The Sweet Melissa Baking Book: Recipes from the Beloved Bakery for Everyone's Favorite Treats (Hardcover)

by Melissa Murphy (Author)
Key Phrases: flaky pie dough, caramel apple filling, plastic wrap flush, Brown Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream, All-Butter Pie Dough, Granny Smith (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A baking book from “one of the best pastry shops in all of New York” (Food and Wine)

Everyone has a favorite sweet treat. Whether it’s a delicious brownie or the perfect mouthwatering chocolate chip cookie, simple, homespun treats are some of our most beloved. Melissa Murphy has a love of desserts that started when she was born on Thanksgiving Day—her mother refused to go to the hospital until the two pies she’d baked had been served. Now, Melissa brings that passion to the loyal devotees of her popular, award-winning Sweet Melissa Pâtisserie shops.

What makes Melissa’s desserts and pastries special is that they are treats we all know and love with a fresh spin that make them more delicious than ever before. In The Sweet Melissa Baking Book, Melissa shares her simple, triedand-true techniques and her French-influenced, American- style baking approach. There are desserts for everyday, such as Double Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies, and for more special occasions.

Warm and spirited, The Sweet Melissa Baking Book also contains charming anecdotes from Melissa’s life of baking. With more than one hundred recipes, the simple treats in this book will make each day and every special occasion sweeter.

About the Author
Melissa Murphy is the chef and co-owner of the popular Sweet Melissa Pâtisserie shops in Brooklyn. Murphy has also made several appearances on the Food Network.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Studio (March 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670018740
• ISBN-13: 978-0670018741
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,561 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Playful, Unique and Scrumptious Recipes, April 6, 2008

By	BakingandBooks.com "BakingandBooks.com" (CT) - See all my reviews

"The Sweet Melissa Baking Book," by Melissa Murphy, is a book that lives up to its subtitle: it really is filled with recipes that are bound to become everyone's favorite treats. From `Raised Waffles with Warm Brown Sugar Bananas' in the "Dessert for Breakfast" section, to `Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel-Rum Raisin Sauce' in the "Sunday's Supper's Grand Finale" chapter, the goodies in this book are tempting and satisfying. The `Hazelnut Raspberry Cake' was one of the best desserts I have ever tasted, while the `Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies' were just the thing to eat with a glass of cold milk. Of all the recipes I tried, the only one I did not like was the `Whole Orange-Poppy Seed Cake', which had a bitter aftertaste, but I've heard that others have enjoyed this recipe so perhaps it's simply my taste buds that were the problem. There are only eight color photographs in the book, but recipes are written in such a clear, approachable manner that I dare say you don't need the photos to create even the most mouth-watering results. Murphy prefaces each recipe with a short story, which adds a warm, friendly feel to her instructions. I especially appreciated that she outlines how to store her cookies, muffins, cakes and other treats so that they will last as long as possible. She also includes helpful sections on how to frost multi layered cakes, toast nuts, and even make preserves from scratch. Overall this is a great book for bakers (and candy makers) of every skill level. If you're looking for a baking book that will add oomph to your collection, this is definitely one to try. I'd recommend you make the `Bee Stings' first, which are yeasted buns sprinkled with sliced almonds, drizzled with a honey caramel glaze and filled with vanilla bean pastry cream. Yum!

Chapters include: Dessert for Breakfast, After-School Snack, It's Somebody's Birthday!, What Will We Do With All This Fruit?, Sunday Supper's Grand Finale, and Favorite Gifts.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Sweeter!, March 16, 2008

By	Janice Fryer (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a customer of Sweet Melissa Patisserie for years, and am so excited to have Melissa's "secret" recipes in my hands! I made the Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake (cover photo) for a dinner party last night. It won rave reviews and everyone had seconds! (And was also most excellent for breakfast this morning!)

The recipes are well thought out and easy to follow. The hardest thing about this book is to decide what to make next. I see myself working my way through this book ala Julie and Julia! Next up: Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake with Blackberry Glaze. Yum!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good baking book for bakers of any level, March 25, 2008

By	Jennifer Rudd "Peabody" (Seattle WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There isn't much not to love about this cookbook(my only complaint is my usual one...not enough photos). These are good solid recipes that are not fluffed up(no deconstruction and big towering desserts). Simple and good.
If you are a novice baker you will find that the instructions are easy to follow and the results will be positive ones for you. If you are a veteran baker like myself you find little twists on classics that you most likely didn't think about. All around, if you are a baker, you should be owning this book. If you are not a baker and you want to be...you should be owning this book.