Festive Baking: Holiday Classics in the Swiss, German, and Austrian Traditions (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Bonni Leon (Designer)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Iaia is methodical at the kitchen counter and plainspoken at the writing desk. Forgoing upscale photographic fanfare, she presents 150 recipes for classic German and Austrian holiday cookies, pastries and cakes simply and clearly. While her words occasionally take on the flavor of an imperfect translation from the German ("cheese curd" cookies must taste better than they sound), Iaia, an American food writer, in general chooses her words carefully and infuses her book with logic and order. She groups her recipes by type of batter, starting with lebkuchen and honey cookies, and then proceeds to butter cookies, macaroons, meringues and, at length, tortes and strudels. Though many sweets are rich and buttery enough for a feast, others could almost be called health food. Especially appreciated is the cook's presence of mind in offering tips to her readers that some master bakers would have overlooked. Sections on utensils, ingredients and gift ideas are equally useful. Attractive line drawings sate our visual hunger.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday (October 4, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385197314
• ISBN-13: 978-0385197311
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,362,815 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Requires meticulous planning; excellent results, September 17, 2006

By	Voracious cook with busy professional life (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

Recipes in this book are not for novice bakers, neither are they for habitual offenders of baking mixes aisles or those who are afraid to touch dough with their bare hands. Following recipes of Sarah Kelly Iaia requires well-stocked pantry, precision, discipline, and ability to plan ahead. Many recipes specify that the dough is made a day in advance, and many baked goods are better 2 weeks - a month after baking. On a positive note, many ingredients are quite accessible and not expensive.

The taste and look of all those goodies is distinctly European and suit best those who like artisan baking. If you prefer chewey cookies, heavy cakes like German chocolate cake (which is not German at all), supermarket-sold white bread, and chemically tasting birthday cakes sold at price clubs, chances are you will not like most of cakes, breads, and cookies made from recipes in this book. However, this book is very usefull if you wish to enrich your baking repertoir, impress your guests or coworkers, or need to send a lot of presents across the country around Christmas. The author, using very specific easy-to-follow directions helps muster different types of gingerbreads, Sunday breads, stollen, crumbly sweet pretzels, and nut layer cakes. Both children and adults like chocolate-glazed heart-shaped honey cookies, the recipe for which alone is worth the price of this book.

I would prefer more photographs of finished products, but overall I have been quite satisfied with the results even without them.

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for all who love the art of cuisine., August 29, 2008

By	Barbara (Colorado) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Sarah Kelly Iaia was an American born, London based, world traveling food editor of Bride Magazine UK. She entertained kings and captains of industry. Her "how to" cook book breezes you through the complex techniqes of "haute" holiday baking and entertains you all the way. A must have for all who love the art of cuisine.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good traditional baking book, December 2, 2007

By	Savvy Cook - See all my reviews

In all honesty I bought this book for my mother who is an avid German Christmas cookie baker. I found many recipes to be based on the traditional Lebkuchen or to translate a gingerbread cookie type that repeated a bit too frequently for my taste. I love the stuff, but was hoping for a bit more diversity. It still rates a 4 star though.