Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme
by Dorie Greenspan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dorie GreenspanEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-09-20
ISBN: 0316357413
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Book Reviews of Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme
Book Review: Nice recipes, but LONG, and inaccurate details
Summary: 4 Stars
This book, as you will doubtless gather from other reviews, has some beautiful and delicious recipes. I've made only one of them so far, so my experience with the book is limited. After looking at the other recipes, however, I see the same pattern in every one of them. I will try to list them here:
1. The recipe I made was DELICIOUS. I got some terrific compliments!
2. One thing I learnt was that INGREDIENTS are IMPORTANT! Buy the highest quality ingredients for these recipes; it makes a HUGE difference! Herme recommends Valrhona for his recipes; I used Scharfenberger, with amazing results. His chocolate ganache is killer!
3. The recipes are LONG, and multi-step. His chocolate-hazelnut dacquoise, for example, has three major steps: 1. making the hazelnut powder (I could find almond flour in the store but not the hazelnut powder, so I had to make it myself) which involved roasting the hazelnuts in an oven, then skinning them by hand, and then powdering them in a food processor (oh, and don't forget having to chop half of the skinned nuts for decorating, later); 2. making the ganache; and 3. making the meringue. You may think these are not much of a big deal, but when you add them up, they take a long time.
4. The DIRECTIONS are often WAY OFF. I don't get at all, for example, how to make almond/hazelnut powders. I can only get them to be a relatively coarse meal. Herme talks about using the blade attachment and powdering the nuts for at least 3 minutes ... after 20 seconds, I could see the nuts turning into paste, so powdering was impossible. Also, the meringue directions were woefully inadequate. Baking at 325 deg. for 25-30 minutes was certainly not enough to make the meringue crisp and dry. In fact, I could not separate the wax paper from the bottom of the meringue, so I found my own solution to the problem ... I sprayed some water on the wax paper and then separated it out. I later read in my Southern Living cookbook about meringues and there they say that meringues should be baked at 200-225 degrees for 1.5 hours and left to cool in the oven overnight...I think that might work much better.
5. The ingredients he recommends are EXPENSIVE and HARD to FIND: vanilla powder, for example ... also, he never seems to recommend vanilla essence; he always talks about a whole vanilla bean. While this is available, it is much more expensive than the essence. Same goes for vanilla powder.
I think the dacquoise is probably the least INTIMIDATING of the recipes. I am waiting for a day when I have a whole day to spare to make something else from this book. If you are a professional baker, this might simply be a source of new ideas ... and the ideas are very interesting.
The PICTURES are BEAUTIFUL, and that's what made me buy the book in the first place. I hope to become a better baker by trying out the stuff in the book. If you are a very experienced baker, then you won't be intimidated at all, because you will be able to adapt when the recipes seem impossible. I would NOT recommend this book to a novice (and I do not consider myself a total novice ... I have been baking for about 5 years, but not French recipes).
Summary of Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme
In their second collaboration, Pierre Hermé and Dorie Greenspan unveil the secrets of sumptuous chocolate desserts. Their book offers a delicious collection of recipes, all featuring the world's most intoxicating ingredient: chocolate!Since Pierre Hermé is probably the best pastry chef in the world, and chocolate the best dessert flavor, it's no surprise that this stellar combination, presented in Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé is dazzling. Hermé's beautiful recipes are written by Dorie Greenspan, who also worked with him on his award-winning Desserts by Pierre Hermé, and the resulting creations are photographed as works of art by Jean-Louis Block-Laine.
Although Hermé is best known for his multilayered extravaganzas, this collection was written and tested for American home kitchens. So while there are a few mind-boggling, taste-bud-stretching experiences like Plaisir Sucre (hazelnut dacquoise, milk chocolate ganache, milk chocolate whipped cream, sheets of tempered milk chocolate, and a crunchy chocolate praline spread), most of the recipes are more than manageable, and just as scrumptious. Lacy Coffee-Cocoa Nougatine Cookies are crisp and delicate and extremely flavorful. The Chocolate Macaroons are the perfectly smooth, ganache-filled ones you see all over Paris, and with Hermé and Greenspan to walk you through the steps, the best results are guaranteed. Pistachio Waffles with Chocolate Cream are crispy outside and moist and tender inside, and the combination of hot and cold makes them even more memorable. Chocolate Rice Pudding is far from old-fashioned, and while it makes a delectable stand-alone dessert, Hermé suggests making it part of a truly grand dessert: his Pear and Fresh Mint Tempura with Chocolate Rice Pudding is an amazing combination of flavors, textures, and temperatures.
In recipes for everything from Hot Chocolate to Bittersweet Chocolate Sorbet, from Moist and Nutty Brownies to the legendary chocolate caramel extravaganza the Faubourg Pave, readers will benefit from Hermé's 25 years of experience, his limitless creativity, and his obvious passion for his profession. This volume is destined to become a classic. --Leora Y. Bloom
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