Few things are as satisfying as biting into the flaky crust of a fresh pastry. The smell and flavor bring to mind childhood memories and special occasions that are forever etched into our palettes. But what happens when your love for traditional grain-based desserts is snatched from you? Jenni Hulet found out about 5 years ago, when a debilitating illness wreaked havoc on her body. After enduring months of paralyzing pain, she found out that she was now living with an acute autoimmune condition that left her with a sensitivity to gluten, grains, dairy, and nightshades. Jenni was determined that she could turn her health around and still hold on to the desserts that she had come to love. Her food blog, The Urban Poser, was born from this persistence, eventually leading to a full-on cookbook: My Paleo Patisserie.
The 320 pages of My Paleo Patisserie take you on a revolutionary culinary journey, re-conceptualizing a world of pastry, not defined by flour or dairy. Many of Jenni’s recipes rely on swapping out flour and diary for ingredients like coconut flour, almond flour, arrowroot powder, and coconut milk. In addition to the inventive recipes, My Paleo Patisserie offers stunning photography (shot by Jenni, herself!) which lends you a visual guide to achieving the perfect final product.
The cookbook covers everything you will need to know in order to be successful at completing the recipes. The front section is a thorough guide to the equipment and ingredients used in the recipes, and the back of the cookbook serves as a supplemental photo guide to the techniques used. The middle covers 9 chapters: [1] Fillings & More, [2] Frostings & Glazes, [3] Choux Pastry, [4] Tarts, [5] Cakes, [6] Cookies, [7] Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts, [8] Marshmallows, and [9] Savory Pastries. We gave her Choux Pastry and Whipped Coconut Cream recipes at try, creating gorgeous and delicious cream puffs. The cream puffs lacked for nothing – crisp on the outside, tender and airy on the inside, with a rich and satisfying cream in the middle. The recipe was a perfect homage to it’s flour-and-dairy predecessor.
My Paleo Patisserie is the perfect gift for the cook in your life who is not willing to sacrifice taste and technique on their quest to better health. This cookbook is not just for the gluten-and-dairy intolerant either! Those who are on carb-conscious diets will also find that many of the recipes contain very low carbohydrate and sugar counts. Grab your copy of My Paleo Patisserie, you won’t be disappointed.
