Desserts 4 Today: Flavorful Desserts with Just Four Ingredients [Paperback]

Abigail Johnson Dodge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2010

Whether you’ve had a hard day at work, have been on the go all day, or are planning an impromptu get together for friends, nothing will end your day better than something sweet and satisfying. Thanks to baking expert Abigail Johnson Dodge, you can whip up a delicious dessert with just 4 ingredients in about half-hour. The recipes in Desserts 4 Today rely on simplicity--no outrageous ingredients, no difficult-to-master techniques, and no hours of prep work. Each of the 125 flavorful desserts uses pantry ingredients, is ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes, and provides flavor variations sure to please any palette and any craving. Desserts 4 Today enables cooks of all skill levels to effortlessly create delicious desserts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It’s hard not to love Dodge’s concept. Everyone is looking to simplify and having four fresh ingredients makes all the beautiful desserts in her book seem approachable. Of course, no chef as talented as Dodge (she previously wrote “The Weekend Baker”) can stop with just four of anything. So each recipe includes “Switch-Ins,” which suggest different flavor pairings. These also include swap-out ingredients in case you don’t have, or don’t care for, something in the recipe. She also suggests ways to “Gussy It Up.” This is a great book for someone who wants to learn to bake. "--The Providence Journal

"First, let's just make this clear: Desserts 4 Today is not the latest Hip Hop group.  It's an ingenious new cookbook by former pastry chef and culinary veteran Abigail Johnson Dodge. The book is divided into 5 easy chapters: Cookies, Creamy Desserts, Frozen Desserts, Fruit Desserts, and Pastries (a number of which conveniently rely on quality store-bought products like frozen puff pastry and phyllo dough.) The hook is that each gem of a recipe contains no more than 4 ingredients. Seriously. Okay, each recipe is followed by numerous variations with headings like, Switch-Ins, Gussy It Up; and Change It Up, but there is really no reason to go there unless you feel like taking that extra step. As written, each of the basic recipes is a perfect study in simplicity and creativity. And you can rest assured your grocery cart will not be overloaded with expensive, esoteric ingredients you may never use again." --Project Foodie

"One might expect a cookbook of four-ingredients-max dessert recipes to rely heavily on convenience ingredients or lots of dressed-up shortbread. But in her latest cookbook “Desserts 4 Today” (Taunton Press, $17.95), pastry chef and baking expert Abigail Johnson Dodge delivers a surprising number of cookies and other sweets made simply and with fresh ingredients." --Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger

 "If you bake frequently, a good number of the recipes won’t even require a trip to the store; you probably already have the ingredients on hand. Keep the book close at hand, then, for impromptu visits from friends, or whenever your sweet tooth gets the better of you. Puff pastry is a godsend in the pastry chapter (it’s a godsend, period, isn’t it?); elsewhere, Dodge calls for pre-made cookies, ice cream or sorbet. But mostly, she leaves it up to chemistry. Coaxing something delicious out of varying combinations of butter, sugar, cream, eggs, flour, chocolate, coconut milk, vanilla and fruit isn’t magic, but it’s funny how doing so can make you look like a genius." --The Chicago Sun-Times

About the Author

A former pastry chef, Abby Dodge is a widely respected baking expert as well as a popular food writer and instructor. She studied in Paris at La Varenne and is the author of seven cookbooks, including The Weekend Baker, an IACP Cookbook Award Finalist. Her recipes and articles have appeared in more than three dozen cookbooks, publications and websites. A contributing editor to Fine Cooking magazine, she's a regular guest on TV and radio and teaches cooking around the country. Visit Abby's website www.abbydodge.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (September 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600852947
• ISBN-13: 978-1600852947
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #218,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A former pastry chef, Abby Dodge is a widely respected baking expert as well as a popular food writer and instructor. She studied in Paris at La Varenne and is the author of seven cookbooks, including Desserts 4 Today (Taunton Press, 9/2010) and The Weekend Baker, an IACP Cookbook Award Finalist. Her recipes and articles have appeared in more than three dozen cookbooks, publications and websites. A contributing editor to Fine Cooking magazine, she's a regular guest on TV and radio and teaches cooking around the country. For more information, please visit Abby's website www.abbydodge.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From [...]: A gem of a cookbook--one word--YUMMY, September 7, 2010

By 

Susan Smith (Cedar Hill, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Desserts 4 Today: Flavorful Desserts with Just Four Ingredients (Paperback)

I may have to stop reviewing cookbooks from Taunton Press--every single one I have chosen to review thus far I have wanted to own. My personal copy ordered from Amazon is on it's way to me as I type this.

