copper molds to make Greenspan's caneles nor will they be chided for using store-bought puff pastry to make palmiers or pithiviers. All types of desserts--crunchy, creamy, cakey, frozen, fruity, and fried--are included, as are simple accompaniments such as homemade creme fraiche, chocolate sauce, and candied fruit. VERDICT Combining everyday desserts with doable versions of extremely popular treats (think macarons, eclairs, and crackle-top cream puffs), Greenspan's new collection is an instant classic.

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