Customer Reviews

The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook: Recipes from the World-Famous Bakery and Allysa Torey's Home Kitchen

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I saw this cookbook in a bookstore and promptly purchased it off amazon that evening. I have since made several items in the cookbook and have enjoyed most of them (although, surprisingly not the cupcakes. Mine turned out dry. I'll keep trying though). The brownies I've tried have been spectacular and they did not last long at all.

I really only have two complaints: First, none of the pictures line up. There are several pictures of treats, but you won't find them on the same page (or even near the same page) as the recipe. So if you see a picture you like, you have to scramble to find the recipe. Not a big deal, but slightly annoying. My second, and most significant, complaint is that the recipes repeat themselves! Page 91 and 97- same vanilla cupcake/vanilla birthday cake recipe. Page 92 and 98 same Devil's food cake recipe and another Devil's food on 104 that's only slightly different. 108/112 same chocolate cake recipe. And on and on. Sometimes the recipe is named with an icing (i.e., Devil's Food cake with Seven Minute Icing) and the icing is on a different page as well. I suppose I could see giving variations on the same page (i.e., "to make cupcakes do this:" "to make a 3 layer cake do this") but I don't understand why they decided to list the same recipes multiple times. I think that's in poor taste and it definitely discourages me from buying another Magnolia Bakery cookbook. If they ran out of recipes in one, why would I purchase a second one?

Let me explain... if you're a fan of the previous two books, like I am, chances are you already own them and bake from them often. My family enjoys the treats from this bakery so much that when I saw they had a new book, of course my husband gave it to me for Christmas. Well, I'm sorry to say it went back for a refund. Now, don't get me wrong, the recipes are as delicious as ever, it's just that it's practically the same two previous books just made into one! The same recipes, even the very same photos. There just wasn't enough new material to warrant buying this new book. So many repeats of the other books AND of the recipes in this book itself as well as the fact that they didn't more or less imply this in the description or blurbs, just makes me think that they were trying to make a quick buck off of the fans.
However, if you're trying out the Magnolia recipes for the first time, then definitely go for it.

I have previously purchased the other two Magnolia cookbooks, and just recently got this one....only to find out it's the SAME recipes that are in their other two cookbooks - and the same photos from the previous books.

What a rip off!!! This book is going back for a refund!

If you have the other Magnolia books - don't waste your money on this one.

I love to bake and I do it very often. When my fiance and I went to NYC, we had to visit Magnolia Bakery. I loved their banana pudding and wanted to try to make some myself. I was worried when I ordered the book that the recipes were going to be fancy and very complicated, but to my surprise they were all relatively easy. It is pretty much great recipes that are easy to make and taste amazing! This book was COMPLETELY worth it!

After reading negative reviews of this book, I compared the table of contents from both The Magnolia Bakery and More from Magnolia Bakery Cookbooks to this book's table of contents and found every single recipe from both cookbooks are indeed included in this one book. While I completely agree with reviewers who felt this is a rip-off if you own both previous books (which I do and I almost bought this one), it should be noted that the title of this book is The COMPLETE Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. The front flap description does state this book is a comprehensive collection of recipes from the bakery in honor of the bakery's 10th anniversary, however, no where does it state that this book is simply a combination of every recipe from both previous cookbooks. In my opinion, omitting this key piece of information is being intentionally misleading, a tad dishonest, and definitely an attempt to make a few more quick bucks. In my comparison I did not find even one new recipe in this book. If you own both previous Magnolia Bakery cookbooks, don't waste your money or your shelf space on this one. I would recommend this book only to someone who does not own the first two.

My husband and I love to bake and have made several things in this cookbook. The cupcakes are the best ever! The ingredients are easy to find and the recipes are not complex. I recommend this cookbook to everyone who likes to bake.

Great cookbook. Best cupcakes I have ever made. I get rave reviews everytime I make them.

I received this book in the mail today and I was so disappointed to discover it doesn't come with photos. I guess the recipe should speak for itself but it's not such a great gift without that extra aesthetic value.

This is a great cookbook, with recipes from the famous Magnolia Bakery in New York City! I have been to NYC several times and my family and I have waited in line and hour and a half to two hours to purchase wonderful baked goods! First of all, well worth the wait!!! Secondly, those very recipes are in this book!

OMG the "Peaches and Cream Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust" on page 171 is the best pie I have ever eaten! If you want a fabulous addition to it: reconstitute some dried apricots in apricot brandy, chop them and put them on top of this pie!!! Out of this world fabulous!!!

All the recipes are easy to follow and wonderful to eat!!!

I bought this book as a shared gift - one for my Best Friend and one for me! We've both licked many a frosted-finger eating Magnolia cupcakes . . specifically, RED VELVET! On our last trip to NYC, we visited both the original bakery in Soho and the Avenue of the Americas store. We even boarded our flight home carefully maneuvering security and crowded waiting areas with our sweet treats. Lucky, we did! Our flight was delayed over one hour due to weather and our 1.5 hour journey became almost a three hour trip. Those two Magnolia "beauties" saved us from certain discomfort and irritability. The recipe books are souvenirs as well as inspiration for homemade replicas with sweet memories!