What is it about this one? At first glance, it seems a little gimmicky. About 10 or 12 years ago, there were several cookbooks published that either limited the number of ingredients or number of steps for a recipe. Sometimes they were successful and sometimes less so.

Johnson Dodge has an understanding of ingredients, of chemistry, of baking and cooking, and of today's cook that works like magic here. When you only have four ingredients, they all count, and they all must work together to make the finished product. She gives a great introductory section where she talks about ingredients, techniques, equipment and more. Almost every recipe has suggestions to change it up, or comments on technical things or ways to gussy it up with sauces or glazes or the like. Usually when I review a cookbook, I make two or three dishes to see how they turn out. These recipes were so easy and so good, I found myself making one every time I turned around.

I started with Jammin' Sugar Cookie Thumbprints (p. 22) and Toasted Pistachio Crisps (p. 19). I am lazy, so I almost never get out my mixer. On the thumbprints, I filled them with raspberry preserves. They were rich, buttery, crispy and the raspberry was a perfect contrast. There were several suggestions for switch-ins and anyone with a little imagination could come up with more. I was not able to slice the dough for the crisps, it kept crumbling. (Possibly my fault for either mixing by hand or not chopping my nuts finely enough). It didn't matter, I rolled the dough into balls and pressed each flat with the palm of my hand. My husband loved them, suggesting I add them to my regular baking. From there I tried Crunchy Peanut Butter Buttons (p. 32). You will be amazed that such simple ingredients make such a divine cookie. Next time I think I'll try the suggestion and add mini M&Ms. These cookies were surprisingly even more peanuttier the second day. The Oatmeal-Cinnamon Crisps (p. 28) made a believer out of me. I looked at the "dough" and then my homely piles of oats on the cookie sheets and thought there is no way this is going to work. And then it did, almost like magic, when the brown sugar caramelized to make little crunchy mounds of goodness.

There were two recipes that were less successful however. The Lemon Meltaways (p. 29) had nice texture but didn't taste very lemony. This again may have been my fault, as I didn't measure my lemon zest, just zested the one lemon I had and figured it was enough. The Chocolate-Toffee Crumble Cups (p. 37) were delicious when first baked, but after they had cooled, the toffee in the dough seemed to get very hard and chewy and made them not as good. In this case, I think I would make them again and only put the toffee on the top, or try one of the suggestions for other things to switch-in their place.

Almost every recipe I tried had a higher yield than indicated. (If you are into cooking or just like to be exact, I recommend buying cookie scoops of varying sizes, they work so well.) I wanted to try other recipes in the book, so I can't wait for my copy to get here. And Abigail Johnson Dodge, if you see this, I would love a Cookies 4 Today book next. (You can tell I can't get enough of these cookie recipes!)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Buy For Any Baker, September 6, 2010

By 

Eliana - See all my reviews

This review is from: Desserts 4 Today: Flavorful Desserts with Just Four Ingredients (Paperback)

This book is a must-buy for all bakers. Novice bakers will get simple desserts without complex techniques that will result in maximum flavors. Seasoned bakers will get a break with easy peasy desserts they can put together in a flash. I bake on a regular basis and loved that the Nutella Fudge Brownies took 15 minutes TOTAL to make - from the time I started to measure the ingredients til I took the out of the oven. And to boot - when you chef up any of the recipes in the book, you won't be left with a huge layer cake or 2 dozen cupcakes. So for those of you who like to bake but also watch your waistline - this one's for you.

The recipes in this book are simple, easy, approachable but don't skimp of flavor. Do yourself a favor - buy this book - you won't be disappointed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have, September 1, 2010

By 

Rodney Smith (Anderson, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Desserts 4 Today: Flavorful Desserts with Just Four Ingredients (Paperback)

This little gem is a 'must have' for any dessert lover! There is nothing pretentious about any of the recipes - just straight forward ingredients that almost everyone will have in their pantry. And yes, you read the title correctly, with 4 ingredients you can make sweet, satisfying desserts like Mini Bittersweet Chocolate Cheesecakes, the infamous Nutella Fudge Brownies, Crunchy Peanut Butter Buttons or even Maple-Glazed Figs with Hazelnut Mascarpone. Rich and satisfying, I love that most recipes make smaller amounts so you're not tempted to break the calorie bank with midnight snacking ( although midnight snacking isn't necessarily a bad thing, right?)

Abby also gives what she calls 'Switch-Ins' where swapping out one ingredient creates another fabulous dessert. Simple enough for every day but fancy enough to serve company, the book is filled with 125 recipes using everyday pantry ingredients that will keep me in desserts for quite some time. I think this is the perfect cookbook for every type of baker including young bakers. I just can't say enough about 'Desserts 4 Today' - it does not disappoint!