Ladurée: Sucré by Phillipe Andrieu

A slight departure in subject from my usual posting, Laduree Sucre (The Sweet Recipes) by Phillipe Andrieu is a recipe book, but a recipe book like no other.

The exquisite outer box reveals the book itself in luxurious suedette finish, with copious gold blocking on the front cover and gilt page edges.

Inside it is a more conventional recipe book, the photography by Sophie Tramier is excellent, the quality of the recipes I will have to reserve judgement on!

Even though the book was only published last year it is already pretty scarce. There are a few copies available here, and it looks like there may be another edition about to be published here, though whether this will have the same production values I do not know.

From the Ladurée website - 

Ladurée Sucré is a delectable artist’s book gem.

Reminiscent of the “legendary” macaroons in their elegant powder pastel boxes, this work of art will come set in a gift chest and wrapped in tissue paper. Philippe Andrieu, Chief Pastry Chef at Ladurée, unveils 100 of the prestigious establishment’s recipes adapted for the general public. From the Fraisier to the rose cream puff, the pistachio financier, and the indispensible macaroons in their assorted flavours, a rich palette of pastel green, tart violet, and lemon yellow pastries await, as so many jewels, behind every page.

It is an expression both of Ladurée excellence, where taste and refinement have always gone hand and hand, and the best the French “art de vivre” has to offer. An introduction, “La Petite histoire de Ladurée (A brief history of Ladurée)” is the story of how this little bakery, created in 1862 by Louis Ernest Ladurée, came into its own and became a genuine institution of French gourmandise.