By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
TRIBECA — Cooking up fancy desserts is a lot like accessorizing an outfit.
That’s the premise behind Tribeca Treats owner Rachel Thebault’s new cookbook, "Sweet Chic: Stylish Treats to Dress Up for Any Occasion," which is out this week.
Thebault, 34, who opened Tribeca Treats in 2007 after leaving a career in investment banking, teaches aspiring bakers to build their skills just like they would build a wardrobe: First acquire the basics, then get creative.
A good start would be to master chocolate cake, which Thebault calls the "little black dress" of desserts.
Once bakers have that recipe under their belt, they can dress it down into mini s’mores cupcakes for a bake sale or dress it up into a rich chocolate ganache for a romantic evening.
"You don’t have to feel like you’re reinventing the wheel each time [you try a new recipe]," Thebault said. "This encourages people to play around more."
In keeping with the fashion theme, designer Isaac Mizrahi, who orders desserts at Tribeca Treats for his events, wrote the introduction to "Sweet Chic."
Thebault’s recipes are also designed for frenetic New Yorkers who already have a lot on their plate.
"I’m my own core customer," said Thebault, who lives in TriBeCa and has two young daughters. "Whether you work or not, whether you have kids or not, New Yorkers are always running around."
Each recipe contains at least one part that can be done a day in advance, to save time.
Thebault said the publication of her cookbook is one of many “standing on the edge of the cliff about to jump off” moments she has had since quitting her investment-banking job six years ago.
Thebault left that high-stress job because she wanted to see if she could succeed at something that made her happier and meant more to her. She has always loved to cook and was already making chocolates for friends as presents when she decided to try turning her hobby into a career.
"I didn’t know how it was going to turn out," Thebault said from her bright, sweet-scented shop this week. "But I’m glad I did it."
Thebault will give baking tips and sign "Sweet Chic," $28, at TriBeCa’s Barnes & Noble , 97 Warren St., at 7 p.m. Oct. 26.
