Just Desserts
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My love affair with desserts started when I was a child. I grew up in a small village called Ederney in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland surrounded by family and food. Inspired by my grandfather, a master baker, creating and sharing good food with family and friends for celebrations and simple everyday meals is a way of life for me. As a young child I would watch my grandfather make bread every Saturday morning as well as many tarts and pastries; to this day, I can honestly say his pastry is still the best I have ever tasted. Since the age of about ten I have dreamt of writing a book, encapsulating my favourite recipes, to share with others. Many of the dessert recipes in this book are part of my family heritage. They have been passed down with love over generations. I am very fortunate as my job as a Pastry Chef allows me to indulge my passion for cooking, especially sweet treats! I have travelled all over the world creating, cooking and tasting new recipes. The recipes in this book are also a result of my culinary adventures to date. In my experience wherever you are and whomever you are with, everyone loves a good dessert! Some are simple classics inspired by the Bread & Butter pudding my grandfather used to serve after Sunday dinner but given a modern twist using croissants, whilst others are more elegant like the Citrus Posset; this is just one of the simplest desserts that you could ever make and a great palate cleanser. Over the years, so many people have asked me about making pastry, believing it to be a great art. It seems to be the one thing many admire but few will attempt! In my opinion it is a skill anyone can learn, given time and patience. It’s all about understanding the basics. I am certain that if you follow the recipes in my Basic Chapter, you will learn to make perfect Pastry. My recipes will take you from simple breakfast pastries like my Breakfast Muffins to indulgent Chocolate Fondants, a dinner party treat. In my opinion, home cooked desserts are the best gift you can give. I hope that by sharing my recipes in this book, you too can create delicious gifts for your family and friends. “True love of cooking, has true flavour” Happy Cooking
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About the Book
This book has been developed from my first few years as a pastry chef and while on my travels around the world, creating new recipes and desserts. So many people ask me where they should start with pastry. My motto is if you want to learn the real art of pastry, you start from the beginning. Many people think pastry is a science, but it’s all about understanding the basics. For me, it’s where my passion for pastry first began. As a young kid, I’d watch my grandfather make bread every Saturday morning. Then during the week, make pastry for tarts. His pastry was the best pastry I’ve ever tasted, and it’s down to the way the fat was incorporated into the flour. You wouldn’t think that a small thing like that would make such a difference, but it does. Follow my recipes in the Basics chapter, and you can master the not-so-difficult tasks of pastry making.
About the Author
My name is Stephen McFarland and I am a Pastry Chef. This is not just my profession, it is who I am. Cooking, in particular pastries and desserts, is in my blood. I grew up in a small village called Ederney in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland surrounded by family and food. Inspired by my grandfather, a master baker, creating and sharing good food with family and friends for celebrations and simple everyday meals is a way of life for me. The dessert recipes in this book are part of my family heritage. They have been passed down with love over generations. Some are simple classics like the Bread & Butter Pudding my grandfather used to serve after Sunday dinner whilst others are more elegant like the Citrus Posset; this is just one of the simplest desserts that you could ever make and a great palate cleanser. My recipes will take you from simple breakfast pastries like my Breakfast Muffins to my indulgent Chocolate Fondants, a dinner party treat. In my opinion, home cooked desserts are the best gift you can give. I hope that by sharing my recipes in this book, you too can create delicious gifts for your family and friends.