Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes Hardcover – October 28, 2014

Ok, based on some of the reviews I actually almost didn't get this book. But I am SO glad I did. I do realize that there really aren't a lot of recipes but I love the way it is written. Not only does Mr. Ansel have a talent for baking, but also for writing. I feel as though I am transported into the stories he tells for each of his creations and I end up feeling all of those wonderful emotions that food, and the creation of food and pastry can stir up in a person passionate about baking. The pictures are gorgeous and even though some of the creations are ones I will most likely never attempt (like the "Peeps"- although they are quite adorable) there are several I will attempt. Normally, I don't write reviews without having tested at least 2 or 3 recipes, but I can't help myself. I plan to make at least two of these recipes for my loved ones and friends very soon. I will start with the chocolate pecan cookies and the perfect little egg sandwich.I should say, I am an advanced home baker so I am looking at this book from that lens if it helps one to know that. The recipes are divided by Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced skill levels and yes, some do take a few days to make. However, if you have ever made croissants or puff pastry you won't be daunted by this. To me, it is an adventure. I think these recipes are complex enough that I actually don't need this book to have a ton of recipes. When have I ever even baked my way through half of a cookbook? So it doesn't bother me because the recipes that are there are interesting enough that I probably will attempt several of them. There is more than enough to help an intermediate baker or pastry chef build skills, get the creative juices going, and maybe even one day (for you pastry chefs) reach our outshine Mr. Ansel! He encourages one to not be afraid of perfection and to keep reaching for it because that is how you keep achieving greater things! So, one might aspire to reach and or exceed his level one day. I'm not saying that is what I am going for but someone who reads this might be. Anyway, I'm a bit in love with this book, so far. Hopefully once I make a few of the receipes that love affair will continue...I did get htis book used but it was in perfect condition and I suppose whomever had it before me must have already reached this level, or else thinks it is beyond them. I am very happy with it.7/12/18 update: Made the chocolate pecan cookies (with almonds instead of pecans). Came out fabulous! I had read a couple of reviews that said something is wrong with this recipe and one person said the dough was still liquidy. Clearly that person did something wrong. Mine set up perfectly hard in the fridge overnight per the recipe. The only thing I did have to alter was to bake for 12min instead of 8. I test baked one at 8 min and it was way too gooey in the center (for me) even after cooling for 7 min on the pan. Like a molten chocolate cookie. So I put it back in the oven for 4 min and what came out was a crunchy outside, soft and melty chocolate chip center. Heaven!! Perfect texture. I baked the first real batch at 350 convection for 12 min and these are amazing!!! Already gave one to a friend who took one taste and said “you need to start your own business”. I didn’t tell her I got the recipe from a genius pastry chef’s cookbook but I don’t think she would’ve cared. Thank you Mr. Ansel!

