Customer Reviews

A Passion for Baking: Bake to celebrate, Bake to nourish, Bake for fun

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have Marcy Goldman's two previous books and I can only say she gets better with each effort. This one is truly magnificent- filled to the rooftops with glorious photos that you want to devour themselves! But the recipes? This is a totally awesome, instant classic baking book. Each recipe features that trademark Goldman creative baking style she showcases at her site (www.BetterBaking.com) and yet each one as easy as pie. This is NOT your average baking book (it also lies flat on the counter- Yea!) but it certainly is for all levels of bakers. Where else could you find grainy/healthy/decadent/holiday (she has one definitive recipe for each holiday) and even a quick baking chapter. This book is worth its weight in gold for the biscotti and cheesecake chapters alone. I know- I have already mailed out by-request biscotti from coast to coast and made her Chocolate Eruption Cheesecake, not once, but twice. Wherever I go- I am, thanks to this book, the most-requested guest. Recipes are worth every extra mile around the running track! Marcy- you've outdone yourself this time!

"A Passion for Baking" is the latest book from master baker Marcy Goldman and is a treat in every sense of the word. With a tempting collection of over 200 recipes that range from muffins & cookies to pizza & savory breads, I had a hard time knowing where to start. Should I begin with the Toronto Blueberry Buns or the Vanilla-Apple-Cranberry Muffins? The French Country Bread or the Cinnamon Toast Bread? As with her previous books, Marcy's instructions are conversational and easy to follow, with helpful kitchen tips written in the sidebar. In addition to learning how to make some truly scrumptious treats you'll also learn, for instance, about different methods of making rye bread, what baker's caramel is, and when to slash your dough for a perfect loaf of bread. Chapters are prefaced by useful explanatory sections, which explain things like the various methods of cooking pizza (oven, pizza oven, cast-iron skillet, pizza pans) or how to bake muffins that truly puff. Most recipes are accompanied by eye-catching photos, which is always a plus, but what really sold me on this book was the inclusion of unique, creative recipes such as Hot Buttered Popcorn Bread, Sticky Cashmere Muffins and Cinn-a-Bun Cheesecake. I own many, many baking books so I appreciate it when authors make an effort to surpass the ye baking standbys by creating recipes that make you think, "Hmmm, I wonder what that tastes like? Let's find out!"

Chapters include: An introduction; Baking Secrets; Loaves, Large & Small; Rolls, Baby Breads & Buns; Pizza & Other Flatbreads; Scones & Biscuits; The Muffin Shoppe; The Cookie Jar; The Biscotti Bakery; Bars & Squares; Quick Breads & Coffee Cakes; Pies, Tarts & Pastries; Sweet Yeast Baking; Cake Creations; Say Cheesecake; Holiday Baking; Grainy Goodness; and Baker in a Hurry.

I have been looking for a recipe for Doughnuts w/o yeast that taste good and don't need to be fried. Goldman did it! Her French Cruller Doughnuts were a huge hit with friends and family. I made it even easier and instead of using a pastry bag, i used an ice cream scoop. This recipe is worth the book alone. The other recipes are unique enough so that your not board but not so exotic that you're overwhelmed. Recipes like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake, Cheesecake Truffle Bombs are examples of just that.

When you open the pages of this book you will see incredible photos and the information that is included will make you feel as though Marcy is alongside you helping you with your baking. The pages open flat so it is so easy to follow recipes while the book is open to the page you want. Every chapter has recipes that I have perfected for friends and family and every chapter offers up detailed instruction and an array of fabulous baked goods. The chocolate sticks are in my oven right now.

I wish I could have given this 3 1/2 stars. Four is a little generous, but I felt three was too stingy, so I decided to err on the side of generosity. The book has lots of great tips (her proofing method is a neat trick) and many beautiful-looking products. But I'd love to see a picture with every recipe; it'd be helpful to know if my version of the finished product even comes close to hers. I also had the same problem with another reader that the cook times for the cakes were too short- I realize that it may be that my oven temperature is too low, but I've never had issues with recipes from other books.

Another issue I had was that Goldman endorses just spraying cake pans with cooking spray as a pan prep. Normally I'd never do this, but I thought, well, she's the expert, I'll give it a whirl. I should have listened to my own instincts because the cake stuck badly to the pan and fell apart when I tried to get it out. On the next attempt I lined the bottom with parchment paper and greased and floured it like I always do- and had no issues. I also had trouble with the caramel frosting on the southern tea cake. I've made caramel plenty of times with regular sugar, but the brown sugar never caramelized for me despite the reading on my candy thermometer. Oh well, live and learn.

