Modern Art Desserts: Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Confections, and Frozen Treats Based on Iconic Works of Art [A Baking Book]

By Caitlin Freeman

Taking cues from works by Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, and Matisse, pastry chef Caitlin Freeman, of Miette bakery and Blue Bottle Coffee fame, creates a collection of uniquely delicious dessert recipes (with step-by-step assembly guides) that give readers all they need to make their own edible masterpieces.

From a fudge pop based on an Ellsworth Kelly sculpture to a pristinely segmented cake fashioned after Mondrian’s well-known composition, this collection of uniquely delicious recipes for cookies, parfait, gelées, ice pops, ice cream, cakes, and inventive drinks has everything you need to astound friends, family, and guests with your own edible masterpieces.

Taking cues from modern art’s most revered artists, these twenty-seven showstopping desserts exhibit the charm and sophistication of works by Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Henri Matisse, Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Avedon, Wayne  Thiebaud, and more. Featuring an image of the original artwork alongside a museum curator’s perspective on the original piece and detailed, easy-to-follow directions (with step-by-step assembly guides adapted for home bakers), Modern Art Desserts will inspire a kitchen gallery of stunning treats.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781607743910

Reviews for Modern Art Desserts

[simora_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book, it is a beautiful, delicious piece of art. Either you keep it on your coffee table as a great conversation piece, or you dare to follow the recipes, it is a great book to own. The story is a great inspiration for all of us who should follow our heart in all that we do. As for the recipes themselves- they are a proof for patience, creativity and genius! Well done!

[lisa2013_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Well, it’s been a couple decades since I’ve bothered to read any but 100% vegan cookbooks (given that there are many hundreds and probably over 1,000 of them) but the cover of this book just called to me.I figured that almost all desserts are now easily veganized, and I love art. This book is on my San Francisco bookshelf because it’s very San Francisco, particularly as regards our modern art museum, local bakeries/eateries, etc. etc.Well, as the recipes are presented, much to my surprise they’re not easily made vegan, though it would be very, very easy to make vegan recipes that look exactly like these. Even with those (for me necessary) changes, these take too much work, and many hours/even days. Re the recipes: some require TONS of heavy cream and just egg yolks or just egg whites. Experienced vegan bakers would know what to do, but I wouldn’t. I enjoyed the book as an art book. There is some good information and photos about the artists, their lives and work.The highlight of the book for me turned out to be the cake on the cover, and it is fun.The rest are hit & miss, though all were creative. These desserts mimicking art remind me of the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco annual Bouquet to Arts festival, where floral artists create floral arrangements that mimic/reflect art pieces in the museum(s). As with that exhibit, the desserts I enjoyed most here were those that most closely showed the art, with the possible exception of Thiebaud's cakes, which simply copied them, and so didn't strike me as that creative, but paired up with the art are rather striking. Some good ones of Diebenkorn's work.There are many fun extras such as San Francisco photos, and instructions for making your own sea salt, etc. etc. Anyway, as a cookbook, I can’t recommend it. As a book to give bakers/cooks/artists ideas of how to make artistic foods and to use art to make other creative things, it’s an enjoyable resource. As a fun novelty, well, it was fun.For artists and particularly bakers/cooks, it might give them some ideas, and vegan bakers and cooks, including some who’ve written many of my favorite cookbooks, I’d love to see some of what they might glean from this. I’d love to see (and eat) what they might create from ideas they’d get from this book.5 stars for the cover and the premise. 3 ½ stars for some of the included information about the original art & artists, 2 ½ stars for the background information about this book, 1 star for the actual recipes, and not just because I’m vegan and wouldn’t eat any of them, though if I wasn’t vegan, honestly, I might give them 2 stars or even 3.