Customer Reviews

The Book of Chocolates and Petits Fours

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Of 114 recipes, there are 3 that have to do with petits fours. Lots of big pictures, very little good information.

I've never made chocolates before. But this little book, with beautiful photographs, and easy-to-find ingredient lists, shows the way to creating exquisite works of chocolate art! I would suggest these for cocktail parties, weddings, holidays, or teas....or making your own gifts!

I truly believe anyone could do this - no special craft/skills needed! And get this: you wont have to bore your family or friends with the same old christmas cookie recipes anymore! equally good for Channukah - or Kwanzaa! Or Yule!

I think it would be easy to adapt some of the recipes to your own tastes as well.

I found this book while looking for recipes for tea parties. Not only does this book have a great variety of recipes that I haven't found in standard cook books, it also has wonderful pictures.

In its roughly 50 parts, all written by experienced cooks and cook book writers, HP Books' "The Book of ... Cooking" series takes you to the cuisines of various regions of the U.S. and around the world; all in easy to follow, well-explained recipes.

This installment, the Book of Chocolates and Petits Fours, presents recipe suggestions for all different types of these tiny dessert cookies and truffles, from chocolates and truffles to confections, cookies, wafers, tarts, cream puffs and meringues. (NOTE: While the term "petits fours" is now also used more and more frequently in connection with the kind of small salty snacks that is often served at parties, traditionally petits fours were sweets served at the end of a meal, or with tea or coffee. Only these are described in this book - but of course, in that context, a snack doesn't only qualify as a petit four if it actually happens to have that name.) Classics such as assorted truffles, fudges and pralines, almond orange bread, almond tarts, butter fingers, chocolate coated fruit, coconut macaroons, eclairs, Florentines, fruit cakes, marzipan, rum balls, strawberries dipped in brown and white chocolate, and Viennese almond crescents appear next to unique treats such as Christmas truffles, honey nut fruit balls and lattice jam cookies.

You won't find any salty party snacks here - but from almond and prune truffles to walnut coffee creams and white truffles, this collection of recipes, while not all-encompassing, is a great introduction to the endless possibilities of finishing a meal on a sweet note, or serving little treats with your afternoon coffee or tea. Also recommended: this series' installments on ice creams and sorbets, cookies, preserves, and afternoon tea.

Also recommended:
Around the World Cookbook
Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant (Cookery)
Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (4th Edition) Textbook only
Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006

I love the concept of Petit Fours. I love eating Petit Fours. They are the perfect size for one to indulge their sweet tooth. I especially like this book because it has some nice and interesting variations as well the traditional petit fours. If you could have a sampling of a few different desserts, why would you want a big slice of cake?

I got this book to make petit fours. The recipe is the pits. The genoise came out like a garden tile. I tired it twice.