Bottom line, though, I think this book is well worth the price, especially the great price on Amazon. I have made several very tasty recipes with no issues. (Cheesecake Truffle Bombs were a huge hit on New Year's Eve!) The recipes all sound mouth-wateringly amazing and I'm looking forward to making the cinnamon buns tomorrow. Get it, try out a few recipes from each section, and you'll be a better baker when you're done- not to mention the hit of your office or book group!

I ordered this book after it was referenced on one of my favorite baking blogs. I'm probably what most would consider a baking snob-- I turn my nose up at warm, buttery rolls in favor of crustier, artisan bread. Likewise, the mall and the bookstore are not where I go to get tasty treats.

So, when several of the recipes were labeled "mall muffins" and "bookstore squares" I started feeling a little uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I gave the cookbook a chance and found out that the recipes are rather good. Plus, it is nice to have recipes for desserts that can be assembled in an hour (and do not require 2 days of work or 20 separate steps). In a nutshell, these are simple, reliable, homey recipes that are good for bake sales, baking with the kids, and pot lucks-- many recipes are also suitable for company.

The bread and pizza section are not suited to my personal tastes and convictions, but they do provide easy recipies for bakers who are in a hurry or need a good starting place.

Some of the language is a little annoying (e.g. the section on cheesecakes is called "Say Cheesecake" and one recipe is called "Grand Funk Granola Bars. She calls the cinnamon buns "sleazy good").

Some of the recipes are not reliable. The Blueberry Hill Cookies for example do not hold together (not sure how one egg is expected to bind two cups of oatmeal-- only 1/3 cup of flour did not help matters... they completely fell apart). This was not the only flawed recipe, but the majority of them seemed OK./

Here are the sections of the book:
1) baking secrets
2) loaves large & small
3) rolls, baby breads, & buns
4) pizza & other flatbreads
5) scones & biscuits
6) the muffin shoppe
7) the cookie jar
8) the biscotti bakery
9) bars & squares
10) quick breads and coffee cakes
11) pies, tarts & pastries
12) sweet yeast baking
13) cake creations
14) say cheesecake
15) holiday baking
16) grainy goodness
17) baker in a hurry
18) source guide

I prefer Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours, but this book is a fine as well. If you already have Baking From My Home to Yours, I do not think A Passion for Baking adds much since they are very similar.

In sum, if you need an all-purpose baking book, a Passion for Baking is the book for you. The recipies are clear, easy-to-read, and very easy to execute. You do not need to be an expert baker to get good results... and if you are an expert baker, you are bound to find a handful of recipes to add to your repertoire.

I have been baking for 30 years and in the last 5 years have relied heavily on internet sites for new recipes. I have approximately 50 cookbooks, of which at least 10 are devoted to baking. This book answered more questions for me in one reading than all the others put together! Always had a problem with baked good burning on the bottom and not done in the middle. This answsered it. Plus, I love that I have not seen these recipes or versions of them in every other book. Can't wait to get her other book!

This is another cookbook of superb recipes, hints, suggestions, and tidbits of information that I have come to enjoy and expect nothing less from Marcy Goldman. The recipes are easy to follow and yet turn out a product that looks as though it came from a professional bakery. I have all Marcy's cookbooks, follow her website diligently and will stand in line for the next cookbook she produces. Keep 'em coming!

Wow! Marcy Goldman, pastry chef, master baker, and author of two other books on baking (A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking, and The Best of Better Baking.com) has really done it this time. Marcy has spent the last four years putting this book together and it shows. This one is truly magnificent - filled with gorgeous photos that will have you checking your cabinets to make sure you have the ingredients for the recipes.

As I browsed through the book I was delighted that a friend recently asked me to help her make desserts for her daughter's upcoming bat mitzvah... it gives me an excuse for all the recipes I want to try. But the problem is that with over 200 favorites included in 16 chapters, I can't make them all - but I will eventually!

This is an awesome book for experienced bakers and kitchen novices alike that won't be put away on a bookshelf, but will sit in your kitchen, eventually getting the used and stained look of a beloved favorite.

Goldman's approach to baking is fresh and packed with not-your-ordinary recipes. You'll love Cheesecake Truffle Bombs, a simple cheesecake batter that's baked, cut into tiny bites, frozen, and dipped into melted chocolate. Then there are recipes like Smash Apple Pie which will appeal to the quick-and-easy crowd, Café Latte Caramel Biscotti, and Chocolate Eruption Cheesecake. This one recipe is worth the price of the book if you never use another recipe in it.
Goldman's extensive baking experience and fun, friendly writing style make this book as much a pleasure to read as it is to use. Her passion for baking is contagious.

I am in love with this book. I have made over half of the recipes and everyone has been wonderful. I have told so many people about "A Passion for Baking". If you love to bake as much as I do, you need this book.