Petite Patisserie: 180 Easy Recipes for Elegant French Treats

A delightful volume devoted to the delicate, charming treats that are the soul of France's neighborhood patisseries. With Felder's expert guidance, any home cook can now re-create the sweet enchantments and small indulgences that are the hallmark of many a holiday in France.Christophe Felder, along with his longtime collaborator, Camille Lesecq, are back with a new volume that focuses upon the delightful small pastries that are one of the highlights of the art of French baking. Both children and adults adore these often bite-size indulgences. Included here are all the fundamental recipes--the classics and the traditional favorites--along with original, inventive creations. Recipes include amandines, babas, biscuits, bostocks, creams, croquantes, croustillons, financiers, flans, madeleines, Alsatian manderlis, Napoleans, petits fours, sablés, tartlets, and much more.The book opens with a section on twenty-seven base recipes from which all others can be made, including pâte brisée, pâte sucrée, sablé breton, dacquoise, pâte á choux, feuilletée rapide, and crème pâtissière. It is then divided into chapters of increasing complexity, with a final chapter on "funny" cakes--playfully decorated small cakes designed to delight children or for parties.Each recipe comes with precise preparation and cooking times, step-by-step decorating tips, and suggestions for vegan and gluten-free alternatives--this seemingly petite package contains a wide range of sweet and simple pleasures to delight big and small gourmets alike. Read more