Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop (Sweets and Dessert Cookbook, French Bakery)

I finished writing this review and just had to go back and say that I am just THRILLED ABOUT THIS BOOK! I have not seen another like it out there and I shop a lot for cooking and baking books! Such a BEAUTIFUL BOOK! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!(This is where I originally started my review:) I have many baking and cooking books and search online for recipes as well but this book is by FAR the BEST ONE! First of all, this book is so pretty that I don't mind leaving it out on the table. The cover is not only very attractive but the edges of the pages are scalloped! I love the variety of recipes and the way that the author shows how to convert a cake recipe to a cupcake recipe.This book shows how to make French Buttercream, Coffee Buttercream, Cream Cheese Frosting, Boiled icing, Ganache, Chocolate or Strawberry or Coconut Mousse, Pastry Cream, Lady Fingers (YES, even Ladyfingers, I have never found a recipe for Ladyfingers before not even with an online search), Simple Syrup, Gingerbread cake or cupcakes, Tarts of all kinds(I have never heard of a Pecan Tart before nor a Banana Cream Tart), cakes of all kinds, Chocolate Caramels, Caramel Corn, Marshmallows, Buttermilk Panna Cotta, English Toffee, Eclairs, Creme Fraiche Scones, Graham Crackers, several different kinds of Macarons: Parisian, Geranium, Hazelnut, Rose and more Macarons.Do you know how hard it is to find a Marshmallow recipe? Normally you have to have 5 or more books with the variety in this ONE BOOK! What a savings plus everything is so simply written!The book is so inviting as are the recipes. It is simply written so that the recipes are easy and don't take long to make. Even if you are the occasional baker, you will find that the ingredients are ones that you will already have in your cabinet.I have waited a while for this book to be published and even thought about cancelling the order because I was tired of waiting. I am so happy that I stuck it out because I am more thrilled about this book than any of my many others. I have around 300 excellent cook and bake books. My husband and I do a lot of cooking but I do all the baking. When we go to or have parties, everyone always raves about my deserts and dishes. So I do know how to choose the right recipes/the right cook and baking books.G. from California

Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop  is one of the prettiest books it has been my pleasure to come across. While there are not a huge number of recipes (more is not always better), the recipes that are included cover a wide and very well chosen spectrum. Among the goodies I was delighted to find were both homemade graham crackers and the wonderful chocolate wafers, now nearly unobtainable commercially, that were such a big part of my childhood.Perhaps the thing I liked best, though, was the scale of the recipes. I love to bake, but now that I live alone a full-sized cake or pie is simply too much for me to consume. Ray's recipes, however, are all scaled to small. The cakes run to a mere six inches, the tarts to seven. Her instructions are detailed and easy to follow, making this a book that newer bakers will enjoy using. Highly recommended.PS -  Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop , together with a  Wilton Decorator Preferred 6 by 2 Inch Round Pan  and a set of pretty pot holders would make a perfect bridal shower gift!One final note: I've spent several hours searching high and low for 7-inch tart pans as specified in the book, to no avail. While I did find a straight-sided version in silicon, I do not care for silicon bakeware. On rereading the book, I find that Ray does state that the recipes have been tested for either 7 or 8 inch tart pans or 3.5 inch tartlet pans. Here are a couple that would fit the bill - Chicago Metallic Tartlett Pan 4 Cavity, 10.60-Inch by, 9.90-Inch by 1.30-Inch (3-1/2-Inch by .90 Cavities) Paderno World Cuisine 7.875 Inch Fluted Non-Stick Tart Pan with Removable Bottom

I rarely pre-purchase a book before it comes out, but I have heard so much gushing about miette I was pretty sure I would like the book. I received it two days ago and I just can't put it down! The photography is gorgeous, and there are lots of photos in the book. Every single one of them makes my mouth water & I love being able to see the beautiful shop even though I live on the opposite coast. Another design element used in the book is scalloped edges, which is so fitting because Meg writes about how much she loves the packaging of pastries in France. There was a lot of thought put into the design of the book.And then there are the recipes. I have few cookbooks that have made me want to try every single recipe but this one does! In miette, you don't just get a basic recipe; there are technique notes for everything so you will understand why you do what you do. Meg discusses why you want your ingredients at a certain temperature, what the paddle does to your batter compared to what the whisk will do, how to make your chocolate ganache smooth and air-bubble free. Many of the cakes are made with the same recipe- the hot milk cake recipe is the base for princess cake, lemon debutante cake, strawberry charlotte, and coconut mousse cake. All of them are gorgeous and I can't wait to make them. I baked the butter cake last night and my family loved the cake.Beyond the baking, Meg explains how to decorate the cakes and really goes into detail. Everything in this book has the same "je ne sais qoi" - simple yet beautiful. The size of the cakes is nice too- most of her cakes are 6 inch cakes- just big enough that my family can have the cake without having to eat the same cake for days- which means I can try out all of the recipes quicker.The chapters in the book are: cakes, afternoon cakes (think pound cake), cookies, bars, and pastries, candies and creams, miette essentials (basics like buttercreams and mousse), essential ingredients and essential tools, and sources. I highly recommend this book; I know I will become a better baker because of it!

