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Baking Chez Moi: Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere
A “culinary guru” and author of the award-winning Around My French Table and Baking: From My Home to Yours returns with an exciting collection of simple desserts from French home cooks and chefs
With her groundbreaking bestseller Around My French Table, Dorie Greenspan changed the way we view French food. Now, in Baking Chez Moi, she explores the fascinating world of French desserts, bringing together a charmingly uncomplicated mix of contemporary recipes, including original creations based on traditional and regional specialties, and drawing on seasonal ingredients, market visits, and her travels throughout the country.
Like the surprisingly easy chocolate loaf cake speckled with cubes of dark chocolate that have been melted, salted, and frozen, which she adapted from a French chef’s recipe, or the boozy, slow-roasted pineapple, a five-ingredient cinch that she got from her hairdresser, these recipes show the French knack for elegant simplicity. In fact, many are so radically easy that they defy our preconceptions: crackle-topped cream puffs, which are all the rage in Paris; custardy apple squares from Normandy; and an unbaked confection of corn flakes, dried cherries, almonds, and coconut that nearly every French woman knows. Whether it’s classic lemon-glazed madeleines, a silky caramel tart, or “Les Whoopie Pies,” Dorie puts her own creative spin on each dish, guiding us with the friendly, reassuring directions that have won her legions of ardent fans.
With her groundbreaking bestseller Around My French Table, Dorie Greenspan changed the way we view French food. Now, in Baking Chez Moi, she explores the fascinating world of French desserts, bringing together a charmingly uncomplicated mix of contemporary recipes, including original creations based on traditional and regional specialties, and drawing on seasonal ingredients, market visits, and her travels throughout the country.
Like the surprisingly easy chocolate loaf cake speckled with cubes of dark chocolate that have been melted, salted, and frozen, which she adapted from a French chef’s recipe, or the boozy, slow-roasted pineapple, a five-ingredient cinch that she got from her hairdresser, these recipes show the French knack for elegant simplicity. In fact, many are so radically easy that they defy our preconceptions: crackle-topped cream puffs, which are all the rage in Paris; custardy apple squares from Normandy; and an unbaked confection of corn flakes, dried cherries, almonds, and coconut that nearly every French woman knows. Whether it’s classic lemon-glazed madeleines, a silky caramel tart, or “Les Whoopie Pies,” Dorie puts her own creative spin on each dish, guiding us with the friendly, reassuring directions that have won her legions of ardent fans.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2014
331 people are currently reading
1799 people want to read
About the author
Dorie Greenspan
26 books215 followersCalled a culinary guru by the New York Times, Dorie Greenspan is the author of the James Beard Awardwinning Baking: From My Home to Yours, which inspired the creation of the online baking community Tuesdays with Dorie. She has been passionately involved with French food for the last three decades. With Pierre Herm, she wrote Desserts by Pierre Herm, winner of an IACP Cookbook of the Year Award, and Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herm, winner of the Gourmand prize for best cookbook in the English language. Greenspan won both an IACP and a James Beard Award for her Baking with Julia. She is also the author of Paris Sweets and The Caf Boulud Cookbook (with Daniel Boulud). Inducted into the Whos Who of Food and Beverage in America, she is a contributing editor to Parade magazine, writes regularly for Bon Apptit, and is a frequent guest on NPRs All Things Considered and The Splendid Table. Greenspan lives in New York City, Westbrook, Connecticut, and Paris."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 18, 2016
I can already tell that this is going to be one of those cookbooks---the one's that you're constantly pulling from the shelf, that no matter how hard you try to keep them clean, they always end up spattered with batter and chocolate, that end up with tabbed pages everywhere...
This is a collection of easy French recipes, the sorts that people bake at home, and it is a fantastic collection. Many of the desserts are, of course, still beautiful (though not requiring the level of skill required for what we often think of as French pastry), and let's be honest here---they definitely make one very hungry. I've not yet tried any, though it's clear from looking that a lot of these recipes are going to turn out fantastic; that's this weekend's endeavour. I'm very much looking forward to it.
Update 8 May 2016: Yup, still fantastic and having great luck with these recipes. They're delicious, rich, and fun to make.
This is a collection of easy French recipes, the sorts that people bake at home, and it is a fantastic collection. Many of the desserts are, of course, still beautiful (though not requiring the level of skill required for what we often think of as French pastry), and let's be honest here---they definitely make one very hungry. I've not yet tried any, though it's clear from looking that a lot of these recipes are going to turn out fantastic; that's this weekend's endeavour. I'm very much looking forward to it.
Update 8 May 2016: Yup, still fantastic and having great luck with these recipes. They're delicious, rich, and fun to make.
