Alice Medrich - Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts

ALICE MEDRICH

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SANG AN

ALSO BY ALICE MEDRICH

CHEWY GOOEY CRISPY CRUNCHY MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH COOKIES

PURE DESSERT

CHOCOLATE HOLIDAYS: UNFORGETTABLE DESSERTS FOR EVERY SEASON

BITTER SWEET: RECIPES AND TALES FROM A LIFE IN CHOCOLATE

ALICE MEDRICHS COOKIES AND BROWNIES

CHOCOLATE AND THE ART OF LOW-FAT DESSERTS

COCOLAT: EXTRAORDINARY CHOCOLATE DESSERTS

Copyright 2012 by Alice Medrich
Photographs copyright 2012 by Sang An

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproducedmechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopyingwithout written permission of the publisher.

Published by Artisan
A division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc.
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014-4381
www.artisanbooks.com

Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son, Limited

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
eISBN 9781579655464

Design by Morla Design
Art direction and styling by Sara Slavin
Food styling by Sandra Cook

FOR LUCY

The inspiration for this book dates back in part to my own prepastry chef days. A dessert I ate in a very modest neighborhood caf in Paris in the early 70s gave me the seed of an idea that has percolated in the back of my mind ever since. The dessert was simply a big scoop of sweetened chestnut puree (right out of the can) topped with a generous dollop of thick, tart, nutty-tasting crme frache (right out of the carton). My idea was certainly not to make a book of desserts from the contents of cans and cartons; but it was the notion that desserts could be delicious, sophisticated, or subtleeven luxurious, rich, and decadentwithout being complicated. Good desserts could be simple and require little skill or time to prepare, just the knowledge or awareness that two or three elements taste divine together.

Over the years Ive encountered more sinfully easy desserts in the homes of friends, usually busy people who are confident in the kitchen but more comfortable preparing savory dishes than preparing sweets. Regardless, they have a discerning eye for choosing recipes or putting elements together with panache. None are skilled dessert makers, but all are marvelous hosts.

My sinfully easy desserts are a snap to put together, forgiving, and flexible, with a focus on flavor. They also lend themselves to creative thinking and variations. Many of them rely on the usual sound judgment and taste-and-adjust habits of good cooks rather than on the pastry chefs patience, precise measuring habits, and trust in the chemistry of the recipe. Some of these recipes make use of convenient pantry items, such as special preserves or honey, frozen fruit, nut butters, etc. And some even involve simple but foolproof baking.

These are recipes that will become part of your repertoire; from them you will choose your rabbits-from-hats, your effortless signature desserts. Some are so easy to do that they dont even need a proper recipe, just a short description. Some of them are assembled, like a good salad, with flavors and textures juxtaposed in a flexible and intuitive way. Many you can remember by heart. But all require fewer steps, less equipment, less measuring, less precision, less fuss.

Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts offers a change of pace from complex and competitive TV cooking or the restaurant pastry chefs high-wire act. Its a little push back against the idea that desserts need to be complicated or demand skills that most people dont have, a collection of recipes with a focus on flavor, texture, and pleasure: simplicity at the very highest level.

Having these staples on hand means you can whip up most of the desserts in this book on the spur of the moment.

Unbleached all-purpose flour

Granulated sugar

Brown sugar: light and/or dark

Baking powder

Baking soda

Salt

Cornstarch

Chocolate of all kinds, including chocolate chips

Cocoa powder: natural and/or Dutch-process

Spices: cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, whole nutmeg, ground and/or whole cardamom pods, ground cloves, ground allspice, aniseeds, black pepper (preferably whole peppercorns, in a grinder)

Pure vanilla extract

Pure almond extract

Peanut butter and almond or other nut butters

Dried fruit: raisins and/or currants, cherries, pears, apricots, dates

Crystallized (candied) ginger

Nuts: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts (filberts), peanuts, pistachios, pecans

Unsulphured (but not blackstrap) molasses

Vanilla ice cream

Fresh lemon juice and/or lime juice (squeeze the juice after youve zested the peel, freeze in an ice cube tray, and then bag the juice cubes)

Pineapple juice concentrate

Milk

Cream (pasteurized cream has a better flavor, but ultrapasteurized cream keeps well for a long time)

Unsalted butter

Sour cream

Eggs

Plain yogurt: Greek and/or regular

Lemons and limes

Apples

Oranges