Muero de amor por este libro, lo utilizo mucho y sus elaboraciones salen buenísimas sin la necesidad de estar repitiendo las recetas hasta q salen...a veces les falta algún paso o algún truco, aquí son tal como son!

The book wears its name very well, presentation is a "biggie" and this book has scalloped pages... imagine what the inside has to offer! I really enjoyed the authors story on her beginnings, she has opened up and shared how "miette" was born! I'm in the process of starting up my little bakery and Meg Ray is definitely an inspiration! Look forward to trying out her many recipes and ideas.

Ich habe schon viele Rezeptbücher in der Hand gehabt und bei den meisten wusste ich bereits beim durchlesen der Zutaten und der Anleitung, dass das so nicht sein kann. Und tatsächlich das Ergebnis entsprach zu 90 % nie der Abbildung im Rezeptbuch.Aber wer sich dieses Buch kauft, setzt diesem Drama ein Ende!! Ich habe zwar noch nicht alle Rezepte ausprobiert, aber die, die ich bisher nach gebacken habe, haben mich zu 100 % überzeugt. Das scöne an diesem Buch ist außerdem, man braucht keine ausgefallenen Zutaten um etwas daraus zu backen. Zwei Beispiele, meine beiden Lieblingsrezepte aus dem Buch der Hot Milk Cake und der Double Chocholat Cake. Man muss für diese beiden nicht extra einkaufen gehen, denn jeder der hin und wieder backen tut, hat die Zutaten schon aus gewohnheit zu Hause. Und die Kosten dieser beiden belaufen sich beim Hot Milk Cake auf gerade mal knappe 3 €, beim Schokoladen Kuchen auf knapp 5 €.Leider gibt es das Buch nur auf Englisch, daher wird es für die jenigen, die der englischen Sprache nicht mächtig sind, sehr schwierig. Für alle anderen, die es können, es gibt ja noch Google. Die Verarbeitungsschritte sind sehr ausführlich und die Autorin hat wirklich an alle Details gedacht. Sie beschriebt z.B. wo sie das Rezept gefunden hat und wie es in der Originalversion ausgesehen hat, oder wie sie es für Ihr Cafe herrichtet.Wenn man sich Zeit nimmt und das Buch vor dem Backen etwas genauer studiert, wird man auch feststellen, dass von den Eiern mal nur Eigelb oder Eiweiß verwendet wird. Teilweise etwas mehr, als wir es von deutschen Kuchen gewohnt sind. Aber keine Sorge, es gibt für alles in diesem Buch eine Verwendung und es ist einfach zu machen und schmeckt auch noch vorzüglich.Mehr möchte ich hier nicht aus dem Buch verraten, es ist inzwischen mein Lieblingsbackbuch und teilweise kann ich die Rezepte auch schon auswendig.

Ottimo libro! Bellissime foto e ricette golosissime con spiegazioni minuzione! :)Viene voglia di mettersi subito all'opera! Lo consiglio! :)

Présentée comme "la plus charmante pâtisserie de San Francisco", la boutique de Meg Ray donne vraiment envie d'en pousser la porte pour passer un moment de douceur un peu hors du temps. Alors si vous ne projetez pas un voyage dans le coin avant un bon moment,et bien sur si vous aimez faire de la pâtisserie, je vous conseille vivement d'acquérir cet ouvrage !En premier lieu, la présentation est ravissante et inhabituelle : toutes les pages du livre son festonnées comme un napperon en papier, la gamme de couleur dans les tons "pastel" rappelle l'ambiance "cosy" d'un salon de thé et les recettes proposées vous donnent envie de tout essayer.Le Tomboy trône en couverture dans un contraste de chocolat noir et de glaçage rose.Le mythique "Princess Cake" né en Suède en 1930, est présenté de façon très claire grâce à une série de photos.La mise en scène est toute en finesse, c'est un livre que je ne me lasse pas de feuilleter : bonbonnières, rubans roses au nom de la boutique, présentoirs à gâteaux ... etcIl est clair que le parti pris du photographe, en multipliant les gros plans, est de faire en sorte que ces gourmandises se rapprochent le plus possible du lecteur ... ultime tentation pour nous motiver à passer à l'action !