The American soul is born from the accumulated cultural nudges of millions of immigrants. It is the soul of a merchant, striving to make it big through hard work and a bit of luck, chipping away at realizing the American Dream. Here we have a Frenchman who made the trip, made it big, and then with the Dream realized... refused to cash in out of commitment to principle and personal integrity. Like a culinary Alexis de Tocqueville, he studied us at a quiet distance in the kitchen of Daniel and in so doing was able to see exactly into our American soul. Rooted in French tradition, he listened to the inspiration found in flavors of our thanksgiving, the inscrutable (to the French) cookie, Peeps, Snickers bars, breakfast cereal among many others. He is not just a pastry chef, but a philosopher, for whom the act of baking becomes a magic trick, an exploration of time and memory, a creative end in itself not minimized by the speculative valuation of the merchant. How do I know this? Well, I've stood on his sidewalk waiting in line, munching on his apologetic freshly baked madeleine finally understanding why Proust was so transported. I have tasted the Cronut, with enthusiasm, and I have tasted its imitation, I have been to Fauchon (where he was forged) and I have read his book. Like most of the cookbooks that are coming out these days, the book is by weight roughly half essays and pictures, as much about the vision and experiences of the chef as about recipes. If you go to his shop, you get to pick a number of varied little bites and tastes, so too with this book. It is not written in long form but rather a series of mostly one page ruminations on certain desserts and the themes and creative process that led to them. These essays are extremely well written, so much so that either Ansel must be congratulated on having mastered English thoroughly enough to work professionally as a food essayist (and perhaps he has, having the intellect to explore how memory and time go into enjoying something as simple as a marshmallow) or his nameless ghostwriters must be named and thanked, so that they can be called upon to help other cookbook authors craft a worthy product. He writes about the craft, his youth and training, and the things he would love to change in the industry. He describes his deep love of New York City and the people in it, and tries to explain as best he can why he will never pre-make certain products or start a chain of Cronut stores. To write such a book, calling attention on the cover to the "secret" nature of the recipes and the fame of the bakery and chef, is to invite comparison. This is not a book that aims to make a novice into a skilled baker, nor does it try to encompass the entire cannon of what might be found in bakeries of note (a la the Bouchon Bakery cookbook, a textbook unto itself). These are not professional recipes which specify four differing flours of different protein content for one recipe and require esoteric baking equipment. Rather, it gives a few key recipes to the items that define the bakery, modified for the home kitchen. A professional baker trying to scale up and duplicate the Cronut home recipe would be, I think, frustrated in the attempt. The true secrets remain unpublished, as yet. The home cook trying to make the same recipe will be rather pleased with themselves. Standouts include the Kouign Amann (DKA), and the Perfect Egg Sandwich, and the simple hot chocolate made from ganache. Recipes are organized into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced and represent, perhaps, a learning curve or at least an increasing investment of time and frustration that will eventually with requisite repetition yield outstanding results. Metric weight measurements are joined by the American volume measurements on the page, and marginalia clarify difficult points of execution. The book is rounded out by a few base recipes and techniques and ultimately proves a worthy addition to a kitchen, bookshelf, or coffee table. It costs roughly the same as a black market Cronut might, or as much as 4 Cronuts would at the counter. Dominique Ansel came out the other end of classical French training and found himself a uniquely American palate to work in, and his creations are defined by their familiarity, but with a special "twist." He is playful, and this is a playful book of new things. Many people have lined up to buy his pastries, and I anticipate many will line up to buy this book. It may be as close as he ever comes to selling out, but really its just all of us trying to buy in.

This book is not for the faint of heart. If you don't want to bake recipes that take multiple days, don't buy this. You'll be disappointed that it seems complicated. If you're the kind of person who has 14 sheet pans, a digital food scale, and can fashion a double boiler out of just about anything, then this book will be totally up your alley. Fairly experienced home bakers will be fine with this.I know I'll probably never bake like Mr. Ansel, but that doesn't mean I can't have a good time trying. Ive been to his bakery twice, and both times was awed by the products, both for their taste and how beautiful and creative they are. I've had the book for 2 days, and so far I've made the cinnamon mini Me's to put in the Christmas morning cereal (finishing that tomorrow), the ganache for the macarons (making the shells tomorrow), and I've started the chocolate cookies (also baking tomorrow). Everything tastes very good so far.I'm finding that the way the recipes are broken down they're very easy to follow - they just take a long time. I haven't encountered ingredients I can't find, although one recipe calls for smoking cinnamon with a smoking gun. If I make that I'll either a) not smoke the cinnamon or b) ask a friend who smokes meat to throw some cinnamon in his smoker next time. You will need a lot of baking equipment for these recipes. I think you could make substitutions, though. I think I'll try making canneles in my muffin tin instead of buying several copper cannele pans that I'll only use a few times. I don't have a really big circular cutter for the cronut, but I probably have a ramekin I could use to punch out the shapes. The point is, I'm willing to try and not be deterred. I'm very glad I bought this book, and I look forward to making more of the recipes!

Non mi fa impazzire..

What a beautiful book, both the contents and the quality of the publishing itself. The baking enthusiasts will enjoy the recipes and stories of a true master, and noobs like me can enjoy the pretty pictures.

Lo que no me gusto es que no viniera envuelto en celofán como todo libro nuevo por lo regular. Llego en el tiempo indicado. Muy buenas recetas y fotografías. Sin duda un buen regalo.

Ótimas receitas

What a beautiful book, just awesome. First time I have actually been awed by a book. Trying to get brave to start trying some of the recipes. Quick service. Very happy.