Customer Reviews

Small-Batch Baking: When Just Enough for 1 or 2. . . Is Just Enough!

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Okay, so I love to bake. Unfortunately, there are only two people in my household and both of us have, um, "portion control problems".

Since most of my favorite cookie recipes yield several dozen and making just PART of a cake is nearly impossible, my boyfriend and I often end up eating way more than we actually want. Sometimes I'll try to pass off my baked goods to co-workers, but (and I'm being painfully honest here) I usually polish off the batch myself in less than 3 days.

I know all that sugar is no good for me, but I can't imagine not having cakes and cookies once in a while. Life's too short to cut out something I enjoy so much!

When I came across this book, it was like I stumbled across a puzzle piece I hadn't noticed was missing. The cake recipes make single or double servings! The cookie recipies make less than a dozen! I've tried cutting regular recipes in half, but the results are never quite right. With this book, you're measuring ingredients in tablespoons instead cups, and the two recipes I've tried have turned out beautifully.

The peanut butter cookie recipe made 8 perfect cookies and tonight I tried a recipe for two giant oatmeal cookies. Perfect again. I can't wait to try to make the small cakes, little breads and even a baby Baklava!

I expect that this book will change the way I bake forever. It's nice to make a dessert that I can enjoy without feeling like a jerk for enjoying way too much of it.

Like many people in one- or two-person households, I simply don't need 48 chocolate chip cookies, an entire lemon meringue pie, or even 8 creme brulees. If you prefer not to make large batches and freeze them, or you haven't had good results making fractions of a traditional recipe, you will love this book.

All recipes make 2-3 servings, are very easy to follow, and (so far) turn out superb results. The instructions are clear and precise, and she introduces most recipes with a description of the results or a note about the recipe's history. There are call-out boxes for filling suggestions, sauces, or recipe tips.

The chapters are logical and well-organized. After the initial introduction where the author lays or ingredient/equipment lists, the chapters are: Beautiful Small Cakes; Pies and Tarts; Cookies and Bars; Cobblers, Crisps, Crumbles, and Shortcakes; Baked Puddings; and Muffins and Breads. After these groupings, the author has given us two bonus (in my opinion) chapters: Valentine Specials and Holiday Goodies.

So far, I've made mini loaf-bread, a small pie, and incredible chocolate ganache cakes. The latter actually could serve 4 instead of 2, it was so rich -- but I was very happy to eat my "one" serving (and the recipe looked easy to halve -- just make one cake instead of two). If I HAD to come up with things to "fix" in this cookbook, I'd ask for photos of the finished recipes. I'd also prefer that recipes not be split across two pages -- it makes reading ahead with sticky fingers a little difficult. But all in all, this will continue to be one of my best-loved cookbooks.

Update October 2008: This is still one of my most-used cookbooks, and I've referred several friends to it. Friends have actually started seeking out single-serving baking pans as soon as they see the results. I've tried several breads, cakes, and cookies without a single disappointing recipe, and now make the pound cake and banana bread at least once a month each. Love it!

I received this book as a Christmas gift. I didn't know such a book existed! I love to bake, but since it's just me at home, making a large 12 serving cake is just not an option. I miss baking, and this book fits the bill.

So far, I've tried two recipes from the book. The first was the Fudgy Cupcakes. It was a disaster, but not necessarily from the recipe. I accidentally added too much sugar, and I reversed two of the steps in the recipe. So my batter did not turn out right and I ended up throwing the whole thing away.

The second recipe I tried was the first recipe in the book, Chocolate Birthday Cake. I did not use the 14 oz cans as the author suggested. I found a child's baking set at Sur La Table and used the cake pans from those. They are slightly bigger in diameter than the tin cans and worked perfectly. They even have the same "look" of a larger cake (height/diameter proportionate). The cake came out moist. I iced the cake with the Molasses Caramel Frosting. It was delicious. I would say that the portion size is probably not that accurate. It says 2 cakes, 2 servings. I think it is more like "2 cakes, 2 servings EACH." There is no way I could have eaten the entire cake at one sitting.

As a side note, I would highly recommend looking for a child's bake set to use with this cookbook. Mine came with two small cake pans, a small loaf pan and small cookie sheet. I think they will work perfectly for the recipes in this book.

--->BIGGEST HINT... She suggests baking the cakes in cans... I use a little baby cheesecake pan 4.5" across and 1.5" deep and it works great. You may want to search Amazon for mini loaf pans, mini spring form pans, and mini pie pans... if you don't already own these items.

She has all these recipes that make 6 cookies and little tiny adorable cakes and pies and cheese cakes.

Her portion sizes are really big... if she says a cake serves two... I think that it serves 3 or even 4 people, in a pinch. I've served the Yellow Cake and Carrot Cakes to two adults and two teen boys... and it was fine with some ice cream.

I'm a WW LifeTime member. The recipes are not low points or low fat or low sugar... but EVERY recipe I have made has turned out awesome.

There are (usually) only 3 of us in the house and I'm not the kind of person that can keep half a cake in the house. I really don't need to make 48 cookies or a cake that serves 12... And freezing the leftover cookies doesn't work... as I'll eat frozen cookies, too.
:~)

I used to buy one piece of cake at the bakery for portion control... And at one point, I was really sad because I thought my days of baking were just over.

Then, somebody suggested this book and I LOVE it.

I REALLY enjoyed baking out of it over the holidays and all year.

