The book is called "bake" and it is by an international chef based in America by the name of Nick Malgieri. It is a hard cover book which I really love as I tend to collect hardcover books. The pastry I tried first was the sort of pastry one could use for either a sweet or savoury dish. Well I was hooked line and sinker from the first. The pastry had to be the best I had ever made with all the family commenting on it. I then decided to have a go at the classic puff pastry. From there I have become infatuated with making pastry, I kid you not

The book is wonderful so if you come across a copy of it do have a look through this as it really does have some wonderful advise and great recipes with clear directions of each phase of it. I loved it. Nick Maligieri also has a web site if one wishes to look him up where he also has shared quite a few of his recipes on the web.
I have made sweet and savoury pastry, several cakes and the most scrumptious sweet pastry basket I have ever fiddled with in my life. Once completed it looked so professional that I was loath to let anyone eat it although I have to warn you that this basket was made with classic puff pastry which had what seemed like a ton of butter in it and took me neary all day to make. Classic puff has to be made quickly (as in bought together into a dough) then one rolls it out quickly folds it into 3'rds wraps and chills it for an hour then does it all over again several times. How many times you do this seems to determine how much the pastry "puffs" and this pastry puffed a whole lot. It was golden, crisp and light yet buttery and efinately not something you would make all the time but rather for special occassions. Did I say how much I loved it!

I have recently rekindled my passion for books and reading so if anyone has some other insights to share in the book club arena please do.
Happy Reading All