December 28, 2014
You can read this book while dieting because the recipes are so detailed you feel like you've been there and eaten.
May 25, 2022
The amount of recipes I want to try in this is obscene.
Wonderful variety and a huge breadth of information that is not stuffy or difficult to understand, though some recipes definitely look a bit complicated and/or time-consuming, but also a lot look really accessible. I would've loved if every recipe had a picture but I'll live. Ingredients are measured in both imperial and metric - so helpful for baking (but honestly I wish all ingredients in every type of cookbook used weight instead of, or in addition to, volume.)
Borrowed this from Kindle Unlimited, need a hard copy for my collection ASAP. If you have Kindle Unlimited, check this one out for sure.
Wonderful variety and a huge breadth of information that is not stuffy or difficult to understand, though some recipes definitely look a bit complicated and/or time-consuming, but also a lot look really accessible. I would've loved if every recipe had a picture but I'll live. Ingredients are measured in both imperial and metric - so helpful for baking (but honestly I wish all ingredients in every type of cookbook used weight instead of, or in addition to, volume.)
Borrowed this from Kindle Unlimited, need a hard copy for my collection ASAP. If you have Kindle Unlimited, check this one out for sure.
March 9, 2015
I don't know why it hadn’t occurred to me before that Goodreads would list cookbooks. Um, they’re books, Shana. Duh.
Well, I’m so glad they do.
Now it is totally weird to say I read a cookbook because a cookbook isn’t like a novel, where you generally need to read cover to cover to legitimately say you read it. A cookbook is a different animal, but one worth reviewing nonetheless. So let me begin by saying I haven’t read every word or tried every recipe. I’ve browsed and read a good bit of it, and so far I’ve tried two recipes: the Brown-Butter-and-Vanilla-Bean Weekend Cake and the Custardy Apple Squares. However, I can guarantee I will try more.
The Brown-Butter-and-Vanilla-Bean Weekend Cake was the first recipe I tried—because why not start at the beginning? It was delicious, but. Yes, but. I don’t know why, but I just expected more. It was just a really great slice of vanilla loaf cake. Nothing more or less, and I guess—perhaps unfairly—I was expecting more. I will make it again, though, and despite the fact that I’m not sure how much of a difference browning the butter made in the final product, it is a trick I am going to try with my own master muffin recipe that I use to make everything from banana to blueberry to zucchini to orange-cranberry muffins. Can’t hurt, right? And I melt the butter anyway.
The Custardy Apple Squares, however, were a different story. I wasn’t expecting much. There aren’t any spices. Its flavor comes solely from the apples, vanilla, and the optional alcohol. (I used dark rum, just as I did in the weekend cake.) I kept wondering if I should add some cinnamon or something, and though it wouldn’t have hurt to add some spice, the apple squares were awesome as they were. I was thinking that next time, if I were serving this to guests, it might be fun to follow the recipe but serve the squares with some sort of spiced whipped cream. You could go with a simple cinnamon whipped cream or an apple-pie-spiced whipped cream. However, these rocked my world as they were, and I can see them making my list of regular recipes. Dorrie Greenspan calls this a back-pocket recipe, and I think that is a fair assessment. This is the sort of thing that is easily whipped up last minute. All the ingredients—except maybe the apples?—are things you likely have around the house on any given day, and if you have a mandolin, slicing the apples is a cinch. I don’t think it would be that hard without the mandolin either, just a little more time consuming. Best of all, I could put my boyfriend on apple-peeling duty and make him feel helpful.
The last thing I’ll say about this is cookbook is bravo for the tone and writing. Some cookbooks feel dogmatic. It can feel like if you don’t do exactly what you are told, disaster could result. My own cooking method usually involves changing recipes, either to suit my taste or because I started cooking and realized I was missing some ingredient. I often don’t use recipes at all. I just wing it. 99.9% of the time, it comes out fine and even great, so I appreciate a cookbook that encourages cooks to experiment, and Dorrie Greenspan definitely does that. All of the recipes seem to have serving and storing suggestions, which are helpful, and most seem to have “Bonne Idée,” or a good idea. In these, she encourages you to get creative and customize to your own taste.
Finally, I love the little intros to each recipe. She tells you the story of the recipe—who it came from or how it came to its present form. In these, she also encourages your creativity. In the lead-in to the Spiced Honey Cake, for example, she tells us that the spice mix she chose was based on whatever she had around at the time, and since she was happy with it, it stuck. That is so much how I do my own cooking and so much how I wish others could approach cooking, too. So many people I know don’t cook because they are scared of doing it wrong, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s not wrong as long as you are happy with how it tastes and it isn’t cooked beyond edibility. Yes, there is often room for improvement, but hey, there’s always next time.
