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 Post subject: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:17 am 
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Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:56 am
Posts: 531
Location: Virginia
I've seen references to this book in threads but didn't find any discussion on the cookbook in general. I looked through one at a B&N a while ago and was really intrigued. It's flat-out gorgeous and many of the recipes are really inviting (and yet don't appear crazy-complicated, which is what has kept me from buying any other Keller books). When I looked at it again on Amazon, the oatmeal cookie recipe was one of the pages available in the 'search this book' option, so I made them. And they were without question the BEST oatmeal raisin cookies I've ever made/eaten. So I ordered it (but it was out of stock at the time).

In-between when I ordered it and when it came into stock, I read some of the Amazon reviews, and apparently there are at least a few recipes that have major errors in them, and there's no errata sheet available anywhere for it :x. So I decided to try another one of the cookie recipes available online, and I made the TKO's (Thomas Keller Oreos). I've made the homemade Oreo recipes from Smitten Kitchen and also KAF, and they're both good. The difference in Keller's is his filling is white chocolate based, rather than the typical powdered sugar/butter, etc. I have to say I was underwhelmed with the filling -- very weird texture, although I did like the shells.

So if any of you have that book and have any comments, I'd love to hear them. I cancelled my order and am thinking about waiting for the second edition. Of course the cookbook fiend in me really does want it, but not at the cost of an epic fail because of an error in the recipe.

Thanks!

Emilie


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 Post subject: Re: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:22 pm 
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Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:45 pm
Posts: 1531
Location: Ottawa, ON
I've been reading this book for the last few days, and am fairly enthused about making some of the items. Going to start my starter this week.

All books have quite a few errors, some admitted to, some not. Its a shame there is no errata, but judging by the response to the Modernist Cuisine errata, I'd understand why some might hesitate to publish one (not to mention it isn't revenue generating).

I'd also love to hear peoples experiences.


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 Post subject: Re: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:33 pm 
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:37 pm
Posts: 3404
Location: Telluride, CO
I have this book, but because of my traveling schedule have only made the Pan au Lait so far. It was a fantastic recipe, and I look forward to trying many more things from it. Regarding errata, if you are an experienced baker, you can usually spot some of them before you begin the recipe. I try not to sweat those things, and make a note in the margin for further reference.

Amy


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 Post subject: Re: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:21 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:41 pm
Posts: 1884
Location: Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hi Emilie, I got it for Christmas at Costco at a great price. I've yet to make anything from it but now the oatmeal cookies will be at the top of my list. I've been looking for a pan de mie pan after Amy posted about that. I looked at the TK O's but knew I wouldn't make his filling as I really really can't stand white chocolate. I like a filling from Canadian living that I've used a few times, I can look for that if you want it.
The book is gorgeous.


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 Post subject: Re: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:52 pm 
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Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:58 pm
Posts: 1206
I just got this book a few weeks ago, and I'm glad I only paid $7.99 for it (with TGC points - the way I buy expensive books, as they are not included in their $10 for anything sale). While many of the recipes look really good, and there are a lot of good tips in there, they appear to be simply reduced from large recipes. The amounts of butter and eggs are the killers - most recipes in other books are designed for multiples of 8 oz of butter, or at least 10 oz, or 12 oz, or amounts like that. But 6.2 oz. of butter? And other recipes are usually multiples of large eggs, not 3 tb, or 1/4 c + 1 tb of egg. It's easy to get these amounts by weighing them, but it would be annoying having the leftovers arround, not that you couldn't use them.

Related to this book, there are some of those white chocolate desserts that looked good, so I had to order some. I got a bunch of .5 oz samples of several brands, in addition to the Guittard, and I'll post my tase test of them on another thread later.

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Last edited by pepperhead212 on Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:48 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 3:58 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:56 am
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Location: Virginia
Jean, I'd love to get that filling recipe if it's not any trouble to find it. The SK one that's my favorite to this point is butter/shortening/powdered sugar and vanilla. So it would be interesting to see how the Canadian Living version compares. TK's white chocolate one was definitely a bust (and I really like white chocolate). Even my daughter's high school friends didn't think the leftovers were all that great today. (But be warned -- the oatmeal raisin ones are unbelievably good/addictive. I gave three to a friend of mine who has way more self control than me, and she told me the next day that she and her husband almost came to blows over who was going to get the 3rd one.)

Amy, although I'm an experienced baker, things like that often don't jump out at me until it's too late. The way my brain works, I might notice something and momentarily wonder about it, but don't instinctively stop and process it more until later (unless it's a glaring error). The interesting thing is that one of the authors (Susie something, if I recall), responded to someone's frustration in an Amazon review and explained that errors are unavoidable in production (understood, of course) and that they'd been corrected for future editions. But she didn't give any other details. So the result of that, without an errata sheet, is that it makes one wonder which recipes are the ones with the errors! From a PR perspective (that's my background), an errata is a no-brainer for the authors and publisher as well as the reader. Transparency is always the best option. And I think people would be more inclined to buy the first edition with an errata sheet available (once they've heard about errors), rather than waiting for the second. At least that's the case with me!


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 Post subject: Re: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:36 pm 
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Emile,

Thanks for the info on the TKOs. That was one of the ehite chocolate recipes I was eying, though I was wondering how that amount of cream was going to work in it. Maybe substitute some white chocolate for some shortening, in traditional filling, and reduce the sugar?

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 Post subject: Re: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:29 pm 
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Location: Virginia
So this is freaky timing -- but I just saw the below comment on an Amazon review of the book. Another review mentions a problem with the pastry cream recipe, and I see that's not in the list below. But it's a start! (Now the question is how am I going to squeeze this monster into my cookbook shelf? :lol:)

Emilie


Artisan tell me that the following corrections have been made:

1. In Blueberry Muffins, page 76, ", at room temperature" has been added following "Unsalted butter" in the ingredients list (and in the second paragraph under "To Bake the Muffins," "about 140 grams" has been changed to "about 135 grams").

2. In Pumpkin Muffins, page 86, "1 cup + 2 teaspoons" granulated sugar in the ingredients list has been changed to "1 cup + 2 tablespoons."

3. In Decorated Pumpkin Muffins, page 87, the following copy has been added directly after "To Complete" in the right-hand column:

Fill the muffins as directed for Pumpkin Muffins (opposite), using 35 grams/2½ tablespoons of the frosting for each muffin; do not pipe rosettes on the top. Using a small offset spatula, spread a thin layer of the remaining frosting on the top and sides of each muffin.

The subsequent copy, "Dust the work surface lightly . . . ," now begins a new paragraph.

4. In Doughnuts, page 196, "5 grams" unsalted butter in the ingredients list has been changed to "55 grams."


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 Post subject: Re: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:46 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2011 6:33 pm
Posts: 954
Location: Northern California
My friend made the chocolate chip cookies from this book and while they were good, she found that the amount of work required just wasn't worth it.
I tasted them and still like the Jacques Torres NYT ones the best so far.


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 Post subject: Re: Bouchon Bakery Cookbook?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:50 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:07 pm
Posts: 328
Thomas Keller's Chocolate Chip Cookies from "Ad Hoc At Home" are my absolute favorite chocolate chip cookies. The recipe is a little different from the "Bouchon Bakery" ones, which I haven't tried.
http://www.foodgal.com/2009/06/tantaliz ... as-keller/

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