My wife has made me some really tasty dishes from this book. I agree with all the positive reviews. Here's why I like this book so much. Most of the recipes are for dishes you would like. There are only a half dozen or so recipes I wouldn't even taste. Like the rhubarb pie - I hate it no matter what it's in. The bread puddings have been amazingly good. Try the Cinnamon French Toast version with the most decadent caramel sauce ever. I'm not able to describe it adequately - it's just too delicious. Now if that's not enough to sway you, listen up. While I love the desserts and such, the thing I love the most is the bread. The Country-Style Bread is magnificent. This yeasty, steamy bread will have you lusting for more. Try some raspberry preserves on a buttered slice. Also try the Mini French Bread Boules for a delicate, tender treat. We have 2 bread machines that have mixed dozens of bread recipes for us and we think this bread is better than any machine made we've had. We think the bread recipes alone are worth the price of the book. The author has spent tons of time making it easy for me (and now you) to enjoy the finest dishes in amounts that are manageable for small households. Enjoy!

My new quirkyalone hobby! I like baking, but with an apartment sized kitchen and smallish electric stove & oven, it's just not physically possible (with every available surface covered with cooling racks, mixer, bowls). Also, I would be stuck eating the leftovers for the rest of the week. With this cookbook, I enjoy baking without the hassle or extra portions, and can have several different desserts and breads every week. I love variety, and I love all the recipes I've tried to far in this cookbook. As for the review which pans every recipe: be sure to watch your oven temperature and use the exact ingredients called for (like. real butter instead of vegetable oil spread and such) I'll be giving this as a gift with a set of mini-pans to several friends and family members this holiday season. Thanks to Ms. Nakos, and amazon for finally catering to single/small households!

While this is a wonderful concept, this book is poorly written and edited. The very first recipe in the book omits several ingredients. Further in the same chapter ingredients in the ingredient list flow in to each other, as 3 T. butter 1/4c. flour all on the same line.
This book has many recipes and with a some comparing and research the incorrect ones can be salvaged. I would never bake and serve any of the recipes untested.

I love baking, and have ever since before I even entered High School. I love baking cookies and cakes, but now that I am older, and have to watch my weight, I have found myself baking less and less. But this book may just be my salvation! This book is a collection of recipes designed to make sweets of just two or three servings! My favorite is the mini-cakes, baked in 14.5 ounce cans!

The book begins with an introduction to small batch baking, and then goes into the wonderful recipes. There are sections on cakes (my favorites!); pies and tarts; cookies and bars; cobblers, crisps, crumbles and shortcakes; puddings; muffins and breads; valentine specials; and holiday specials. Each recipe has a list of ingredients, the pan(s) required, wonderful step-by-step instructions, and any important notes.

This is a wonderful cookbook, the most exciting one I have seen in a long time! So far, my wife and I have made the Chocolate Birthday Cake (p.16), and the Fudgy Mocha Layer Cake (p.25), and we look forward to using this book a lot! We love this wonderful book, and we both highly recommend it to you. Enjoy!

As a recent college graduate living alone who likes to cook, I am often faced with a dilemma - do I make an entire recipe and eat the same thing for a week (boring), make the whole recipe and freeze the leftovers for later (sometimes works), or do I attempt to cut the recipe in half or even fourths (also risky)?

In the last few post-graduation months, I've worked out a decent combination approach of making smaller amounts and freezing for main dishes and soups, but I wasn't baking nearly as much as I'd like to. This cookbook has changed all that. I can now make a mini-loaf of bread that won't mold before I have a chance to finish it. I can whip up just enough cookies for a couple days - enough to satisfy my sweet tooth without having four dozen cookies around the apartment. I especially look forward to working my way through the cakes and pies chapters - pre-"Small Batch Baking" I could only justify making a cake if it was somebody else's birthday, but now I can whip one up whenever I want - for just me! I love it!

And the recipes are fantasticly tempting, running the gamut from several versions of every day biscuits, muffins, breads, cookies, and crumbles, to the fanciest and most sophisticated cakes, pies, cheesecakes, and puddings. This cookbook is just packed with recipes, and thre three I've made already have been totally spot-on. The directions are easy to follow and precise, and the product in each case has turned out fabulously - far better, I'd say, than many of the full-scale recipes I've tried.

The only thing I wish was different about this book was the binding - the paperback binding doesn't feel sturdy enough for the number of pages and the heavy use it is going to receive in my kitchen! But when I wear this one out, I'll happily buy another, as well as extras for all my single friends.

I find this book enormously helpful in making food portions appropriate for my small family. I think this book would be helpful for many people who are single or in a smaller family as is more the norm these days. If you don't really want a cake sitting around for days, or want fresh bread at a meal, this book is great way to go.

The recipes are designed for as much convenience as possible. Baking does necessarily take time, but the author utilizes mixes and other short cuts. My only complaint is about the recommendation of aluminum cans as baking pans. The cakes' edges baked and set before the centers did, because of the cheap metal. (It can be hard to find heavier quality metal cans even in premium brand canned goods. Freight is expensive!) I found them awkward to unmold and made for a visually unappealing result that required trimming. I did find small baking pans after a little searching around town, however, and this solved the problem.

This book would also have been improved by either providing nutritional information or lower fat substitutions for those practicing portion control for dietary reasons. I think this was overlooked by the author and/or publisher as a potential marketing value for such a cookbook.