Gale Gand's Just a Bite: 125 Luscious Little Desserts (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Author), Tim Turner (Photographer) "My fantasy of the perfect life includes occasional weekends no one around but my girlfriends, and nothing to do but play and bake treats for..." (more)
Key Phrases: cool unsalted butter, coffee suckers, meringue cigarettes, Megan Kehoe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Once upon a time there were petit fours--delicious morsels to be enjoyed as, or after, dessert. Today, there are minidesserts like Marshmallow Moons and Banana Brûlée Spoonfuls, at least according to Gale Gand's Just a Bite. Gale Gand and Julia Moskin's 125 accessible recipes provide a captivating variety of cookie, cake, and candy nibbles. Gand, whose recipes come from her Food Network show, Sweet Dreams, and Chicago restaurant Tru, knows her stuff well enough to have serious fun; readers will be delighted by her bites, which can be served at or away from the table.

The recipes range from reborn childhood classics, such as Caramel-Orange Rice Crisps, and animal crackers made with five-spice powder to traditional grown-up favorites such as Orange Tuiles and the extraordinary, custardy cake Cannelés. Present also are inventive extravaganzas, including Chocolate-Almond Fondue with Cake Cubes and Bite-Size Cheesecakes on Lemon-Pepper-Cornmeal Crusts. Candy lovers will be particularly excited by Gand's Chocolate-Caramel Cigarillos and Peppermint Stick-White Chocolate Bark, which take candy in a sophisticated yet approachable direction. (You can leave the candy thermometer in the drawer.) With a succinctly useful section on basics, and color photos, the book is both innovative and tempting. --Arthur Boehm

From Library Journal

Gand, the pastry chef of Chicago's acclaimed Tru restaurant, is also the host of Sweet Dreams, a popular Food Network series. Her last book was Butter Sugar Flour Eggs; here she presents recipes for the "bite-size" (or two- or three-bite size) desserts she serves on her "Tasting Trio" plates though each one could also be served on its own. Gand loves miniature sweets "a combination of dessert and toy" but flavor is all-important. Her recipes are organized by categories of "bites" Cookie Bites, Creamy Bites, Frozen Bites, etc. with color photographs of such delectable creations as Banana Brul?e Spoonfuls, Tiny Lemon Angel Cakes, and Taffy Lady Apples. For all baking collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1 edition (October 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609608258
• ISBN-13: 978-0609608258
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #56,289 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Miniature desserts, huge results, December 30, 2001

By	Laume "a million shades of green" (United States) - See all my reviews

Sometimes the prices of cookbooks are enough to make a person question if its worth it. You think will I use it enough? Gale Gand has put together a wonderful cookbook featuring little desserts that pack a big punch. They are wonderfully organized into catergories such as: cheese bites, fruit bites, chocolate bites, candy bites and so forth. It makes it incredibly easy to find a recipe, just based on what you're craving! Not only is this cookbook good for the home baker and professional alike, you can whip up something to serve after a dinner for four or ten.

It's true, there are not pictures for each recipe, and while this usually bothers me, Gale Gand puts everything into simple to understand language that pictures aren't necessary, or missed. In addition, you can turn on the television at any time to her show "sweet dreams" on the food network and see her make any of her desserts from any of her three cookbooks. This book is wonderful, I look forward to making every last thing in it.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Presenation, November 20, 2002

By A Customer

I felt the presentation of this book was great and there are a lot of unique recipies. I did try to make the blueberry shortbread and had a problem with it. The consistancy was just not there. After reading someone's else's review here on Amazon, I see I was not the only one who had a problem and perhaps there was something left out of the recipie?
I also tried the cake on the front cover which everyone did love, but I have to say that it made way more cake batter than the pan size and even though I didn't use it all it overflowed all over the oven. I would say that this cookbook may be for someone with a little more experience than a beginner who is not used to anticipating or judging when things don't look quite right! The choc. cake and topping was a big hit though regardless of the big mess in my stove!!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great ideas for parties!, October 29, 2001

By	"liono" (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This cookbook is a great resource for people planning parties. Most of the recipes are miniature desserts that are very easy to make and fun to eat. The best part is that they are very impressive looking. I especially love the Pansy Petal Lollipops and the Chocolate Mint Tiddlywinks. You can make 3 or 4 different desserts for a party. Gale Gand writes clear intructions and also gives suggestions for desserts that taste great together. The results are delicious! Check out her other cookbooks for more great desserts.