cool desserts
"she's great on youtube and great as an author - and while her desserts are not typically on the 'simple' end of things, it's often worth the added time/effort to make something special."
Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence: A Baking Book
Illustrated
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her first cookbook, Bon Appétit and YouTube star of the show Gourmet Makes offers wisdom, problem-solving strategies, and more than 100 meticulously tested, creative, and inspiring recipes.
IACP AWARD WINNER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Bon Appétit • NPR • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution • Salon • Epicurious
“There are no ‘just cooks’ out there, only bakers who haven't yet been converted. I am a dessert person, and we are all dessert people.”—Claire Saffitz
Claire Saffitz is a baking hero for a new generation. In Dessert Person, fans will find Claire’s signature spin on sweet and savory recipes like Babkallah (a babka-Challah mashup), Apple and Concord Grape Crumble Pie, Strawberry-Cornmeal Layer Cake, Crispy Mushroom Galette, and Malted Forever Brownies. She outlines the problems and solutions for each recipe—like what to do if your pie dough for Sour Cherry Pie cracks (patch it with dough or a quiche flour paste!)—as well as practical do’s and don’ts, skill level, prep and bake time, step-by-step photography, and foundational know-how. With her trademark warmth and superpower ability to explain anything baking related, Claire is ready to make everyone a dessert person.
IACP AWARD WINNER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Bon Appétit • NPR • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution • Salon • Epicurious
“There are no ‘just cooks’ out there, only bakers who haven't yet been converted. I am a dessert person, and we are all dessert people.”—Claire Saffitz
Claire Saffitz is a baking hero for a new generation. In Dessert Person, fans will find Claire’s signature spin on sweet and savory recipes like Babkallah (a babka-Challah mashup), Apple and Concord Grape Crumble Pie, Strawberry-Cornmeal Layer Cake, Crispy Mushroom Galette, and Malted Forever Brownies. She outlines the problems and solutions for each recipe—like what to do if your pie dough for Sour Cherry Pie cracks (patch it with dough or a quiche flour paste!)—as well as practical do’s and don’ts, skill level, prep and bake time, step-by-step photography, and foundational know-how. With her trademark warmth and superpower ability to explain anything baking related, Claire is ready to make everyone a dessert person.
Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence: A Baking Book
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Overall rating: 4.9 / 5 from 10 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz is a highly acclaimed cookbook praised for its wide variety of meticulously tested recipes, clear instructions, and helpful tips. Customers appreciate the creative and inspiring recipes, as well as the practical problem-solving strategies provided.
Summary topics
- Cookbook Quality (15%): Many customers raved about this cookbook, stating that it is their favorite by a mile.
- Baking Satisfaction (30%): A significant amount of customers expressed satisfaction with the baking, stating that they enjoyed the variety of recipes in the book.
- Recipe Variety (50%): A substantial number of customers remarked that the book is easy to follow and has a wide variety of recipes.
- Instruction Clarity (20%): Many customers raved about the clear and precise instructions provided in Claire's cookbook, praising her thorough instructions and helpful tips.
- Dessert Quality (40%): Many customers appreciated the delicious desserts and savory treats in the cookbook by Claire Saffitz.
Review topics: ["instructions","directions","gift","recipes","book","cake","desserts","baking","copy","cookbook","cookies","goods","person","ingredients","chapters","pictures","guide","flavors","fruits","challenge","skills","notes","work","project","build","look","baker","dishes","surprise","steps"].
Review highlights
- "Her cookbook showcases her meticulous work, precise instructions, and creative delicious desserts." —
- "I’ve received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review." —
- "I've received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review." —
Reviews
The best dessert guide!
"What a treat this book is! Full of insight, tips and it is as beautiful as it is helpful. It is the perfect book or gift for anyone who likes to make or eat dessert. Let the holiday baking begin. I've received a free copy of this book from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review. Lucky me!"
YUMMY!
"This is a beautiful book. There are many fabulous recipes with great photos also. It also includes basic baking information about how to bake desserts and the required supplies to do so. There are some unique ingredients that may be difficult to find though. I received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review."
Perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth!
