Critique du Publishers Weekly

Drawing on updated recipes from Mathiot's 1932 Je Sais Cuisinier (I Know How to Cook) and 1938 Je Sais Faire La Patisserie (I Know How to Make Pastries), this collection provides an informative and accessible introduction into the realm of French pastry making. Believing that homemade baked goods and desserts shouldn't be considered a luxury, Mathiot argues that they can be easily made at home less expensively and with better ingredients and nutritional value by anyone with a little time and a minimum of equipment. To that end, she serves up recipes geared to the nonprofessional baker that cover everything from basics like pie dough, tarts, cakes, and souffles. Frostings and fillings abound and range from the typical pastry cream to almond custard and creme anglaise. Also included are numerous cookies that are sure to delight-like hazelnut tuiles, snowballs, and spoon cookies-and custards, meringues, and fruit desserts, including baked pears, plum charlotte, and apple hedgehogs. However, Mathiot's best chapter is "Gateaux," where she proffers varieties of nut cakes, spice cakes, chocolate cakes, and even the dreaded fruitcake, whose reputation she may singlehandedly redeem. A solid primer for those looking to indulge in homemade classical pastries, this book will inspire would-be bakers to new heights. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.