The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Muffins [Hardcover]

Beth Hensperger (Author)

Book Description

Series: Williams-Sonoma Collection | Publication Date: November 4, 2003

Blueberry muffins crowned with a cinnamon and sugar topping, savory cornmeal muffins spiced with jalape ño, tender lemon and poppy seed muffins served with lemon curd -- these are recipes that any home cook would be proud to make and bring fresh from the oven to the table.

Williams-Sonoma Collection Muffins includes 40 kitchen-tested recipes for these and other muffins as well as coffee cakes and quick breads. Not only can the recipes be prepared in just an hour or two -- they are also wonderfully versatile. Banana-walnut muffins and slices of pumpkin bread are delightful ways to bake with fresh fruits and vegetables. You can serve muffins flavored with Cheddar cheese or pesto as a savory accompaniment to soups and salads. Coffee cakes enriched with raspberries, apples, or chocolate make elegant centerpieces for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea.

Each recipe in these pages is shown alongside a beautiful full-color photograph that helps you decide which recipe you want to bake. Additional photographs illustrate side notes with invaluable information about essential ingredients and techniques. You will also find an entire chapter devoted to simple baking basics. This cookbook provides everything you need to create delicious muffins perfect for any meal or occasion.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Beth Hensperger is a widely acclaimed expert on baking and has written many books on the subject, including Bread for All Seasons, Bread for Breakfast, The Best Quick Breads, and Bread in the Williams-Sonoma Collection series. Her Bread Bible won a James Beard Award. She also writes a column on baking for the San Jose Mercury News. Ms. Hensperger lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1ST edition (November 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743253965
• ISBN-13: 978-0743253963
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Baking > Bread

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Fail Recipes, August 29, 2004

By 

Amy A. Chan "suikagirl" (Military in Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Muffins (Hardcover)

I cannot rave enough about this cookbook! I have been baking for over 20 years and have gone through many cookbooks. This one is amazing. I have tried over 15 recipes so far and all have been fabulous. It is very user-friendly and the instructions are clear. I really like the photos of all the goodies, it helps to see what the final goal is! This book is more than just muffins too, the quick breads are delicious and my family all have their favorites now. I use this cookbook at least once a week, if not more. Also, many of the muffin recipes freeze well (chocolate chip, banana-walnut, lemon-poppyseed) so I can double up batches and freeze them for the kids. 35 seconds in the microwave and they taste fresh! If you like to bake, this is a must in your collection : )

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Follow Recipes, Great Tasting Muffins, January 27, 2004

By 

J. Fuchs "jax76" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Muffins (Hardcover)

The great thing about the Williams Sonoma series are the detailed tips and instructions at the back. In the Muffins book, this includes adjusting cooking times to make jumbo or miniature muffins instead of standard size, tips on getting the muffins out of different types of pans, and substitutions for common ingredients. Each recipe has a gorgeous photo, easy-to-follow instructions, and short tips on the key ingredients (such as the difference between sweet and sour cherries and tips on buying them fresh, frozen or canned). The book includes not only sweet and savory muffins of many different varieties, but coffee cakes and similar items as well. I brought the first two recipes I tried, raspberry muffins and chocolate chip muffins, to work, and they disappeared faster and got more raves than anything else I've brought in, and they were far easier to make than anything else. I'll never eat store-bought again.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have!, July 23, 2005

By 

BlondeVenus (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Muffins (Hardcover)

I've been baking and cooking for awhile now and have mastered pretty much everything but hadn't had a really good muffin.This cookbook is a must have for anyone,no matter if you are a first-timer or a pro.All the recipes are delicious,they come out looking exactly as they do in the pictures,and all the instructions are simple to follow.The recipes don't call for any exotic ingredients,just basic things that are always on hand.Again,the recipes are simple but delicious,elegant,and real crowd pleasers.The time it takes to prepare and bake these muffins are all pretty much under 45 minutes.I think this book would also be great for children who are learning to bake and are new to the kitchen.