"{I've received a free copy from @clarksonpotter for in exchange for a free and unbiased review} I'm definitely a dessert person, so I was super excited when this one showed up! I love that this one is organized with a chart at the beginning that lays out the time commitment and difficultly level of each recipe. I think of myself as a fairly competent baker but I just don't always have unlimited time in the kitchen, so this is super helpful. I tried out the Double Apple Crumble Cake to start and this was very good! The addition of apple butter as well as sliced apples helped punch up the apple flavor and that crumb (drooling, I could eat that on its own)! This will definitely be one I look at for special occasions and daily baking alike."
Great range of recipes
"I am definitely a dessert person. My favorite thing about this book is the sheer variety of recipes, from simple (loaf cakes) to very fancy (croquembouche, anyone?). I love baking with seasonal fruit, and all the cakes and pies with fruit definitely caught my eye right away. The first recipe I tried was the Spiced Persimmon Cake, as persimmons are available in my grocery store just for this brief window of time. It was the best persimmon cake I’ve ever made, with a very fruity flavor and crunchy sugar on the outside. Yum! I’m excited to try the Double Apple Crumb Cake and Blueberry Slab Pie. Some of the recipes appear standard but have a twist that turns them into something new and exciting. The book also contains more difficult types of recipes like making puff pastry or pate a choux, so it’s also great for when I’d like a challenge. All in all, I think this is a great book for all dessert people. I’ve received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review."
Sweeeet!
"A super-anticipated cookbook and for good reason. It's really awesome! If you don't know Ms. Saffitz, she has been doing really fun and informative videos featuring her imaginative pastry chef powers on full display. While there are recipes which clearly require some skill, Claire Saffitz has the ability to talk you off pastry ledges and get you on terra firma while getting your cake super softa. She is the very definition of a talent on the rise!"
Fabulous gift for HomeBakers!
"Dessert Person Dessert Person is as much for the novice, as it is for the veteran baker. Claire delivers concise instructions, added hints & suggestions, along with cute, antidotal intros for each recipe. Each recipe is rated on a 1-5 difficulty scale and also states time required to achieve the end creation. I was delighted to find Breakfast & Brunch, as well as Savory chapters of galettes, quiches, breads & pies. Beautiful photographs are dispersed throughout, including step-by-step pics of more involved processes like rolling croissants & forming babkas. Most recipe ingredients you’ll find in your pantry & fridge or easily obtained at your grocery. Claire’s creations are beautiful & unique without being a fussy. Dessert Person has quickly become a go-to in my kitchen for wonderful desserts & savory treats. In addition, I have added this title to my Holiday gift-giving list for the fellow bakers in my life. I appreciate Clarkson-Potter sharing this new publication with me, in exchange for a free & unbiased review."
Elegant collection of recipes!
"Dessert Person is a wonderful collection of recipes for bakers of all levels. As a baker myself, I have been a fan of Claire Saffitz’ recipes because of her work at Bon Appetit and I always knew she was a meticulous and gifted baker. Her cookbook showcases her meticulous work, precise instructions, and creative delicious desserts. She explains throughout the book that she wants everyone to feel confident baking. She even invites non bakers to participate in the fun. The recipes range from simple cookies and loaf cakes to pies and fancy French desserts like Paris-Brest and Croquembouche. For me, one of the most appealing chapters of the book is the savory baking chapter which has recipes for savory galettes, biscuits and corn bread. You typically do not see much savory baking in dessert cookbooks, so this was a nice surprise. With the holidays around the corner, I have already bookmarked a few recipes to try on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Cranberry-Pomegranate Mousse Pie looks amazing and sounds easy to make. The Salty Nut Tart with Rosemary looks like it will be a part of my Christmas dinner. My favorite chapter is the Bars and Cookies chapter which has many recipes that are easy to put together. I already baked two recipes from this chapter. The Malted Forever Brownies were divine. They turned out perfectly fudgy and not too sweet. The Thrice-Baked Rye Cookies incorporated a couple of unusual techniques (toasting the flours beforehand and using hard-boiled egg yolks) that I had never tried before and these extra steps were well worth it as the cookies turned out meltingly tender and full of flavor. Claire has written an elegant cookbook with a wide variety of recipes for all bakers. This book is sure to become a classic! I've received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review."
