Konfekt aus der Schweiz (Confectionary from Switzerland)
March 3, 2009
My mentor, George Wagner, has recently given me this traditional book about mini-sweets; I have not yet had much opportunity to study it.
Petit fours generally come in two types, ‘glace’ or ‘frais’, which are cream-filled or iced; and ‘sec’, which are dry – small cookies, tuiles, Palmiers, meringues, macaroons, for example. This book, printed in 1981, focuses exclusively on traditional Swiss ‘sec’, and has some fascinating recipes – pineapple strips with apricot diamonds, vermicelles, nut stars. The older clientele at my work often ask for these types of treats, and I am happy to have this resource now available.
Printed in English and German with some photographs, the instructions are brisk and to-the-point, a typically German no-nonsense presentation. I haven’t used this in the kitchen yet; I am looking forward to trying some of these recipes, and will update you once I have.