Art of Vienesse Pastry CookbookThe Art of Viennese Pastry cookbook is one of my favorites -- mainly because THE best dessert is from Austria--Sachertorte...and there is an authentic recipe in this book. Sachertorte is layers of a chocolate sponge cake (not too sweet) with thin layers of apricot jam in the middle of the layers and dark chocolate icing with chocolate shreds on the top and sides. It usually has whipped cream which is my number one favorite dessert ingredient. I always joke I'll have some dessert with my whipped cream. The whipped cream in Sachertorte though doesn't typically have sugar in it.

I came across this book a few times but it is not commonly seen as it is essentially vintage at this point, from 1969. It is definitely not rare, but not a book you come across everyday. I was hoping to see it again to include in my blog. The author is the wife of Frederic Morton, a Jewish-Austrian writer who mainly worked as a columnist for several publications from the New York Times to Esquire to Playboy. 

Cookbook Title: The Art of Viennese Pastry Cookbook
Author: Marcia Colman Morton
Publisher: Doubleday & Company
Copyright: 1969
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket, 228 pages
Specialization Categories: Baking Cookbooks, Vintage Cookbooks, European Cookbooks
Average Price: $10.00
Noted Recipes: Sachertorte,Chocolate Linzertorte, Marienbad Cakes, Cat's Toungues, Lemon Roll a la Hussars, Maraschino Whipped Cream, Cherry Strudel, Apple Strudel, Strawberry Whipped Cream Tarts

Art of Viennese Pastry Cookbook

COOKBOOK COLLECTIBILITY RATINGS RATINGS EXPLAINED

Availability: 4.0
Popularity: 2.0
Investment Outlook: 2.0
-------------------------------------
Final Collectibility Factor: 2.66

Art of Viennese Pastry Cookbook - Availability Rating - 4.0

Although not mainstream as the book is now vintage (1969), it is available on several book sites from eBay to Abe Books. Do not confuse it with "Classic Art of Viennese Pastry" by Christine Berl, a similar, yet more contemporary book.

Art of Viennese Pastry Cookbook - Popularity Rating - 2.0

This cookbook scores low on the popularity rating as it is virtually an unknown book. It was not a household name at the time of publishing nor is it currently. This does not mean it isn't a great book -- just that it is not particular popular.

Art of Viennese Pastry Cookbook - Investment Outlook - 2.0

In terms of collectibility, this cookbook is not very investment worthy though I strongly recommend the book as a great resource for recipes. Again, these ratings go into collectibility and value in terms of a collection vs. whether it is a great cookbook or not.

Art of Viennese Pastry Cookbook - Final Collectibility Factor Rating - 2.66

The final collectibility factor comes in low--one of the lowest of my reviews. Ironically, this is one of the better pastry/baking books out there. It does not have fancy frills; it is mainly text with minimal photography, is is not popular...but it is a wonderful book with great detail on Austrian baking. This is a good resource for a pastry chef.