Lovely, easy to follow dessert (and more!) recipes
"Dessert Person is an beautiful, organized, easy to read recipe collection of baked good. The recipes include many classic cakes, cookies and pies, as well as loaves, breads, savory baking and even contains a special section devoted to breakfast baking (my favorite!). The book begins with an easy to follow Recipe Matrix that lists all the recipes by difficulty level and time commitment. This is followed by a easy to understand how to be a successful baker section with many tips, pictures and equipment list. Each individual recipe is easy to follow and contains both brief header notes to instantly form what season the bake is for (some ingredients in her bakes are more seasonal than other), how long it will take, how difficult the bake is and if the bake is dairy/gluten free (not many are, but nice to have this highlighted) and footnotes that contain tips for the recipe such as what can be done ahead and what to be careful of in a particular step. The majority of Ms. Saffitz's recipes from this book are medium difficult and 1. 5-2. 5 hours to make. That said, they are well worth the time investment. My daughter requested the Confetti Cake with the Cream Cheese Frosting and both were outrageous (we couldn't stop sneaking tastes of the batter as we were pouring it into the cake pans!). I was pleased to receive a free copy of this dessert cookbook from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review. I now have a new dessert person to follow on Bon Appetit! The book is a gift book for anyone looking to take their baking skills up to the next level."
giving cake its due
"Claire Saffitz likes desserts. She makes no apologies for that. As a former recipe developer for Bon Appetit, she knows what it takes to make a recipe work, make it repeatable, and make it delicious. She takes issue with those who act like baking should play second banana to cooking, and she’s willing to back that up with solid instruction and confidence building for those who feel some insecurity in their baking. Her new cookbook is called Dessert Person, and that title says it all. Saffitz is a dessert person, and she is of the opinion that everyone can be a dessert person too, if they find the right dish. She is not a fan of cloyingly sweet desserts, something that does turn people off from desserts, but she is a cheerleader for using bold and surprising flavors to lure people into new dessert experiences. Drawing on her experience teaching baking on YouTube, she offers a book filled with descriptive instructions throughout and photos of techniques to help out beginners. Each of the 100-plus recipes have been rated 1-5 for level of difficulty, and there are active times and total times listed for each recipe. So if you only have an hour or two and want to bake something simple, you can try the Almond Butter Banana Bread or the Salted Halvah Blondies or the Spiced Honey and Rye Cake. Or if you have a free weekend and want to stretch yourself, you can try out the Spelt Croissants or a Croquembouche or the Gateau Basque. But there are also lots of recipes in between. Dessert Person is written so that bakers can start with easier recipes and build up to more complicated ones, and each chapter is written with the easier recipes up front and growing in difficulty as the pages go by. For example, in the Bars and Cookies chapter, you can start with something simple like Marcona Almond Cookies, and then move up to the Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers or Malted Forever Brownies, and then continue on to the Coconut Thumbprints, Minty-Lime Bars, and Peanut Butter and Concord Grape Sandwich Cookies. There are chapters on Loaf Cakes and Single-Layer Cakes, Pies and Tarts, Breakfast and Brunch, Breads and Savory Baking, and Layer Cakes and Fancy Desserts. There are traditional baked goods, like Classic English Muffins, Apple Tart, Classic Birthday Cake, Soft and Crispy Focaccia, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sour Cherry Pie, and a Flourless Chocolate Wave Cake. And there are baking projects with unexpected twists, like the Black Sesame Paris-Brest, Speculoos Babka, Blood Orange and Olive Oil Upside-Down Cake, Peach Melba Tart, and the Clam and Fennel Pizza with Gremolata. In other words, there is something for everyone in Dessert Person. Personally, I really admire Claire Saffitz. I love that she wants to convert everyone to a dessert person and every cook into a baker as well. It’s a tall goal, but I wish her all the best with it. When it comes to desserts, I am more of a traditionalist, so I will definitely be pulled more towards the classic recipes she’s got. But I love how she has this book organized, and I love how much detail she is willing to go into to make sure I have the confidence to know just when to pull a cake out of the oven (instead of just going by the recipe’s time) or to understand how a dough should feel or a batter should look. I look forward to carving out some time to play with these recipes myself. Maybe I can convert someone into a dessert person too! A copy of Dessert Person was provided by Clarkson Potter for an unbiased review, with many thanks."