Desserts for Dummies (Paperback)

~ Bill Yosses (Author), Alison Yates (Author) "Many accomplished home cooks would no sooner bake a fruit tart than paddle a canoe backwards to Tierra del Fuego..." (more)
Key Phrases: stirred custard, specialty ingredients, flavored extracts, Grand Marnier, Granny Smith, Basic American Pie Dough (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

You're no dummy to salivate at the thought of Baked Chocolate Pillows, Fallen Chocolate Soufflé, or Mom's Apple Pie. Following the easy, breezy format of the Dummies series, pastry chef Bill Yosses, who spent a decade at the four-star Bouley Restaurant in New York City, takes you through these recipes and 130 more in Desserts for Dummies. The book is cowritten by Bryan Miller, once the restaurant critic for the New York Times. The 16 pages of color photographs in this book are alluring, but a few more illustrations in black and white would help, particularly accompanying the recipes for making puff pastry and strudel dough. You'll dive easily into recipes such as Toasted Coconut Frozen Soufflé and English Trifle, which is made from scratch starting with instructions for sponge cake. Yosses and Miller also offer information on ingredients and techniques to enlarge your repertoire and improve your skills. Dessert making is the most precise form of cooking, and Desserts for Dummies is appropriately less frantic and more direct than other volumes in the Dummies cooking series.

Product Description

Because dessert is the last part of a meal, it's the part that leaves a lasting impression on your guests -- whether you serve a chocolate mousse or a chocolate candy bar. Fortunately, Desserts For Dummies transforms a daunting challenge into a dazzling opportunity to give yourself, your family, and your guests an exquisite finale to a fine meal.

In Desserts For Dummies, renowned pastry chef Bill Yosses and former New York Times restaurant critic Bryan Miller deflate any fears you may have that your soufflÈ will fall or your flambÈ will flame out. In plain English, they show you how to

• Equip your kitchen with the utensils, dishes, appliances, and other cooking paraphernalia you need to whip up great desserts
• Stock your kitchen with the right ingredients
• Roll out delectable pie doughs, create perfect puff pastries, and make tempting tarts
• Transform the incredible, edible egg into custards, puddings, and meringues
• Create all kinds of cakes -- even wedding cakes -- with mouthwatering fillings and icings
• Make your own ice cream and sorbets -- you'll never settle for store-bought again
• Serve up special desserts for special occasions

Plus, Desserts For Dummies features a 16-page, full-color insert showing recipes from the book prepared and served in all their glory.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (September 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764550470
• ISBN-13: 978-0764550478
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #666,176 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo!, September 20, 1999

By A Customer

The recipes are great, beautiful, wonderful, and most importantly-just about fool proof! Try the lemon poppy seed cake with the blueberry topping. It alone I think was worth the price of the book. The only time I messed a recipe up was when I was to impatient to wait for a pan of custard to cool. Stunning recipes for a novice cook.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I overcame my fear of baking, February 24, 2003

By	tee jay (New York City) - See all my reviews

The book made me feel confident and I took on more and more recipes. They all came out wonderful. My family is trying a lot of new dishes out of Dessert for Dummies, and they love them all.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New White House pastry chef is co-author of , January 30, 2007

By	J. Wetmore - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sweetest Job in Washington

The White House has a new executive pastry chef,
William "Bill" Yosses, whose last project was helping
to open lefty Paul Newman's new restaurant in
Westport, Conn. (Dressing Room: A Homegrown
Restaurant) where the emphasis is on locally grown and
organic foods.

As the top pastry chef, Yosses will be responsible for
dessert menus for state dinners and holiday
celebrations among other events. He got a taste of the
work recently when he served as a holiday pastry chef,
and has extensive experience at New York City
restaurants.

"Chef Yosses has impressed us from the start with his
original and delicious creations. He has a light touch
with desserts, and the enthusiasm with which he
approaches his profession makes him a real asset for
all of us in the White House," First Lady Laura said
in announcing the appointment.

Not in the White House press release: Yosses is also
co-author of the cookbook "Desserts for Dummies," an
Amazon.com review of which promised: "Before you know
it, you'll start creating desserts that you've only
dreamed of." -Mary Lu Carnevale

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