The Bottom Line
I've always believed that to be a good dessert maker doesn't necessarily mean you have to be able to make all kinds of desserts. You can impress people by making a few desserts really well. Rachel Schifter Thebault's cookbook Sweet Chic shows you how to master "Stylish Treats to Dress Up Any Occasion" by building a baking repertoire with a few chosen recipes.
Pros
- Sweet Chic is well layed-out.
- Simple, yet elegant recipes. Beautiful pictures.
- Great dessert cookbook to use for building a baking repertoire.
- Inventive idea of using stylish clothing to correlate with dessert recipes.
- The Best Dress List is a chart that shows which various cake and icing recipes go together.
Cons
- Some of the recipes look daunting, but they're not. It's just the way the instructions are written.
Description
- Sections and Sample Recipes -
- Section One: Cookies -
- Scooped Cookies: The White T-shirt
Thumbprint Cookies: The Chunky Cardigan
Vanilla Cookies: The Crisp Oxford Shirt - Section Two: Cakes -
- Chocolate Cake: The Little Black Dress
Banana Cake: The Statement Necklace
Swiss Buttercream: The Ruffled Blouse - Section Three: Confections -
- Tempered Chocolate: The Stiletto Heels
Cranberry Almond Bark
Chocolate Truffles: The Leather Jacket
Caramel: The "It" Bag - The Basics is a section in the front of the book that includes ingredient and equipment lists as well as basic techniques.
Guide Review - Cookbook Review - Sweet Chic
Simply Chic - Stylish Treats to Dress Up for Any Occasion is a cookbook by Rachel Schifter Thebault, Owner and head confectioner of Tribeca Treats. She wrote it using a very inventive theme. Simply Chic is based on correlating basic dessert recipes to parts of a trendy wardrobe. For instance, the Chocolate Cake is also known as the LBD (Little Black Dress). We women know that the reason for wearing a LBD is that is can be dressed-up or accessorized for any occasion. It's the same with Chocolate Cake. It can be a fancy cake by topping it with a Rich Chocolate Ganache or it can be dressed-down by making Individual Mud Pies.
Nearly all the recipes are either the main recipe or are recipes that build-off of the main recipe. With one master recipe you can make several others. As an example, the Vanilla Cookie Dough is used to make four different types of cookies.
Combine these components with well-written recipes and delicious photos, and you've got Simply Chic. It's the perfect cookbook to add to your cookbook collection. It will also make a great gift for the other bakers and dessert makers in your life.
Nearly all the recipes are either the main recipe or are recipes that build-off of the main recipe. With one master recipe you can make several others. As an example, the Vanilla Cookie Dough is used to make four different types of cookies.
Combine these components with well-written recipes and delicious photos, and you've got Simply Chic. It's the perfect cookbook to add to your cookbook collection. It will also make a great gift for the other bakers and dessert makers in your life.
