QUICK & EASY ASIAN DESSERTS Various (TuTTle Publishing, 2009)aVailable aT all leading booksTores, $17.00Quick & Easy Asian Desserts is a delightful selection of treats that allows you to indulge your sweet tooth with over 50 sumptuous Asian delicacies. The hardcover is spiral-bound which makes it wonderful for opening flat on the kitchen counter for easy reference. Each recipe, at a page long, is concise and easy to follow. Accompanying full-coloured pictures for every recipe show you what the end-product is supposed to look like as well as step-by-step illustrations for more complicated processes. From sweet desserts such as Mango Pudding to savoury Pineapple Tarts and Shaved Ice With Banana And Coconut Milk, this book makes it easier than ever to bring a touch of Asia to your table.

“Without a doubt it would have to be the first time I tried Milk Chocolate Passionfruit macaron from Pierre Hermé. I had previously been working on making

macarons and was under the impression that the ones I made was the epitome of a

“French Macaron”. It wasn’t until my first trip to France when I walked into Pierre Hermé’s shop

in Rue de Bonaparte that I was slapped in the face with the reality that what I was making was nowhere near what I had just tried. The entire trip was such an experience that I went back to the shop every day to try a new flavour. I will never forget the texture of the pastry and the punch of flavour that the ganache filling had. ” Alejandro Luna, Executive Pastry Chef, Marina Bay Sands

COUTURE CHOCOLATEWilliam Curley (Words & Visuals Press, 2011)aVailable aT all leading booksTores, $44.00William Curley unveils the processes behind his extraordinary chocolate creations, divulging the secrets and techniques that form the basis of his exquisite recipes. Four-time winner of the Academy of Chocolate’s Best British Chocolatier accolade, Curley is a true innovator in the art of chocolate. Master the essentials and be expertly led through some of Curley’s favourite mouth-watering recipes. Chapters include Truffles, Couture Chocolates, Bars and Bites, Bouches, Cakes & Biscuits, Patisserie and Ices, Drinks & Sauces, each containing spectacular treats ranging from simple classics, such as dark chocolate truffles, chocolate florentines and millionaire shortbread to more complex patisseries, such as chocolate tiramisu caskets, matcha & chocolate entremets and chocolate & praline Paris brest. Even if you never end up making anything from it, this exquisite hardcover is packed full of beautiful photography that would sweeten up any coffee table.

MAKE ME WHOOPIESmelissa Penn (murdoCh books, 2011)aVailable aT all leading booksTores, $15.50Move over cupcakes and macarons, here come whoopies — the quintessentially American dessert of a sweet, creamy filling or frosting sandwiched between two cakes. Make Me Whoopies will introduce readers to the American cakey-cookie taking the world by storm. From classic flavour combinations such as double chocolate, pumpkin and vanilla, to more playful recipes such as green tea and cherry, rocky road and banana split, this book will introduce new and enthusiastic bakers, even those with limited skill, to the wonderful world of whoopies. The book is packed with simple recipes suitable for beginners, exciting decorating ideas and a basics section that will make creating your own personalised whoopies a breeze.

GOURMET GURU MINI COOKBOOKS Various (marshall CaVendish, 2012)aVailable aT all leading booksTores, $4.90 eaChGet a true taste of home with the Gourmet Guru Series of mini cookbooks, an authentic collection of recipes handed down from generations of Singaporean home cooks. Have a hand in the preservation of Singapore’s culinary heritage with recipes for dishes such as Beef Bakso, Tahu Telur, Old Ginger Stewed Duck, Pumpkin Cake and Kueh Kosui. There are four editions in the series: Light Bites, Everyday Meals, Quick Cooking and Festive Cooking, with each containing about 30 recipes. The Gourmet Guru Academy is a business initiative to empower low-income families to build a sustainable livelihood and in conjunction with the cookbooks, cooking classes will be conducted by the talented homemakers who have contributed the recipes. Visit www.gourmetguruacademy.com to find out more.

* neWly released

A meal is hardly complete without a sweet ending. This month we round up a slew of cookbooks that will satisfy any sweet-

toothed gourmand with tips and tricks to creating sugary treats from gulab jamun to chocolate and apricot roulade.

w o r d s r a c h e l ta n

Start the new year on a

sweet note with these saccharine

reads

cooks’ books

What was the most memorable sweet treat you’ve had?

“You will learn how to temper chocolate and make

a ganache, and once you begin to understand the

basic techniques you will be ready to try a wide range of contemporary chocolates,

patisserie, bouchées, cakes, biscuits and ice creams.”

56 wine & dine

DEBBIE BROWN’S MAGICAL CAKESdebbie broWn (merehursT limiTed, 2003)aVailable aT all leading booksTores, $40Kids from one to 92 will be enchanted with the creations from successful cake decorating author Debbie Brown’s book. She has used her unique talents and magical touch to create 20 fun and fantasy cakes that will appeal to both boys and girls, such as a mystical castle guarded by a fiery dragon and a cute baby dragon suitable for the younger ones. The author does assume a certain level of experience in cake decorating however, and it takes some artistic talent to make the cakes look like hers. But with clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions and photographs, and cake designs for all levels of expertise, this book will satisfy both beginners and more experienced cake decorators.

sweetbeginningsto