(Oh, and this tentatively has four stars because I’ve made only two things from it. However, once I’ve cooked a few more, I can easily see changing this to a five-star rating.)
Well, I’m so glad they do.
Now it is totally weird to say I read a cookbook because a cookbook isn’t like a novel, where you generally need to read cover to cover to legitimately say you read it. A cookbook is a different animal, but one worth reviewing nonetheless. So let me begin by saying I haven’t read every word or tried every recipe. I’ve browsed and read a good bit of it, and so far I’ve tried two recipes: the Brown-Butter-and-Vanilla-Bean Weekend Cake and the Custardy Apple Squares. However, I can guarantee I will try more.
The Brown-Butter-and-Vanilla-Bean Weekend Cake was the first recipe I tried—because why not start at the beginning? It was delicious, but. Yes, but. I don’t know why, but I just expected more. It was just a really great slice of vanilla loaf cake. Nothing more or less, and I guess—perhaps unfairly—I was expecting more. I will make it again, though, and despite the fact that I’m not sure how much of a difference browning the butter made in the final product, it is a trick I am going to try with my own master muffin recipe that I use to make everything from banana to blueberry to zucchini to orange-cranberry muffins. Can’t hurt, right? And I melt the butter anyway.
The Custardy Apple Squares, however, were a different story. I wasn’t expecting much. There aren’t any spices. Its flavor comes solely from the apples, vanilla, and the optional alcohol. (I used dark rum, just as I did in the weekend cake.) I kept wondering if I should add some cinnamon or something, and though it wouldn’t have hurt to add some spice, the apple squares were awesome as they were. I was thinking that next time, if I were serving this to guests, it might be fun to follow the recipe but serve the squares with some sort of spiced whipped cream. You could go with a simple cinnamon whipped cream or an apple-pie-spiced whipped cream. However, these rocked my world as they were, and I can see them making my list of regular recipes. Dorrie Greenspan calls this a back-pocket recipe, and I think that is a fair assessment. This is the sort of thing that is easily whipped up last minute. All the ingredients—except maybe the apples?—are things you likely have around the house on any given day, and if you have a mandolin, slicing the apples is a cinch. I don’t think it would be that hard without the mandolin either, just a little more time consuming. Best of all, I could put my boyfriend on apple-peeling duty and make him feel helpful.
The last thing I’ll say about this is cookbook is bravo for the tone and writing. Some cookbooks feel dogmatic. It can feel like if you don’t do exactly what you are told, disaster could result. My own cooking method usually involves changing recipes, either to suit my taste or because I started cooking and realized I was missing some ingredient. I often don’t use recipes at all. I just wing it. 99.9% of the time, it comes out fine and even great, so I appreciate a cookbook that encourages cooks to experiment, and Dorrie Greenspan definitely does that. All of the recipes seem to have serving and storing suggestions, which are helpful, and most seem to have “Bonne Idée,” or a good idea. In these, she encourages you to get creative and customize to your own taste.
Finally, I love the little intros to each recipe. She tells you the story of the recipe—who it came from or how it came to its present form. In these, she also encourages your creativity. In the lead-in to the Spiced Honey Cake, for example, she tells us that the spice mix she chose was based on whatever she had around at the time, and since she was happy with it, it stuck. That is so much how I do my own cooking and so much how I wish others could approach cooking, too. So many people I know don’t cook because they are scared of doing it wrong, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s not wrong as long as you are happy with how it tastes and it isn’t cooked beyond edibility. Yes, there is often room for improvement, but hey, there’s always next time.
(Oh, and this tentatively has four stars because I’ve made only two things from it. However, once I’ve cooked a few more, I can easily see changing this to a five-star rating.)
January 2, 2016
My father gave this to me for Christmas last year, and it is one of the only cookbooks I have that I want to cook every single recipe. I have baked quite a few recipes so far, and all have turned out pretty well, or fantastic. Greenspan's directions are clear and concise, and she is endlessly reassuring.
July 28, 2018
On one hand, the technical information in the book is abundant and invaluable coming from Dorie Greenspan. On the other hand, I really value lots and lots of pictures in my cookbooks, and this one is lacking in that department. At one point I read through 11 recipes without a single photo--not even one of the wee ones they sometimes stick at the top near the names of the recipe. That was super disappointing to me, especially when I've learned so much from Greenspan in other formats. Still, it's a collection of solid traditional French recipes with a fair amount of technical discussion.
May 13, 2025
Not enough pictures!!!
