Sweet Times: Simple Desserts for Every Occasion [Hardcover]

Dorie Greenspan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

New York City patissier and food writer Greenspan can step into the Sugar Plum Fairy's shoes with this generously detailed collection of dessert recipes, all so clear and complete that the author's hortatory presence would seem to hover in the kitchen of even a novice. Offerings are grouped according to the "time and day and mood" each suits: "Breakfast, Brunch, and Lunch Mates: Sweets to Get You Through the Day"; "Comfort on a Spoon: Sweets to Snuggle up With," etc. Every recipe is followed by notes on serving, storing, how to make the "best match" (menu suggestions),stet and "playing around" (variations and tips on alternate presentations). Egalitarian in her acclaim for shortcuts, Greenspan invokes such supermarket conveniences as frozen puff pastry (used in her quick prune pithiviers, for example) and canned pumpkin puree (banana-pumpkin pie). Cooks with an eye on the clock will be tantalized by "apple paper thins" (a "pizza of buttery, sugary apples") and the elegant chocolate-Amaretti torte known as "15-minute magic." Illustrations not seen by PW. Better Homes & Gardens Book Club main selection; first serial to Family Circle.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 253 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (March 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688083005
• ISBN-13: 978-0688083007
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #859,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Called 'a culinary guru' by The New York Times, Dorie Greenspan is the award-winning author of nine cookbooks, a special correspondent for Bon Appetit magazine and a frequent guest on National Public Radio's All Things Considered and Splendid Table. Her cookbooks include the bestseller, Baking with Julia, the book that accompanied Julia Child's PBS series; Desserts by Pierre Herme, which was named Cookbook of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP); Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme; Paris Sweets, Great Desserts from the City's Best Pastry Shops; and, most recently, Baking: From My Home to Yours, which Amazon.com named as one of the top 50 books and one of the top 10 cookbooks of 2006. The book won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2007, the same year Dorie was inducted into the Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America.

Dorie's next book, Around the French Table, will be published in 2010.

Dorie lives in New York City; Westbrook, Connecticut; and Paris. You can read about her food adventures in these and other places at www.doriegreenspan.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tragedy to see this book out of print!, July 8, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Sweet Times: Simple Desserts for Every Occasion (Hardcover)

I received this book as wedding gift in 1991... it is WONDERFUL. Every single recipe is so clearly written, it is truly foolproof. And the results are spectacular!

Ms. Greenspan excels at clearly outlining the process for each of her divine creations, forewarning the reader of possible pitfalls and anticipating the inexperienced baker's panic points. I love that she describes what a batter will look like AS it's being mixed, instructing her readers to be patient if something seems off and reassuring the novice every step of the way.

Yet the book isn't overly wordy or self-praising. It's beautifully illustrated, and, most importantly, the recipes are easy and delicious.

I do hope the publishers will recirculate this gem!

5.0 out of 5 stars Please make this gem available on kindle!, December 31, 2011

By 

VillageReader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweet Times: Simple Desserts for Every Occasion (Hardcover)

This book is a treasure: easy, approachable, and with reliable results for the home baker. It is such a loss that this wonderful book is out of print! My copy is worn from use. This would be a "natural" for reissuance, particularly in kindle format, to reach a new generation of happy users.