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Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop
Renowned for beautiful cakes and whimsical confections, Miette Patisserie is among the most beloved of San Francisco's culinary destinations for locals and travelers. Miette's pretty Parisian aesthetic enchants visitors with tables piled high with beribboned bags of gingersnaps, homemade marshmallows, fleur de sel caramels, and rainbows of gumballs. This cookbook brings the enchantment home, sharing 100 secret formulas for favorite Miette treats from chef and owner Meg Ray. More than 75 gorgeous color photos capture the unique beauty of Miette desserts and shops. Scalloped edges on the book block enhance the preciousness of this fetching package. Just like the adorable cakes, cookies, clairs and tarts for sale in Miette's case, this book is irresistible!
224 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2011
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1378 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 30, 2018
Another review said they rather wanted to punch Miette in the face. I'm inclined to agree. At the very least, I want to throw one of their cakes at them.
I have never eaten a product from Miette. It may be nectar of the Gods, the best baked goods on the planet. It may be the warmest, fuzziest, friendliest, most homey bakery in the universe. But I doubt it. All I can tell you is that I now have no desire to set foot in the place.
The author goes into much detail about her "philosophy" and techniques. The instructions are lengthy. The photographs are gorgeous (not unexpected given the reputation of the food photographer). The selection of recipes sounds appealing.
So why do I hate this cookbook?
1. It's precious. And I don't mean in the complimentary way.
2. It's rife with errors. Not typos, errors. Weight-volume conversion errors, procedural errors, ingredient errors. (The whopper errors I spotted right away convinced me to look up the errata on the publisher site. It's extensive. Did they just not test the recipes or have they simply never heard of proofreading?)
3. Many directions are unnecessarily complicated. As my husband, who has a degree in manufacturing processes, often says when he sees people making simple things ridiculously complex, "Keep your technique out of my process."
4. Most of all, the tone, from start to finish, is unbearably arrogant. The constant self-promotion is tedious. Meg Ray wants to be sure you know she, and only she, has the best ideas, the best skills, the best ingredients, the best execution; and, while she deigns to allow you to buy her cookbook, you will never achieve Miette's results because only she is smiled upon by the Cake Muse. But you can try, peasant, you can try.
I read cookbooks for inspiration, ideas and information, not to be smirked at by a pompous author who couldn't be bothered to proofread her own recipes. (The thought crossed my mind that she put the errors in on purpose.)
Fortunately for my wallet, I have learned to check a cookbook out from the library before deciding whether to purchase it.
Bite me, Miette.
I have never eaten a product from Miette. It may be nectar of the Gods, the best baked goods on the planet. It may be the warmest, fuzziest, friendliest, most homey bakery in the universe. But I doubt it. All I can tell you is that I now have no desire to set foot in the place.
The author goes into much detail about her "philosophy" and techniques. The instructions are lengthy. The photographs are gorgeous (not unexpected given the reputation of the food photographer). The selection of recipes sounds appealing.
So why do I hate this cookbook?
1. It's precious. And I don't mean in the complimentary way.
2. It's rife with errors. Not typos, errors. Weight-volume conversion errors, procedural errors, ingredient errors. (The whopper errors I spotted right away convinced me to look up the errata on the publisher site. It's extensive. Did they just not test the recipes or have they simply never heard of proofreading?)
3. Many directions are unnecessarily complicated. As my husband, who has a degree in manufacturing processes, often says when he sees people making simple things ridiculously complex, "Keep your technique out of my process."
4. Most of all, the tone, from start to finish, is unbearably arrogant. The constant self-promotion is tedious. Meg Ray wants to be sure you know she, and only she, has the best ideas, the best skills, the best ingredients, the best execution; and, while she deigns to allow you to buy her cookbook, you will never achieve Miette's results because only she is smiled upon by the Cake Muse. But you can try, peasant, you can try.
I read cookbooks for inspiration, ideas and information, not to be smirked at by a pompous author who couldn't be bothered to proofread her own recipes. (The thought crossed my mind that she put the errors in on purpose.)
Fortunately for my wallet, I have learned to check a cookbook out from the library before deciding whether to purchase it.
Bite me, Miette.
