Customer Reviews

Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I live in Chicago and had never heard of Sarabeth before this cookbook, but the preview on Amazon looked great so I tried it. All I can say is it is AMAZING. I am not a baker -- I have baked, and enjoy cooking, but I'm not remotely proficient at baking. With this book, I feel like the real thing. As others have said, her descriptions are very-very detailed and the pictures are wonderful. They are especially important for the dough. I made the Raspberry-Lemon Cake for a birthday party, and it is not an exaggeration to say people thought they were eating a professional wedding cake. It was the best cake I've ever made by a long way. The blueberry preserves are also out this world. Next, I'm going to tackle the croissants. I think I might actually be able to do it.

Word of warning, this book is not for the faint of heart. Some of the recipes are wonderfully simple (e.g., the preserves, cookies), but many of them have a number of steps. At least, the ones I've tried do. She is excellent at explaining which steps can be done ahead, which is a godsend. And you really do feel great when your recipe turns out. She does not shy away from listing the materials that are ideal for a recipe, but as someone who does not plan to turn into a baking machine, I make do with the materials I have on hand. My substitutions have been fine (e.g., one kind of rolling pin, not two or three; regular round cake pans, not special cake rings for layering). I don't skimp on the ingredients, but there is nothing exotic listed -- cake flour, bread flour, butter, sugar, etc. She has a great tip for working with vanilla beans, btw, but she also tells you when pure vanilla extract will do.

If you feel like taking a shot at baking, this book is very worth your effort. And if you are already an accomplished baker, I'm guessing you'll still love the luscious recipes in the book.

Update 11/21/10 - made the croissants over the weekend. They were way, way easier to make than I expected, and they were perfectly flakey and delicious -- a huge hit in the house. Total time I spent measuring, mixing and rolling was maybe half an hour. The rest of the time the dough just sits. I've read the directions in other books for how to make croissants, and the method Sarabeth came up with is dramatically easier than anything else I've seen. It's worth the price of the book on its own. Next I'm going to try the puff pastry and make some turnovers.

btw -- the size of the croissants she provides are about half the size of bakery croissants. It's a nice size for a party or if you don't want overkill. To have a typical bakery-size croissant, I roll out to a single 24" x 8" rectangle, and then mark a 6" base for each croissant. It took a bit of trial and error to come to these measurements, so I thought I'd share them.

I don't write reviews on here. I am a 40 something male that likes to cook and trying to learn baking, however with no formal training. Own about 75 cookbooks, and usually read them for technique and go through some of the recipes to learn. All books seem to have somewhat similar recipes for pies, cakes ect. What this one has is GREAT PHOTOS OF TECHNIQUE. The first part of the book has dough which you will go back to. I have tried both and understand that I will have to try them a couple times to get things totally right, however without photos I am almost always lost and I have been able to make a croissant dough which I wanted to after seeing a Food Network show, however thought it was way over my pay grade.

I have made two of the cookies, taken them to the office and been told that they are fabulous. None of the ingredients are tough to find (I live in Central Illinois with Kroger and Wal-Mart as the food stores, not Fox and Obel or any of the like) like some books.

If your looking for a cookbook for someone who is interested in getting better and making really good tasting baked goods from scratch, buy this book.

I have been to Sarabeth's a few times and have never been unhappy with the bakery or the restaurant (which is always busy). There is an elegant but homey feel to the place, and you can see that in the baked goods (as well as packaging). This book is filled with wonderful recipes and instructions that don't wear you down and make you crazy. I really appreciated Sarabeth's tips on certain baking equipment and her thoughts on fresh yeast. This is the first book I bought that prefers fresh yeast, and I like the introduction. Sarabeth has clearly found what works for her and I enjoyed reading how she got there. This is a great gift book, but only for those who really like to bake. If you don't have the patience or don't love it, another choice might be better.

