Kaffeehaus Exquisite desserts from the classic cafes of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague

Review by Booklist Review

Anyone who's visited Vienna, Budapest, or Prague knows the ineffable delights awaiting the famished sweet tooth behind the doors of these cities' numerous cafés. In Kaffeehaus Rick Rodgers has done a laudable job of scouring the kitchens of these coffeehouses to uncover the recipes for their finest pastries. He shows how to reproduce delicate pastry bases, fillings, and icings; and he carefully details the construction of these sweets' complex, classic decorations. In both text and sidebars Rodgers offers detailed historical and culinary secrets that empower the home cook to enthrall guests with good-looking and better-tasting pastries. Rodgers' recipes, although carefully written, require some experience in the pastry maker's art to reproduce successfully. Mark Knoblauch.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague by Rick Rodgers (Barbecues 101, etc.) celebrates the sweet excesses of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's fascination with elegance, music and romance. Rodgers explores the lore of these legendary establishments, traces the creation of their extraordinary desserts loved throughout the world and provides detailed instructions for their re-creation at home for the enjoyment of new generations. Kelly Bugden's full-color photographs of the sumptuous confections, as well as the coffeehouses themselves, pay homage to an earlier more gracious era. Sachertorte, Apfelstrudel and Croissants are among the creations Rodgers demystifies. ( Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Library Journal Review

Rodgers is a food writer and prolific author with more than a dozen other cookbooks to his credit. His latest is clearly a labor of love: "Austro-Hungarian desserts are part of my heritage," he writes, and the idea for the book began with recipes from his great-aunts and other bakers in the family. Because the featured desserts (e.g., Apfelstrudel and Sachertorte) are steeped in tradition, this is as much a fascinating culinary history as it is a recipe collection. The recipes for simple and fancy cakes, sweet yeast breads, "slices" and other individual desserts, crepes, and more are for the treats that appear on the menu of any traditional coffee house. Some come from the cafes, while others are derived from the cooking schools, pastry chefs, and home cooks whom Rodgers encountered on his travels. The recipes are clearly written and accessible even to novice bakers, but professionals will also learn from the book. Thoroughly researched histories of both individual desserts and various aspects of the coffee house tradition appear throughout, and there is a useful culinary glossary as well as a personal guide to favorite cafes. Highly recommended for all baking collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Hungary's national chocolate dessert, Rigó Jancsi consists of squares of cocoa mousse sandwiched between chocolate cake and covered with a shiny chocolate glaze. CAKE 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 large eggs, at room temperature 2/3 cup sugar FILLING 2 tablespoons golden rum or water 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder 2 cups heavy cream GLAZE 1/4 cup hot water 3 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature 1. To make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Lightly butter a 15 x 11-inch jelly roll pan, and line the bottom and sides with parchment or wax paper. (Cut slashes in the corners of the paper to help them fold neatly.) Lightly butter the paper. 2. Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together into a bowl. Mix the milk, oil, and vanilla in a measuring cup. 3. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and add the sugar. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat until very light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Sift half of the flour mixture over the eggs and fold in. Fold in half of the milk mixture. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk mixtures. Spread evenly in the pan, being sure the batter fills the corners. 4. Bake until the cake springs back when pressed in the center, about 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on a large wire rack. Invert onto the rack and peel off the paper. Cool completely. 5. To make the filling: Pour the rum into a small bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Set aside for 5 minutes. Place the bowl in a skillet of gently simmering water. Using a small rubber spatula, stir constantly until the gelatin is completely dissolved, being sure to wipe down any undissolved gelatin on the sides of the bowl. Remove the bowl from the water, stir in the vanilla, and set aside to cool slightly. 6. In a bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar and cocoa. In a chilled medium bowl, beat the cream until it just begins to thicken. Sift the cocoa mixture into the cream and beat until barely stiff. Stir about one third of the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture, then beat back into the cream, beating until the filling is very stiff. (But do not overbeat, or it will separate.) 7. Cut the cake into two 7 1/2-inch-wide pieces. Place one cake on a baking sheet. Spread all of the filling on the cake in a thick layer, smoothing the sides. Refrigerate while making the glaze. 8. To make the glaze: Combine the water and chocolate in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from the heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the butter and stir until melted and combined. Set aside to thicken and cool slightly. 9. Place the remaining cake layer, smooth side up, on a wire rack set over a jelly roll pan. Pour all of the glaze on top of the cake. Using a metal spatula, smooth and coax the glaze over the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until the glaze is set, about 15 minutes. 10. Using a thin sharp knife rinsed under hot water between cuts, cut the glazed cake into 9 rectangles. Following their original positions, arrange the rectangles on top of the filling. Refrigerate until the filling is set, about 1 hour. Cut between the rectangles to make individual servings. Serve chilled. MAKE AHEAD The mousse squares can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and stored under a cake dome in the refrigerator. Excerpted from Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague by Rick Rodgers All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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