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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Baking for fun, and if you learn a little along the way, more power to you, April 20, 2010
This review is from: The New best of BetterBaking.com: 200 Classic Recipes from the Beloved Baker's Website (Paperback)
There is one very, very good reason to own this book: Goldman, a Canadian native and a resident of Montreal, has *the* definitive recipe for Montreal bagels, one she started publicizing as far back as a 1987 New York Times column.
But of course, that isn't the only reason to buy this book. Although it's not as much of a technical work as, say, Baking Illustrated or The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, it's still a very comfortable, well-worked-out book. There could be more pictures, although the use of heavy color stock means that even at a mere 324 pages it's still a heavy book. The recipes have a definite populist slant, as you might expect from a book extracted from a website's archives, with quite a few clones of things like Pizza Hut pizza and some very unusual scones, as well as numerous unusual and creative things like dueling-crust apple pie (pie crust below, phyllo on top), and even some joke recipes (evidently you're not to call certain fried dough preparations "beaver tails"). Surprisingly, Goldman doesn't cover things like puff pastry, which still has a reputation for being somewhat difficult.
I wish this was a five star book, but it has some gaping flaws. For one thing, it uses volumetric measurements, which is a constant annoyance when it comes to baking books. For another thing, despite being written and published in Canada, there are no metric measurements to be found anywhere. Goldman does navigate some of the trickier bits of the North American flour menagerie, though perhaps not to quite the level of detail the subject really needs. Overall, it's a very strong book, but it's weakened by a bunch of the usual publisher copouts. It shouldn't be your first baking book, but it's an excellent choice for your second.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Crowd-pleasing Recipes with Professional Quality Results, August 11, 2010
This review is from: The New best of BetterBaking.com: 200 Classic Recipes from the Beloved Baker's Website (Paperback)
I'm an avid baker (blue-ribbon apple pie winner) and my copy is dog-eared with some stained pages on my favorite recipes. Yes, you do get a feel from some of the recipes of a replicated "secret recipe" like the "Lawsuit Buttermilk Muffins" and "The Underground Baker's Secret Formula Carrot Cake," but the stories behind these recipes are interesting and show the provenance of a professional bakery's best-seller.
The "Secret Underground" carrot cake is my all-time favorite--so much so I bake it for my own birthday. It requires A LOT of ingredients including the unusual orange oil and extras like crushed pineapple and golden raisins, but it's delicious mouthful after delicious mouthful--not a dry, cinnamon-y where's-the-carrot cake from a box (nor commercial bakery).
Other must have recipes are: Big n Buttery Bake Sale Buns, Black Top Cookie Cheesecake (a secret recipe Oreo cheesecake covered in chocolate ganache, and a smash everywhere I brought one).
There's plenty in here for an avid baker and her fans to enjoy. If you are new to baking or don't have the patience to set aside a few hours or to plan on a special trip to the store for specific ingredients required--this book isn't for you.
If you prefer cookbooks with lots of pictures and step-by-step; this isn't that kind of cookbook. However, if you relish baking more complex recipes with that you can bring to a get-together and please alot of people, The best of [...] is a winner.
*Review refers to the 1st edition in paperback.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The New Best of Better Baking.com is really the best, June 20, 2010
This review is from: The New best of BetterBaking.com: 200 Classic Recipes from the Beloved Baker's Website (Paperback)
I have been baking since I was a child, and it's one of my favorite things to do. But I was in a baking rut, making variations of the same cakes, cookies and pies. I received this book from a friend - one who also loves baking - and my baking style changed dramatically. This book inspired me to try baking in new directions, such as breads and pizza, as well as broaden my reportoire of cakes, cookies and bars. Every recipe that I've tried from this book has been a gem, and has contributed to my reputation as an outstanding baker. The carrot cake, babka and triple chocolate chunk cookie recipes are each worth the price of the book. Recipes and techniques are clearly explained, with a huge amount of tips throughout, to give you the best results possible. You can make every recipe with confidence. I've worked through most of the book, and have yet to find a recipe that I wouldn't make again.
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