The high standards and attention to detail that are hallmarks of Sarabeth's products, bakery and restaurants are dazzlingly evident in this cookbook. This book is a winner. It renews my faith in baking and in cookbooks, which over the years I'd become so discouraged by (it just takes one recipe to not quite come out right for me to give up on an entire book). Sarabeth's mission of excellence extends to her role as author and teacher. You feel that she really wants you to get these recipes right! The book is written extremely clearly. Nothing goes over the reader's head. For example, where most cookbooks would tell the reader to use granulated sugar because it's the easy and straightforward thing to do, Sarabeth specifies superfine sugar, adds that this is difficult for the everyday baker to purchase (kudos to Sarabeth for her candor). Then she tells you how you can have superfine sugar yourself in a pinch, by running it through a blender for a few minutes. A mixing instruction specifies blending at the highest speed for 15 seconds "but not a second over". These are little details make the difference between creating something vaguely similar to the muffin or jam in the photo, and in getting the recipe right. I cannot tell you the thrill of following her recipe for pumpkin muffins and watching them turn out beautifully and taste incredibly! Or, making scones so perfect, they look like they could be photographed for a glossy magazine. (Her best tip on scones: brush the tops with beaten egg but "be sure not to let egg drip down the sides--which would inhibit a good rise"). I want to make everything in this cookbook now! To respond to an earlier review from a reader: some of the recipes are advanced, but don't be put off. There is an entry point for every baker (I am a beginner). Start with the easier recipes (the muffins and scones) and work your way up with confidence, knowing that you're in good hands and that the effort will be worth it: you're taking a master class by a teacher who really can teach. Having enrolled in many cooking classes and bought even more cookbooks, I am over the moon by how wonderful this one is. It looks beautiful, it's written with care, and best of all, if you follow the instructions, you've got a fantastic reward waiting: baked goods, desserts and jams that, in the Sarabeth tradition, are out of this world. "From My Hands to Yours" is a new classic, and a must-have for bakers of all levels.

My husband has opened a small rural grocery store and I thought this would be a great place for me to start selling those things that make me so happy and relaxed. I ordered this book along with a few others in order to advance my home baking skills for the new corner market. I am so thrilled with this book, it's simplicity and complete directions are amamzing. The baked goods I am turning out now are far beyond my wildest imagination. Tasty, tasteful and beautiful. I love love love this book.

My husband bought me this book for my birthday and I can't thank him enough! It's full of great stories, detailed recipes and tips for better baking. I recently made the Banana Streusel Muffins and they tasted as if they came out of a high-end bakery. Days later, they are still delicious! I can't wait to dive into the Everyday Cakes section and I'll be making jam this summer using Sarabeth's recipes. This is a wonderful book for any baker.

This cookbook is certainly well done and written by someone passionate about baking. As other reviewers have mentioned, the instructions and photos were excellent.

That said, this is not a book for the casual baker! I bake often, but most of these recipes are not things I'm likely to attempt for several reasons. (1) They're not particularly scale-able. The layer cakes and other gorgeously high-end recipes are not easily cut back for smaller groups. (2) Time consuming. None of these are easy, last minute kinds of things. In addition to standard rising time, most require repeated chilling, freezing, or monitored rising - glasses of hot water in plastic bags, etc, etc. - that are likely to be more than most home bakers are up for. (3) With the cost of ingredients like really good butter which will have a big impact on the quality of the finished product, it's significantly cheaper to buy croissants and such from a good bakery on the infrequent occasions that I want one.

I got this book from my library, and I am pleased to have gotten several good recipes out of it (homemade real bakery-style danish!), but it is not something I would consider a worthwhile addition to my daily-use collection.

This book was created with a lot of love.
You feel like Sarabeth, warm and friendly, is in your kitchen giving you a helping hand and whispering family secrets in your ear. The pictures are to-die-for. It's designed with elegant simplicity - everything is laid out crystal clear and in detailed. Even an idiot non-baker like myself could make these with the step-by-step recipes and matching photos - not just gorgeous pics of the finished result.
Truly a treasure to keep and to give to friends.

This cookbook lived up to all the positive reviews listed on Amazon.com ~ a sincere Thank You to all that took the time to write a review! Had it not been for you, I would have missed out on this gem of a book. I own hundreds of cookbooks and read them like a novel. I bake a few times a week and often try recipes out of my "latest" edition. It'll be a while before I try a recipe from a book other than, "From My Hands to Yours". First of all let me tell you how beautiful this book is! I keep thinking the pages are stuck together because the paper is so much thicker than a normal book's pages. The quality of this cookbook far surpasses all others that I own! You will adore the detail to which is recipe is stated, as well as the well-written stories detailing the history of each recipe. The pictures allow you to see how the recipe will develop throughout the process....so very helpful! I've made two cakes thus far and they were both better than I expected. This is a book to give any chef/baker on your Christmas list. They will thank you for a long time to come ~ it's exceptional, in a market filled with average.

I am a culinary student with a passion for pastries both savory and sweet. My Instructor would often pick recipes from Sarah Beth's and the results were great. Besides trying out the recipes, the one thing that separates this book from other recipe books is that Sarah Beth informs the reader of the basics, tips and real life expectations as well as fixer upper options. It is awesome! Had it not been for time constraints I would embark on a new recipe everyday!