Bon Appétit Desserts – review & giveaway

By Stacey, on November 9th, 2010

I like to cook, but I love to bake! I’m always on the lookout for new recipes to try and cookbooks to add to my collection, so I was very excited when I was offered to preview the newest offering from Bon Appétit magazine. Bon Appétit Desserts has over 600 recipes in 9 categories; there is truly something for everyone!

Bon Appétit Desserts is authored by Bon Appétit magazine’s editor-in-chief Barbara Fairchild, whom you may recognize from a wide variety of television shows such as Food Network’s Iron Chef America and The Next Food Network Star and Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen. She started at Bon Appétit in 1978 and has worked her way up from editorial assistant to editor-in-chief since 2000. This is a woman who knows her food and how important it is to have an easy to follow cookbook to help us novices out!

I really appreciate that every recipe is rated with one to four whisks: one whisk means it’s appropriate for the most novice baker, while a four is considered a “showstopper” and so is for experienced bakers. At a glance, I can tell if a recipe is something that I can likely accomplish while watching TV at night, or if it’s something I should be saving for a free afternoon. The index at the back lists all of the recipes in their whisk categories, so you can easily select something based on how adventurous you’re feeling that day! Check out this teaser video for a taste of what the book has to offer:

As soon as I saw the picture of the Dark and White Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Ginger, I knew I had to make them. And with a one whisk rating, I knew it was something I could whip up without a problem during naptime. Sure enough, they were easy to make – the hardest part was not eating all of the raw dough and waiting for them to cool when they came out of the oven! Mine looked almost as good as the ones in the book and we’re rationing them now so that they last longer than 24 hours. I baked mine on baking stones instead of the baking sheets recommended and they were still perfect.

Dark and White Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Ginger

The addition of crystallized ginger gives these chocolate chip cookies a surprising kick. Crystallized ginger can be found in the spice section or the Asian foods section of most supermarkets. Makes about 2 dozen

2 2/3 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
3 1/2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), very coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir 2 cups chocolate chips with butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth; cool 10 minutes. Beat eggs and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in melted chocolate mixture and vanilla, then flour. Stir in ginger and remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chips; let stand 10 minutes.

Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Press white chocolate pieces into tops of cookies, dividing equally. Bake until cookies look puffed and slightly dry on top, about 13 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets.

Do Ahead: Cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

—From Bon Appétit Dessertsby Barbara Fairchild/Andrews McMeel Publishing

One lucky winner will get a copy of Bon Appétit Desserts!

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