Everyone Can Bake

Starred review from February 3, 2020
Ansel (Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes)—famous for his invention of the Cronut—primes bakers’ creativity in this posh guide to sophisticated cakes and tarts. Chapters are divided into bases, fillings (a dessert’s “personality”), and embellishments. For each there is a classic recipe and then riffs: ladyfingers may be flavored with citrus or soaked in syrup, for example. The final section contains instructions for assembling complete desserts, with tips such as piping curd into a tart crust rather than spreading with a spatula to avoid dirtying the rim. Recipes are professional (with both metric weight and volume measurements) and precise, and, indeed, these are largely ambitious projects, requiring equipment such as metal rings and acetate. A brief chart suggests possible building combinations (for example, an olive oil mousse can rest on an almond-molasses base and be topped with figs and vanilla whipped cream), but true beginners will have a steep hill to climb. Ansel’s own imagination is a delight: in a brownie base variation, melted butter is infused with rosemary and Ansel suggests dousing the brownie slab in soft caramel. Mini-essays on Ansel’s education (in kindergarten he drilled himself on the alphabet song) serve as reminders that practice makes perfect. Pastry-chef-wannabes will thrill to this challenge.

Starred review from March 1, 2020

Acclaimed pastry and cronut chef Ansel (Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes) presents a fun, well-organized, and slyly titled collection. Eschewing the skill-based organization of his first pastry book, Ansel instead tempts bakers of all levels to learn "the building blocks of baking: " go-to recipes for bases, fillings, and finishes that can be creatively varied, combined, and assembled to produce delicious desserts with professional flair. A simple vanilla pound cake recipe, for instance, is easily transformed into a lemon or ginger pound cake ("Bases"); is optionally elevated with curd, gelée, or mousse ("Fillings"); and is delicately completed with fruit, streusel, glaze, or Chantilly cream ("Finishings"). Mouthwatering photographs of adventurous recipe combinations help further stir readers' imaginations. VERDICT A delightful and inspiring cookbook that guides bakers of all levels through the mix-and-match mentality of experienced pastry chefs. Highly recommended for established fans of Ansel and creative recipe construction.--Robin Chin Roemer, Univ. of Washington Lib., Seattle

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2020
Hearkening back to childhood rituals like learning the alphabet or blowing out a birthday candle with a hopeful wish, French-born international restauranteur and James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Ansel assures readers that yes, by following the rules with a measured dash of whimsy, everyone can bake. That is not to say that everyone should begin their baking journey with this full-color volume full of robust flavors and creative combinations. But for the home baker ready to understand the craft and elevate the delights that they bring to the table, Ansel serves as a reassuring and inspiring teacher. From bases to fillings and finishings, core recipes (e.g., My Go-To Chocolate Cake ) are explained, then followed by several variations?seasonings to add, methods to try, flavors to explore?and accompanied by suggestions for complementary pairings and showstopper elevations. As the recipes themselves do not repeat, to take advantage of the variations, one must flip back and forth between several pages and be mindful of where and when to make adjustments. A solid and satisfying next steps cookbook.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)