BACHOUR IN HIS PUREST FORM
Antonio Bachour is undoubtedly one of today's most internationally recognised pastry chefs. How did this Puerto Rican-born chef earn professional respect and admiration worldwide? Through his joyful, colourful, attractive, varied pastry, accessible and understandable without unnecessary complications. This is the pastry featured in Bachour Buffets, a book that perfectly captures the style he practises daily in his production kitchen and shops and teaches in courses worldwide. It contains 74 new, original creations, organised into five themed buffets, with recipes, methods, technical notes, step-by-step photographs and beautiful images by Corina Landa.
Bachour Buffets is a large-format, 512-page treatise on contemporary pastry, worthy of its author and the prestige of a chef twice named World's Best Pastry Chef.
In the author's words: “Bachour Buffets, my second book with Grupo Vilbo and BooksForChefs, is where I could finally present all my pastry: what I make every day and what I teach in my courses worldwide. It is my pastry and 100% me… The idea is that anyone anywhere can open a pastry business with this book… This is a book for working and understanding production, rather than a showcase for the author.”
The book is organised into five themed buffets, in the style of the chef's large displays at events worldwide, here with one piece of each creation. Each buffet forms a chapter devoted to a theme or related product range:
One: Croissants and Brioche
Croissant dough is immensely versatile, capable of creating a complete pastry buffet from one dough. Flour, sugar, salt, milk, butter and yeast become classic and two-tone croissants with mascarpone, pecan, mango-passion fruit and other fillings and finishes; classic and two-tone pains au chocolat with different fillings; hazelnut pains aux raisins; Rocher croissant rolls; braided apple croissants; flan croissants… 13 preparations from the same dough. The buffet also includes three forms of brioche: sugar brioche, mango tarte tropézienne and chocolate brioche. Finally, another iconic dough from this family, baba, is too exceptional to omit.
Two: Entremets & Petits Gâteaux
One of Antonio Bachour's specialities. In individual and family formats, he demonstrates creativity and expertise across sponge cakes, crunchy layers, creams, mousses, jellies, glazes and decorations. Combinations include his Napolitan: a chocolate brownie with vanilla cream and strawberry panna cotta, dipped in a crunchy strawberry glaze and topped with whipped white chocolate ganache; an unusual pistachio Paris-Brest; a chocolate, coffee and vanilla Cappuccino entremet; and a chestnut, vanilla and mascarpone Mont Blanc. A total of 13 original creations with his unmistakable signature.
Three: Fruit and Vegetables
Antonio Bachour's pastry is neither vegan nor plant-based, but uses all kinds of vegetables for unique cakes, pastries and desserts, drawing on his hotel and restaurant experience. This buffet is pure nature, with the colours of citrus, red, green, tropical and temperate fruits, alongside fresh, fleshy vegetables such as pumpkin, aubergine and beetroot. A feast for the eyes and palate, with sweet potato and pear tart, coconut and strawberry rice pudding, aubergine tatin and sweet pea strawberry. Twelve wonders featuring fruit and vegetables.
Four: Choc
A buffet entirely devoted to chocolate as pastry's main ingredient. Three designer chocolate tablets, four filled bars, four exclusive bonbons, six clusters, seven individual cakes, an XXL biscuit and a dessert in a glass. A palette of formats with surprising combinations: chocolate, foie gras and black truffle; peanut and chocolate caramel among the cakes; strawberry and yoghurt or hazelnut and coffee among the bonbons; toffee, chocolate and chilli or yuzu and raspberry among the bars; crunchy milk chocolate or strawberry and pistachio among the tablets; almond and orange or seeds and mango among the clusters.
Five: Petits Fours
The most elegant, delicate buffet is devoted to petits fours. Twelve exquisite bites include miniature tarts, fritters, filled meringues, marshmallows, mini cakes, mini macarons, tea pastries, jellies and more. Each usually has three elements, one dry and two fresh. All the pleasure in a single bite, with combinations such as lemon and cherry fritter; almond, mandarin and yuzu tea pastry; green apple and celery mini tart; or blueberry and almond mini pavlova.