June 5, 2018
This book was probably unintentionally amusing. I made random family members listen to me read aloud from it and several of them completely lost it. I would direct you to the note on Salt or the granola recipe to get an idea of why that is.
Although it is a collection of simple French recipes, they are still a bit fussier than many an American cook may be used to preparing.
My favourites:
Plain and Simple Almond Cake*
Apple Weekend Cake
Fluted Carrot-Tangerine Cake
Rhubarb Upside-Down Brown Sugar Cake
Sainte-Pierre Poppy Seed Cake
Carrement Chocolat - Fancy version
Gingerbread Buche de Noel - beautiful!*
Le Cheesecake Round Trip*
Galette Des Rois - for Epiphany!
Cranberry Crumble Tart
Cherry Crumb tart
Merveilles (Which reminded me an awful lot of funnel cake)
Stained Glass Cookies (which I have been making since I was 7 from a recipe garnered from a great-aunt)
Galette Dough
Hot or Cold Salted Caramel Sauce*
Although it is a collection of simple French recipes, they are still a bit fussier than many an American cook may be used to preparing.
My favourites:
Plain and Simple Almond Cake*
Apple Weekend Cake
Fluted Carrot-Tangerine Cake
Rhubarb Upside-Down Brown Sugar Cake
Sainte-Pierre Poppy Seed Cake
Carrement Chocolat - Fancy version
Gingerbread Buche de Noel - beautiful!*
Le Cheesecake Round Trip*
Galette Des Rois - for Epiphany!
Cranberry Crumble Tart
Cherry Crumb tart
Merveilles (Which reminded me an awful lot of funnel cake)
Stained Glass Cookies (which I have been making since I was 7 from a recipe garnered from a great-aunt)
Galette Dough
Hot or Cold Salted Caramel Sauce*
April 13, 2018
I got this as a library e-book loan. Unfortunately, the only electronic version they had was restricted to the (hated) Axis360 reading app. I shake my fist at that buggy, clunky, annoying app. Long story short, I was able to read most of the text, but not make anything because the app scrambles the ingredient lists so badly that the amounts are over-typed by the name of the ingredient, rendering the list illegible. I went on Amazon, downloaded a sample of the Kindle version, and it was perfect. So, I wasn't able to actually cook anything from this book, and I don't think it's fair to rate a cookbook without making something from it. On the other hand, Dorie Greenspan's reputation is such that it would be hard to believe the recipes aren't as wonderful as they sound.
I can say that the book is well-organized, has clear instructions, and a generous number of gorgeous finished product pictures. The font is bold and clear--none of that light gray, thin, low contrast nonsense--and there is sufficient spacing so you won't go cross-eyed trying to read it. None of the recipes looked difficult. In fact, she says in the intro that the emphasis is on comfort deserts that are quick and homey. I saw quite a few things I'd like to make, including a yummy looking red grapefruit tart, a recipe I've been searching for awhile now.
Edited Dec. 2015
I finally got my hands on a print version of this book and was able to make a recipe or two. I feel it's fair now to give it a GR rating. Call it a personal quirk, but I don't think it's fair to rate a cookbook unless one has actually cooked from it. Two thumbs up. If the Kindle app version of the book does not have the same problems I described above, I'll probably be adding this to my collection soon.
I can say that the book is well-organized, has clear instructions, and a generous number of gorgeous finished product pictures. The font is bold and clear--none of that light gray, thin, low contrast nonsense--and there is sufficient spacing so you won't go cross-eyed trying to read it. None of the recipes looked difficult. In fact, she says in the intro that the emphasis is on comfort deserts that are quick and homey. I saw quite a few things I'd like to make, including a yummy looking red grapefruit tart, a recipe I've been searching for awhile now.
Edited Dec. 2015
I finally got my hands on a print version of this book and was able to make a recipe or two. I feel it's fair now to give it a GR rating. Call it a personal quirk, but I don't think it's fair to rate a cookbook unless one has actually cooked from it. Two thumbs up. If the Kindle app version of the book does not have the same problems I described above, I'll probably be adding this to my collection soon.
January 7, 2015
Oh, Dorie, how I admire and adore you. This is my favorite of her books thus far! Every page made me squeal and sigh and dream about cooking my way through the book. An outstanding, classic-but-with-twists, lovely book.
November 6, 2014
As always lovely recipes from Greenspan, but as always sometimes a little intimidating.
January 5, 2025
I am completely enamored with this book.
I got it as a library loan, but I'm seriously considering asking Santa for it next year.
When I go through a cookbook, I bookmark recipes that I want to try. The fact that I lost count after 50 bookmarks compels me to add it to my collection.