March 1, 2015
This book is a joy to look at from the first scallop-edged page to the last. Unfortunately the joy is short-lived. I have to agree with the reviewer that called this book the most pretentious cookbook in the last decade (?). The author talks about 'american cakes reinvented', and lectures US about the importance of going that extra mile by using the finest ingredients such as locally milled cane sugars and flours and then clearly doesn't take the time to test and proof-read the manuscript?????
Lets take the recipe for Chocolate Pots de Creme as an example. The sidebar states that a very specific chocolate,Valhona Caraque 56% to be precise, is the only chocolate acceptable for that recipe and then proceeds to give such poor instructions that the quality of the chocolate becomes entirely irrelevant. Step 5 details putting the pan into the oven for 20 minutes, then another 10 minutes and then another 20 minutes and finally concludes by stating that this process should take 35 to 40 minutes in total. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that adds up to 50 overcooked, anger provoking minutes. I wondered how many other recipes were flawed and found in a quick check of Amazon.com reviews that an earlier printing of this book was so riddled with errors that it was virtually unusable and frankly I doubt if this edition is much better.
That pots de creme recipe resulted in a very overcooked, grainy glob that couldn't be served to anyone. I took a quick look in my beloved Julia Child's French Chef Cookbook and found a recipe that trouble shoots all the issues the Miette recipe doesn't address and does so with clear simple instructions and simple bakers chocolate!
Cookbooks are a different kind of read, they not only require reading time, but cooking time and the cost of the ingredients, so I expect a fair exchange for my book buying dollars. This book falls so short of that.
Lets take the recipe for Chocolate Pots de Creme as an example. The sidebar states that a very specific chocolate,Valhona Caraque 56% to be precise, is the only chocolate acceptable for that recipe and then proceeds to give such poor instructions that the quality of the chocolate becomes entirely irrelevant. Step 5 details putting the pan into the oven for 20 minutes, then another 10 minutes and then another 20 minutes and finally concludes by stating that this process should take 35 to 40 minutes in total. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that adds up to 50 overcooked, anger provoking minutes. I wondered how many other recipes were flawed and found in a quick check of Amazon.com reviews that an earlier printing of this book was so riddled with errors that it was virtually unusable and frankly I doubt if this edition is much better.
That pots de creme recipe resulted in a very overcooked, grainy glob that couldn't be served to anyone. I took a quick look in my beloved Julia Child's French Chef Cookbook and found a recipe that trouble shoots all the issues the Miette recipe doesn't address and does so with clear simple instructions and simple bakers chocolate!
Cookbooks are a different kind of read, they not only require reading time, but cooking time and the cost of the ingredients, so I expect a fair exchange for my book buying dollars. This book falls so short of that.
May 30, 2012
i kind of want to punch miette in the face.
April 18, 2018
Other people have done a good job dressing Meg Ray down for her snooty attitude despite the tangle of errors in her book, so I won't retread that ground. I will simply restrain my review to being:
WHAT KIND OF MONSTER REPLACES THE MARZIPAN IN A PRINCESS CAKE WITH FONDANT??!?
That recipe instantly made all the other pretty cakes objects of suspicion. So I enjoyed the images, but never wanted to run into them made real.
WHAT KIND OF MONSTER REPLACES THE MARZIPAN IN A PRINCESS CAKE WITH FONDANT??!?
That recipe instantly made all the other pretty cakes objects of suspicion. So I enjoyed the images, but never wanted to run into them made real.
November 26, 2012
This cookbook in a nutshell: Here are my fabulous and delicious recipes which are definitely too complicated for an idiot like you!
June 13, 2014
This is a gorgeous book. I found the scalloped edges of the pages (instead of straight edges) adorable. Some of the pictures seemed redundant (there were pictures of a big cake plus pictures of its cupcake version), but all were shot beautifully.
However, none of the recipes seemed inspired; I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, given how unimpressed I was upon stopping by both of the SF Miette shops. I was put off by the hot milk cake recipe, which seemed exceedingly tedious. I was also disappointed by the princess cake recipe, where the marzipan, one of my favorite parts, was replaced with fondant, which tastes sickeningly sweet to me. Also, how many home cooks actually have or want to buy 6-inch cake pans? Few, if any. Those details might seem nitpicky, especially when you look at a more glaring error: nearly a whole page of errata stuck into the beginning of the book. There's a reason why editors and publishers exist.
I don't have much affinity for Meg, either, after seeing her lost spectacularly in a Food Network Challenge a couple of years back for horrible cupcakes. I remember her being shocked and looking wronged by the judges.
However, none of the recipes seemed inspired; I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, given how unimpressed I was upon stopping by both of the SF Miette shops. I was put off by the hot milk cake recipe, which seemed exceedingly tedious. I was also disappointed by the princess cake recipe, where the marzipan, one of my favorite parts, was replaced with fondant, which tastes sickeningly sweet to me. Also, how many home cooks actually have or want to buy 6-inch cake pans? Few, if any. Those details might seem nitpicky, especially when you look at a more glaring error: nearly a whole page of errata stuck into the beginning of the book. There's a reason why editors and publishers exist.
I don't have much affinity for Meg, either, after seeing her lost spectacularly in a Food Network Challenge a couple of years back for horrible cupcakes. I remember her being shocked and looking wronged by the judges.
May 21, 2012
This cookbook changed my life (and unfortunately, my pants size, but that is temporary). A fabulous book with excellent, easy-to-follow recipes that will have you baking like a pro in no time, the Miette Bakery Cookbook has excellent tips for cakes, Parisienne macaron (the reason I bought the book), ganache, butter creme, etc. The book starts with an introduction to technique, lists tools to be purchased, stores to source ingredients, and then presents recipes in a very step-by-step manner with beautiful pictures. Plus, the edges are scalloped which is really pretty. I can now make macaron in various flavors; have successfully made butter creme without it separating, and have a store of ganache. Plus, my family, co-workers, and my friends are really happy. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
July 23, 2016
This book has so many errors in it, it shouldn't be published. The photography and layout are beautiful and instill the hopes for a proper cookbook, but obviously Miette didn't want to publish their "secret" recipes and decided to publish a botched job. I wrote to the publisher, and they said they would send me a new copy with the updated recipes. Alas, it arrived, and the recipes are EXACTLY the same...no additional information on a separate card or anything. Terrible terrible.
Any baker will recognize the the proportions are incorrect. Shame on Miette.
Any baker will recognize the the proportions are incorrect. Shame on Miette.
September 28, 2012
i love the food display suggestions.. making me wanna have a bakery...:)BUT the recipes are boring ..just plain cakes recipe with intriguing deco..but the book packaging and scalloped pages are pretty.. ( well that makes me to buy it..grrrr)
October 22, 2011
Most pretentious cookbook in a decade. They could have adapted more for the home baker & cared less about The "proper" Miette way. That said, the cupcakes & some cookies look good.
June 3, 2012
Awesomeness! Plus, it's my name ^^
Read
March 31, 2024Sweet little book with some sweet sounding recipes, but as soon as I discover that all the cakes require six-inch pans, which I don’t have, I lost interest. A look at the “Essential Tools” section at the back confirms that “the smaller pan is one of the elements that define the Miette aesthetic” and “to make a true Miette cake” the author suggests I invest in specific cake pans. No thanks.
May 5, 2013
Do you know what Miette means? It's crumb in French. How cute is that? I love this book. I checked it out from my local library and I'm immediately putting it on my Christmas list. It was full of delightful little recipes as well as pictures that will make you drool! A lot of step by step instructions as well as pictures to help guide you on your quest to make picture perfect pastries at home. I did notice the author and owner of Miette is totally cute and skinny. Why is it that all these bakers are totally tiny? She mentioned that she likes one particular cake for breakfast. Yeah, right. These girls with their freakish metabolisms and oh so delicious recipes. I love them and yet hate them. Just kidding...
A super cute cookbook, can't wait to get it on my shelf. I was sad to return it, but my overdue fines were stacking up and another patron had it on hold, I couldn't deny them!
UPDATE
So I checked this book out again and had a little girls tea party at my house today and was so lucky to have the book on hand. I made the hot milk cake, delicious! The lemon curd was perfect and also a lovely recipe for graham crackers that can also be used as a pastry crust for tarts. I used it for a lemon meringue tartlet and it was awesome! Still need to get this book! Love it even more!
A super cute cookbook, can't wait to get it on my shelf. I was sad to return it, but my overdue fines were stacking up and another patron had it on hold, I couldn't deny them!
UPDATE
So I checked this book out again and had a little girls tea party at my house today and was so lucky to have the book on hand. I made the hot milk cake, delicious! The lemon curd was perfect and also a lovely recipe for graham crackers that can also be used as a pastry crust for tarts. I used it for a lemon meringue tartlet and it was awesome! Still need to get this book! Love it even more!
March 25, 2014
I was very excited to finally get my hands on this beautiful book after a long time sitting on my wish list, it was finally bought for me after much nagging!!
Miette, if you have not heard of them are famous for their fantastic cakes and pasty creations, originating in San Francisco, started by Meg Ray the shop first came to life as a tent at a local farmer's market and has progressed from there to several beautiful bakeries.
Beautifully designed, this is a stunning hardback book with pretty scalloped page edges which add to its quirky appeal plus this book is full of gorgeous images of cakes, tarts, cookies and other beautifully yummy delights.
This is not the book you want to read if you are on a diet!
It is easy to follow and when needed there is extra pictures to guide you. Some of the recipes may call for a more experienced hand but there is something for every ability, plus practising baking isn't a bad thing!!
All in all a gorgeous book and I hope I see another from them in the future!
Miette, if you have not heard of them are famous for their fantastic cakes and pasty creations, originating in San Francisco, started by Meg Ray the shop first came to life as a tent at a local farmer's market and has progressed from there to several beautiful bakeries.
Beautifully designed, this is a stunning hardback book with pretty scalloped page edges which add to its quirky appeal plus this book is full of gorgeous images of cakes, tarts, cookies and other beautifully yummy delights.
This is not the book you want to read if you are on a diet!
It is easy to follow and when needed there is extra pictures to guide you. Some of the recipes may call for a more experienced hand but there is something for every ability, plus practising baking isn't a bad thing!!
All in all a gorgeous book and I hope I see another from them in the future!
June 25, 2012
I picked this book out from the library because of the beautiful cover and photos inside - all my favorite cookbooks entice in such ways. I only tried one of the cakes, I think it was the gingerbread one? It was the best cake I've ever made - spare traditional cakes. Mostly I used the cookbook for cookies (the lemon shortbread is amazing) and giving my first shot at marshmallows. The recipes are all very easy to understand and the end products were all crowd pleasers. I was surprised when I went to mark this as 'read' that people were complaining about measurements being off. I'm not a serious cookbook connoisseur, I just know that I read the instructions, used store-bought ingredients, and made delicious things. Good enough for me.
September 6, 2012
This book was so beatifully photographed and the baked goods just seemed to jump of the page. The presentation of the book was really cute as well. I did not know that Miette means (crumb) in French. I loved the introduction of the cookbook. You always get a good sense of someone and their dedication to the craft by reading the introduction. For anyone looking to expand their cookbook library this is the one book you should get.
November 4, 2012
Beautiful photography and lovely details, but this cookbook is too exacting for this home cook!
September 29, 2017
I love this book
January 8, 2021
I use cookbooks pretty much solely for the recipes, and while I recognize that the writing is pretentious, I have loved all the bakes i’ve made using this book. I am also a fan of Miette - I used to go there regularly growing up and their bakes were always absolutely scrumptious!
I have found no issue finding substitutes for things I don’t have, and have successfully made:
- hot milk cake
- double chocolate cake
- yellow cupcakes
- ganache
- pastry cream and fresh fruit tart
- lemon tart
- parisian macarons
- brownies
- buttermilk panna cotta
- french buttercream
- boiled icing
- cream cheese frosting
- cheesecake
I have been using this cookbook since I was in high school, granted I have a mother with loads of baking experience who could always give me some tips, but I generally found I didn’t need much help when following the recipes. My biggest complaints are the pretentious writing and that I feel there should be more photos as those are good references to use when baking.
I have found no issue finding substitutes for things I don’t have, and have successfully made:
- hot milk cake
- double chocolate cake
- yellow cupcakes
- ganache
- pastry cream and fresh fruit tart
- lemon tart
- parisian macarons
- brownies
- buttermilk panna cotta
- french buttercream
- boiled icing
- cream cheese frosting
- cheesecake
I have been using this cookbook since I was in high school, granted I have a mother with loads of baking experience who could always give me some tips, but I generally found I didn’t need much help when following the recipes. My biggest complaints are the pretentious writing and that I feel there should be more photos as those are good references to use when baking.
September 20, 2022
Sadly, I think the thing I liked best about this book was the very pretty scalloped pages, which made me think of neatly piped frosting. But the book had a weirdly condescending tone and the recipes felt needlessly complicated. I enjoy detail-intensive project baking, but I'm really not convinced anything was gained by running cake batter through a sieve, though it was terribly messy.
But, really, I made two cakes from this and...I didn't like either of them. I expected the pumpkin cake to be dense and rich, and the chocolate cake to be fluffy, but the texture of both of them was the same, stuck in this weird limbo between fluffy and rich that made me think of cakey brownies (which is, for me, a really sad kind of brownie).
So...yeah. It's a very pretty book, but I'm glad I checked this one out from the library.
But, really, I made two cakes from this and...I didn't like either of them. I expected the pumpkin cake to be dense and rich, and the chocolate cake to be fluffy, but the texture of both of them was the same, stuck in this weird limbo between fluffy and rich that made me think of cakey brownies (which is, for me, a really sad kind of brownie).
So...yeah. It's a very pretty book, but I'm glad I checked this one out from the library.
March 11, 2019
It pains me to give Miette three stars. It is the most visually stunning cookbook I've ever seen. The recipes are complicated, but that's okay since to get such perfect looking desserts, you need to spend time on the details. But here's why I can only give Miette three stars. There are so many errors in the recipes! The publisher issued an errata sheet, but I didn't know that until I'd tried (and failed) with several different recipes. I will say, though, that the lemon buttercream recipe is phenomenal (and accurate).
September 23, 2022
Overall I felt this was a highly educational book and I loved reading about the American-French mix that Meg uses. There are a few things that are inaccurate though, such as the comment that cake flour has no character, and organic powdered sugar is grey. Neither are true, but then again she first published this book 11 years ago. I also would have loved to have seen more photos, as I am a visual learner at heart.
October 28, 2022
I generally appreciate a hands-on, pragmatic approach to baking - but this cookbook really left me uninspired through its lack of creativity.
Read this more as a manual on how to open a pastry shop and close sales by featuring staple cakes and other baked goods than a coffee table book to leaf through for culinary inspiration.
Read this more as a manual on how to open a pastry shop and close sales by featuring staple cakes and other baked goods than a coffee table book to leaf through for culinary inspiration.
October 4, 2023
This is another beautiful book by Chronicle Books with recipes from the San Francisco patisserie.
The photography is mouth-watering and the book lends itself to display with the die-cut pages and pretty Tomboy Cake on the cover.
We've enjoyed making cupcakes and the Tomboy for birthday celebrations to great acclaim. We've also made the shortbreads and brownies which were delicious as well.
The photography is mouth-watering and the book lends itself to display with the die-cut pages and pretty Tomboy Cake on the cover.
We've enjoyed making cupcakes and the Tomboy for birthday celebrations to great acclaim. We've also made the shortbreads and brownies which were delicious as well.
October 15, 2024
The few recipes I tried were elaborate, expensive and did not have excellent directions. They were very hard and the results were lacking. Advice that was required was not given. Even being attempted by excellent bakers the results were not good enough to warrant the huge, expensive effort that was required. A pretty book but disappointing.
June 14, 2018
This book is BEAUTIFUL. The photography, scalloped pages, and pastels are just precious. I will say that there are many many errors throughout the book, and there was even a guide with revisions on it. The must-tries of this book are the raspberry frosting and the Tomboy cake.
July 17, 2018
Very helpful for someone looking for reliable recipes for standard cakes. I tend to look more for new flavor combinations or out of the ordinary recipes, so this didn't stick out to me.
June 30, 2020
This is a very good baking pastry book. The author obviously knows her subject and loves to provide delicious and well crafted cakes/tarts.sweets etc. Well worth reading.
December 18, 2020
Recipes include weights in ounces. Basic recipes. Made graham crackers, which were tasty. Borrowed from library, not a book I would add to my permanent collection.
February 27, 2022
Gorgeous photos of beautiful delectibles. I haven't yet tried any of the recipes although I did read that early editions contained a lot of errors.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews