Desserts: Nancy Silverton

When I worked in pastry, my boss told me to buy Nancy Silverton's books because she was the best pastry chef in America. She was then and remains today an inspiration to me. I have most of her books, and this is my favorite by far. It is the most general, covering cakes, pastry, candy and frozen desserts. Unlike some books by celebrity chefs that are filled with glossy photos but have incomplete or booby trapped recipes (Pierre Herme's is a pet peeve), Silverton's recipes are always beautifully written and tested. How generous of her to share her methods with us. The recipes are fairly complex but well described enough that a careful home cook can complete them. The layout of the book is a bit drab and all black and white. It would be great if it were reprinted. The chapter on ice cream/sherbets is especially useful. Her buttercream method is baroque but produces amazing results. The caramel tart is one of the best things I have ever eaten, as is the banana chocolate cake and the sticky bun. Oh, and the cassis truffles! Yum!

Visited the bakery and tasted their goodies. Loved it. Bought the book the next visit and started baking. Good clear and clean layout. Although i am partial to measuring by weight. Your friends and table guests will appreciate the fruits of your labors.

Hands down, one of the best dessert books in my several-hundred cookbook library. A LOT of the recipes require skill, and involve multiple steps. If you're skilled, or want to become skilled, this is a book for you. The apple pie recipe alone is amazing. Nancy Silverton is considered to be one of the best pastry chefs in the country. I like this book more than her "Pastries from the La Brea Bakery," because it is a lot more accessible, even though it's not really "easy."