Dorie Greenspan is a wonderful teacher. She explains things without being dry or stuffy. Things that I'm wondering about as I read she answers within a sentence or two. She provides US as well as metric measurements. I consider myself an experienced cook/baker, and while her instructions are detailed, they are still easily understood. It never feels like she's talking down to the reader. She gives you tiny pearls of wisdom throughout. Things you should be looking out for. I think a trusting novice baker would benefit from this book. With Greenspan's clear & detailed directions, that baker would be successful & further encouraged to progress.
I got it as a library loan, but I'm seriously considering asking Santa for it next year.
When I go through a cookbook, I bookmark recipes that I want to try. The fact that I lost count after 50 bookmarks compels me to add it to my collection.
Dorie Greenspan is a wonderful teacher. She explains things without being dry or stuffy. Things that I'm wondering about as I read she answers within a sentence or two. She provides US as well as metric measurements. I consider myself an experienced cook/baker, and while her instructions are detailed, they are still easily understood. It never feels like she's talking down to the reader. She gives you tiny pearls of wisdom throughout. Things you should be looking out for. I think a trusting novice baker would benefit from this book. With Greenspan's clear & detailed directions, that baker would be successful & further encouraged to progress.
July 2, 2017
Dorie Wins Again!
Dorie Greenspan is a genius at provided excellent recipes with clear instructions. The results are always consistently good and great looking. The bonus bon idees provided options that make the recipes more versatile so that each time you produce something a bit different. In addition, these recipes are not elaborate and time-consuming, many of which can be made at least the day before the planned event. Highly recommended.
Dorie Greenspan is a genius at provided excellent recipes with clear instructions. The results are always consistently good and great looking. The bonus bon idees provided options that make the recipes more versatile so that each time you produce something a bit different. In addition, these recipes are not elaborate and time-consuming, many of which can be made at least the day before the planned event. Highly recommended.
December 27, 2017
It's a very big, heavy book, and quite wordy, (but lovely photos) - but then I'm an experienced cook/baker. The one thing I wished had been included, were photos of all the recipes - several recipes only have directions. I will probably not buy it, but borrow from the library when I'm feeling in the mood for trying a new recipe. Clearly, she is an experienced and talented baker, and I look forward to learning a thing or two from this book.
August 5, 2024
Love Dorie’s books!
Her books are always interesting, accessible, and straightforward to make as well as her directions. I appreciate that she gave directions for how to make some of the basics rather than have you run out and buy them at a much higher price. Thank you for another gem!
Her books are always interesting, accessible, and straightforward to make as well as her directions. I appreciate that she gave directions for how to make some of the basics rather than have you run out and buy them at a much higher price. Thank you for another gem!
November 18, 2018
Oh my word! It's a good thing you can't gain weight reading about food, surely I would have gained ten pounds if you could! I didn't make any of the recipes, borrowed it from the library, but the instructions are clear even for someone who is an inexperienced baker.
March 6, 2022
I loved the stories that went along with the recipes! The instructions for each recipe where very clear. I want to make almost everything in the book! As with all baking books though, I wish there were more pictures.
July 29, 2023
No words for the yum factor
It has a little bit of everything in the sweets category. Mix of French and American style desserts, techniques and flavors with a variety of Bonn idee to change up the mood. Most recipes are accompanied with photos and a lot of helpful hints.
It has a little bit of everything in the sweets category. Mix of French and American style desserts, techniques and flavors with a variety of Bonn idee to change up the mood. Most recipes are accompanied with photos and a lot of helpful hints.
August 7, 2017
A physically gorgeous book, with very clear directions and delicious outcomes. I've enjoyed everything I've baked from the book.
September 29, 2017
A great baking cookbook!
February 16, 2018
Tart crust twice, lime curd and meringue once - all delectable - sold!
August 15, 2018
Some good recipes and some nice photos.
Read
February 13, 2020French macarons
August 23, 2020
I am never disappointed with Dorie Greenspan. She so obviously loves her subject that it infuses the recipes with a depth of familiarity.
November 22, 2020
Interesting narrative and filled with challenging recipes to take dessert skills to the next level!
Want to read
September 9, 2021can some whan cook for me
July 6, 2025
Dorie Greenspan is always a joy to read as well as bake with.
December 4, 2025
An absolutely delightful French baking book
February 18, 2022
This is one to get.
July 19, 2020
Ok, more than 5 stars for how amazing these recipes sound!
But until I retire, I would not commit so much time to making a dessert, so 2-3 stars for being out of reach for the average working amateur baker
But until I retire, I would not commit so much time to making a dessert, so 2-3 stars for being out of reach for the average working amateur baker
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews