Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz

Photographs copyright © 2010 by Maren Caruso

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press,
an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com

Certain recipes in this work, some in different form, were originally published
in Room for Dessert (HarperCollins Publishers, NY, 1999)
and in Ripe for Dessert (HarperCollins Publishers, NY, 2003)

Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon

are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lebovitz, David.
Ready for dessert : my best recipes / David Lebovitz ; photography
by Maren Caruso.
p. cm.
Includes index.
Summary: “A compendium of recipes for desserts, including cakes,
pies, tarts, fruit desserts, custards, soufflés, puddings, frozen treats,
cookies, candies, and accompaniments, from noted pastry chef,
cookbook author, and food blogger David Lebovitz — Provided by
publisher.
1. Desserts. I. Title.
TX773.L383 2010
641.8'6—dc22
2009049281

ISBN 978-1-58008-138-2

Printed in China

Design by Nancy Austin

Food styling by Christine Wolheim

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

iv

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 Contents
• •

•
Introduction, 1

Ingredients, 4

Equipment, 15

••
Cakes, 23

Pies, Tarts, and Fruit Desserts, 73

Custards, Soufflés, and Puddings, 117

Frozen Desserts, 141

Cookies and Candies, 185

Basics, Sauces, and Preserves, 227

••
Appendix, 265

Acknowledgments, 269

Resources, 270

Index, 272

•••

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 Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Makes about 60 cookies

Writing an ice cream book means two things: (1) you’ll need to buy a separate freezer, and (2) you’re going to have
buckets of egg whites left over. Because this recipe uses quite of bit of egg whites, it was a staple in my repertoire
for a while. I was certain all my friends (and neighbors, and delivery men, and local merchants, and the people
who work in my doctor’s office) would tire of eating these coconut macaroons, but never once did I hear a com-
plaint. Dipping the bottoms in dark chocolate isn’t required, but it really lifts the macaroons to a whole different
level. I very highly recommend it.

8 large egg whites (1 cup/250 ml)
21/2 cups (500 g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) honey
5 cups (350 g) dried unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup (70 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces (115 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate,
chopped
In a Dutch oven or very large saucepan, mix together
the egg whites, sugar, salt, honey, coconut, flour, and
vanilla. Set over medium-low heat and gently cooking
the mixture, stirring frequently to dry it out a bit. When
the bottom just begins to sizzle, transfer the mixture to a
medium bowl and let cool slightly.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the
oven; preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking
sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
When the mixture is cool enough to handle, use your
fingers to form it into tight 11/4-inch (3-cm) pyramids and
place them on the prepared baking sheets (they won’t
spread during baking so you can place them fairly close
together).
Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway during
baking, until the macaroons are uniformly deep golden
brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on the bak-
ing sheets.
To dip the macaroons in chocolate, remove the cook-
ies from the baking sheets. Turn over the parchment
paper sheets so the clean sides are facing up or line the
baking sheets with plastic wrap.
Add the chocolate to a medium heatproof bowl. Set
the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring
occasionally until melted and smooth.
Dip the bottom of each macaroon into the melted
chocolate, scraping any excess chocolate against the
inside rim of the bowl. After dipping, place the cookie,
dipped side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Refrig-
erate until the chocolate hardens.
Storage: The batter can be refrigerated for up to
1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. The macaroons,
dipped or undipped, can be kept in an airtight container
for up to 3 days.
Variations: Milk chocolate can be used in place of
the dark chocolate. To make these cookies for Passover,
substitute ground almonds or matzoh meal for the flour.

206 Ready for Dessert

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 Cookies and Candies 207

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88 Ready for Dessert
 apple-Frangipane galette
MakeS 8 SeRvingS

A thin layer of frangipane, a rich almond pastry cream, elevates this simple, classic French dessert into something
special. It’s made in the style of many French fruit tarts: thin-crusted and only lightly sweetened to let the fruit
truly shine.
Americans have eagerly adopted French-inspired freeform tarts, even giving them a French name, galette, a
word that the French generally use to describe a round, squat pastry, cookie, or buckwheat crêpe. The most famous
galette is Galette des Rois, two disks of puff pastry filled with frangipane and eaten on Epiphany. I considered call-
ing this dessert a tart, but decided against it because that term can put off people who are worried about dealing
with fussy doughs and trying to achieve picture-perfect results. This pastry is intended to be rustic, and for that
reason, it’s often my go-to galette. Or tart.
Speaking of tart, if your apples are particularly tart, you could sprinkle a bit more sugar on top of them before
baking, but if you serve a sweet accompaniment alongside, as I usually do, additional sugar probably won’t be
necessary.

6 medium apples (3 pounds/1.5 kg)
Galette dough (page 231)
Frangipane (page 234)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 g) unsalted or salted butter,
melted
4 tablespoons (60 g) granulated or coarse-crystal sugar
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet
with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/2-inch (1.5-cm)
slices.
Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough
into a circle about 14 inches (36 cm) in diameter. Transfer
it to the prepared baking sheet.
Smear the frangipane over the dough, leaving a
2-inch (5-cm) border. Arrange the apple slices in con-
centric circles over the frangipane, or simply scatter
them in an even layer. Fold the border of the dough over
the apples and brush the crust with some of the melted
butter, then lightly brush or dribble the rest of the butter
over the apples. Sprinkle half of the sugar over the crust,
and the remaining half over the apples.
Bake the galette until the apples are tender and the
crust has browned, about 1 hour. Slide the galette off the
parchment paper and onto a wire rack.
SeRving: Serve warm or at room temperature. You
can drizzle the galette with warm honey or glaze it with
strained apricot jam, thinned with just enough water
to make it spreadable. Vanilla Ice Cream (page 143),
Cider Sabayon (page 238), or crème fraîche are all fine
accompaniments.
SToRage: The dough can be made up to 3 days in
advance and refrigerated. The tart should be served the
day it’s baked.
vaRiaTion: For a necTaRine-FRangiPane
galeTTe , substitute 3 large nectarines (13/4 pounds/
795 g), pitted and cut in 1/2-inch (1.5-cm) slices, for
the apples. (If you want the nectarines to have a very
pronounced flavor in the tart, decrease the amount of
frangipane; you can use as little as one-half the quantity,
or about 1/2 cup/125 ml). Arrange the necctarine slices
in barely overlapping concentric circles. You can use
peeled peaches in place of the nectarines.

Pies, Tarts, and Fruit Desserts 89

 Red Wine–Raspberry Sorbet
MakeS about 1 quaRt (1 liteR)

If you don’t believe the saying that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, this simple yet incredibly good
sorbet is proof positive that it can be true. This is my all-time favorite sorbet.

1 cup (200 g) sugar In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar, water, and
3/4 cup (180 ml) water red wine to a boil and let boil for 1 minute, stirring to
1 bottle (750 ml) fruity red wine, such as Merlot, dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the
Zinfandel, or Beaujolais raspberries. Cover and let steep for 1 hour.
3 cups (15 ounces/400 g) raspberries To purée the berries and remove the seeds, using
a rubber spatula, press the mixture through a mesh
strainer set over a medium bowl or pass it through a food
mill fitted with a fine disk into a medium bowl. Cover
and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.

VaRiation: For a lighter-tasting sorbet, use rosé in

place of the red wine.

tip:You can use frozen raspberries in this recipe.

There’s no need to thaw the berries before adding
them to the warm wine.

168 Ready for Dessert

Frozen Desserts 169
 Almond and Chocolate Chunk Biscotti
Makes about 60 cookies

I got a perplexing message from someone who made these biscotti: “They were good, but full of big chunks of
chocolate.” I’m not sure if that was meant as a compliment or a criticism, but I do know for sure that it wasn’t a
mistake—that’s exactly what I had in mind when I came up with these superchunky chocolate biscotti. They’re
perfect for dipping in a large cup of dark coffee or alongside a glass of Cognac after dinner. They’re also great travel
cookies—I’m always happy when I pull out a bag midway through a flight or train trip. I make sure to bring extras
because when I see the longing looks of passengers around me, I feel pressured to share—and I do, reluctantly.

21/2 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
11/4 cups (155 g) almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
7 ounces (200 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate,
chopped into 1/2-inch (1.5-cm) chunks
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet
with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the
baking powder.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment,
whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until
the mixture thickens and holds its shape, about 5 min-
utes. Using a rubber spatula, stir the flour mixture into
the egg mixture, then mix in the almonds and chocolate.
On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough
in half. Using dampened hands, shape each half into a
log 3 inches (8 cm) in diameter. Set the logs lengthwise
on the prepared baking sheet, evenly spacing them apart.
Dampen your hands and smooth the surface of the logs.
Bake, rotating the baking sheet midway through bak-
ing, until the logs are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
(They will flatten out during baking.) Remove the baking
sheet from the oven and decrease the oven temperature
to 300°F (150°C). Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for
10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the logs to a cutting board. With a serrated
bread knife, cut each log diagonally into slices 1/2 inch
(1.5 cm) thick. Place the cookies, cut sides up, in a single
layer on the baking sheet. (If necessary, use an additional
baking sheet.) Bake until the biscotti are firm, about
20 minutes, flipping them midway through baking. Let
cool completely; they’ll continue to firm up as they cool.
Storage: The biscotti will keep in an airtight container
for up to 1 week.
Variation: You can substitute 11/2 cups (240 g) choco-
late chips for the chopped chocolate, if you like, although
I prefer the irregularity of chocolate chunks in these
cookies.

216 Ready for Dessert

Cookies and Candies 217