Cookies and Candies

• How to make shortbread cookies
• How to make old-fashioned French regional cookies
• How to make chocolate truffles, candied citrus rinds, and fruit jellies

Years ago a close friend and i took a three-week trip to the French countryside, where we indulged in a variety of gustatory excesses. As we’d approach a new town or city, I’d run my finger down the page in the Michelin guide and call from a pay phone at a gas station to book a table. To avoid financial ruin, our one compromise was to skip desserts—hardly a sacrifice since we’d be ready to burst anyway. But while I’m not a big dessert eater, a good meal always leaves me hankering for a cup of strong espresso and just a little something sweet. In fancy restaurants, petits fours—tiny little cakes, candies, and cookies—are served as a prelude to dessert. For us they were dessert—the perfect end to an evening spent eating.