The Sweet Spot: Asian-Inspired Desserts by Pichet Ong and Genevieve Ko

    • Categories: Candy / sweets; Asian
    • Ingredients: fresh ginger
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Notes about this book

  • hlange on April 24, 2024

    Flavors are phenomenal - but the author himself has said these recipes were actually written for convection ovens. Something that would have been nice to know, but it means the book is rife with temperature/time inconsistencies.

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Ginger oatmeal raisin cookies

    • pluralcow on March 27, 2013

      This has been my go-to cookie recipe for about five years. The candied ginger takes an already delicious oatmeal raisin cookie to another level.

    • EmilyR on July 23, 2024

      I used ceylon cinnamon and brown sugar topped with a pinch of maldon instead of ginger and also about 30g of barley flakes for some extra chew. Used a black #30 / 1.25oz scoop after chilling in the freezer for 2 hours. The recipe made roughly 30 cookies. They have subtle heat from the cayenne and ginger. Very good!

    • Kinhawaii on September 28, 2021

      I agree with pluralcow- delicious & love the candied ginger addition. I got almost 60 cookies & made them bigger than an inch of dough. Will make again. The next day they were quite soft so heated the oven to 325F, put them back in on a rack on a sheet pan, turned off the oven & left it for several hours- then they were crunchy. Maybe it was too humid here- I did cook them for 12 minutes, the recommended maximum time.

  • Condensed milk pound cake

    • chawkins on March 07, 2018

      Very good, not too sweet with a crisp crust and very tender crumb.

  • Jasmine rice pudding

    • hillsboroks on August 11, 2024

      This pudding is the epitome of luscious! Flavors are light and a bit tropical. I served it with a small scoop of homemade mango gelato and all agreed that this was a fabulous dessert after an Asian themed meal. I did find that it cooked too fast on my electric glass-topped stove even on the lowest setting. I had to add about 1/2 cup extra half and half at about 16 minutes if cooking and stirring. I kept tasting the rice for doneness and thought it was done after 25 minutes but when served my husband and guest detected a small bit of undercooked rice. It still tasted fabulous but next time I will take my pan off the heat after adding the rice and bringing it to a boil the second time for a few minutes to let my burner cool down to low before continuing with simmering and stirring.

    • fultre on October 11, 2022

      Delicious, despite not fully following recipe. Still tinkering with it—last time I used 2 cans coconut milk in place of all liquids and I found that a little heavy. Next time will use 1 can plus cream/half and half.

  • Banana cake

    • yassoma on August 15, 2016

      Words cannot describe how absolutely great this banana cake is. I've been making banana bread for years, and once I tried this, I couldn't go back.

    • hlange on November 17, 2023

      This was the best banana bread hubby and I have ever eaten. The chocolate chips sank badly despite putting them on the very top right before going in the oven. I will absolutely make this again to tinker with.

  • Honey castella

    • hlange on January 12, 2024

      The cake was absolutely delicious but there was something off with the temperature/baking time. Even though it was in for 10 minutes longer than the stated time, it never got very dark and it still sunk a little after taking it out of the oven. After an hour, inserting a tester like the recipe called for just made that area collapse slightly afterward. I feel like the temperature might have needed to be increased.

  • Coconut chocolate chip cookies

    • hlange on January 18, 2024

      Very good toasted coconut cookie with a nice nutty coconut flavor. I love that they're such a treat while still providing a good amount of fiber and the other health benefits of coconut.

    • hlange on February 01, 2024

      I've made these several times since for the family and they're still enjoyed. There is an error in the weight of the dark brown sugar though, something I'm noticing a lot in this book.

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  • ISBN 10 0061801623
  • ISBN 13 9780061801624
  • Published Jan 01 2009
  • Format eBook
  • Page Count 320
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher HarperCollins eBooks
  • Imprint HarperCollins eBooks

Publishers Text

When it comes to Asian desserts, most Americans think of fortune cookies. But, in fact, the Far East is home to a dazzling array of sweets rich with tropical fruits, crunchy nuts, aromatic spices, and, yes, even chocolate.

In The Sweet Spot, renowned pastry chef Pichet Ong presents a collection of one hundred recipes for cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, puddings, ice creams, candies, and more. There are traditional Asian desserts with innovative twists, such as Sesame Balls, Mango Sticky Rice, and Almond Tofu, and classic American favorites, like Spiced Coconut Brownies, Banana Cream Pie, and Cream Puffs, livened up with Asian ingredients and cooking techniques.

Eschewing the heavy use of butter and sugar, Ong instead highlights the vibrant flavors of Asia - jasmine, lychee, orange blossom water, passion fruit, yuzu, mangosteen, and sesame, to name just a few. And despite the complexity of flavors and textures, all of the recipes are easy enough to make in home kitchens, requiring minimal effort for maximum results. Dazzle dinner-party guests with elegant showstoppers - Thai Tea White Chocolate Tart, Coconut Cream Pie with Toasted Jasmine Rice Crust - or delight the family with simple weeknight treats - Pomegranate Sherbet, Ginger Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

The Sweet Spot includes lush color photographs of almost all of the finished dishes, and a foreword from legendary restaurateur and chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Savory Asian cuisine has been popular in America for years. Now it's time to embrace the enticing range of exotic desserts.



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