Baking 101

Joy the Baker Cookbook includes everything from "Man Bait" Apple Crisp to Single Lady Pancakes to Peanut Butter Birthday Cake. Joy's philosophy is that everyone loves dessert; most people are just looking for an excuse to eat cake for breakfast.

The James Beard Award–winning, bestselling author of CookWise and KitchenWise delivers a lively and fascinating guide to better baking through food science. Follow kitchen sleuth Shirley Corriher as she solves everything about why the cookie crumbles. With her years of experience from big-pot cooking at a boarding school and her classic French culinary training to her work as a research biochemist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Shirley looks at all aspects of baking in a unique and exciting way. She describes useful techniques, such as brushing your puff pastry with ice water—not just brushing off the flour—to make the pastry higher, lighter, and flakier. She can help you make moist cakes; shrink-proof perfect meringues; big, crisp cream puffs; amazing pastries; and crusty, incredibly flavorful, open-textured French breads, such as baguettes. Restaurant chefs and culinary students know Shirley from their grease-splattered copies of CookWise, an encyclopedic work that has saved them from many a cooking disaster. With numerous “At-a-Glance” charts, BakeWise gives busy people information for quick problem solving. BakeWise also includes Shirley's signature “What This Recipe Shows” in every recipe. This scientific and culinary information can apply to hundreds of recipes, not just the one in which it appears. BakeWise does not have just a single source of knowledge; Shirley loves reading the works of chefs and other good cooks and shares their tips with you, too. She applies not only her expertise but that of the many artisans she admires, such as famous French pastry chefs Gaston Lenôtre and Chef Roland Mesnier, the White House pastry chef for twenty-five years; and Bruce Healy, author of Mastering the Art of French Pastry. Shirley also retrieves "lost arts" from experts of the past such as Monroe Boston Strause, the pie master of 1930s America. For one dish, she may give you techniques from three or four different chefs plus her own touch of science—“better baking through chemistry.” She adds facts such as the right temperature, the right mixing speed, and the right mixing time for the absolutely most stable egg foam, so you can create a light-as-air génoise every time. Beginners can cook from BakeWise to learn exactly what they are doing and why. Experienced bakers find out why the techniques they use work and also uncover amazing pastries from the past, such as Pont Neuf (a creation of puff pastry, pâte à choux, and pastry cream) and Religieuses, adorable “little nuns” made of puff pastry filled with a satiny chocolate pastry cream and drizzled with mocha icing. Some will want it simply for the recipes—incredibly moist whipped cream pound cake made with heavy cream; flourless fruit soufflés; chocolate crinkle cookies with gooey, fudgy centers; huge popovers; famed biscuits. But this book belongs on every baker's shelf.

Recipes for mouthwatering desserts with minimal refined sugar from the James Beard Award–winning pastry chef and author of Flour. Trust Joanne Chang—beloved author of the bestselling Flour and a Harvard math major to boot—to come up with this winning formula: minus the sugar = plus the flavor. The sixty-plus recipes here are an eye-opener for anyone who loves to bake and wants to cut back on the sugar. Joanne warmly shares her secrets for playing up delicious ingredients and using natural sweeteners, such as honey, maple syrup, and fruit juice. In addition to entirely new go-to recipes, she’s also revisited classics from Flour and her lines-out-the-door bakeries to feature minimal refined sugar. More than forty mouthwatering photographs beautifully illustrate these revolutionary recipes, making this a must-have book for bakers of all skill levels.

With praise from Dorie Greenspan, Jim Lahey, and David Lebovitz, the definitive bread-baking book for a new generation. But this book isn’t just about baking bread-- it’s about what to do with the slices and heels and nubs from those many loaves you’ll bake. Alexandra Stafford grew up eating her mother’s peasant bread at nearly every meal—the recipe for which was a closely-guarded family secret. When her blog, Alexandra’s Kitchen, began to grow in popularity, readers started asking how to make the bread they’d heard so much about; the bread they had seen peeking into photos. Finally, Alexandra’s mother relented, and the recipe went up on the internet. It has since inspired many who had deemed bread-baking an impossibility to give it a try, and their results have exceeded expectations. The secret is in its simplicity: the no-knead dough comes together in fewer than five minutes, rises in an hour, and after a second short rise, bakes in buttered bowls. After you master the famous peasant bread, you’ll work your way through its many variations, both in flavor (Cornmeal, Jalapeno, and Jack; Three Seed) and form (Cranberry Walnut Dinner Rolls; Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread). You’ll enjoy bread’s usual utilities with Food Cart Grilled Cheese and the Summer Tartine with Burrata and Avocado, but then you’ll discover its true versatility when you use it to sop up Mussels with Shallot and White Wine or juicy Roast Chicken Legs. Finally, you’ll find ways to savor every last bite, from Panzanella Salad Three Ways to Roasted Tomato Soup to No-Bake Chocolate-Coconut Cookies. Bread, Toast, Crumbs is a 2018 nominee for The IACP Julia Child First Book Award, and Alexandra's Kitchen was a finalist for the Saveur Blog Awards Most Inspired Weeknight Dinners 2016

French Pastry is as Easy as Un, Deux, Trois French baking is now more approachable than ever with Beaucoup Bakery co-owner and Yummy Workshop founder Betty Hung’s beginner-friendly, easy-to-follow recipes. Start with basics like pastry cream and pâté sucrée, then work your way up to indulgent all-time favorites such as Lemon Madeleines, Crème Brûlée, Éclairs, Lady Fingers and Chocolate Torte. You’ll learn how to simplify recipes without sacrificing taste—like using ready-made puff pastry—or, if you prefer, how to whip up these sweet treats from scratch. Whether you’re new to baking or looking to expand your skills, with French Pastry 101 you’re only a recipe away from delighting your family and friends with incredible French desserts.

Joy Wilson believes that everything is better with pie. And caramel. And definitely ice cream. Her world is pretty sweet: she dabbles daily in butter and sugar as her blogging alter ego, Joy the Baker. Her new book, Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence, is packed with 125 of Joy’s favorite, supereasy, most over-the-top, totally delicious treats, such as Dark Chocolate, Pistachio, and Smoked Sea Salt Cookies; Butterscotch Cream Pie with Thyme-Marshmallow Meringue; Mint Chocolate Chip Cake; and Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. After all, every day is an opportunity for sweets.

When it comes to baking, less is more. Would you believe that you can make high-quality, no-stress sweets using just three ingredients? What if those recipes can be made with ingredients you already have on hand or can buy in a single trip to just one grocery store? Does it sound too good to be true? Charmian Christie, creator of blog The Messy Baker, promises that it's not! In The 3-Ingredient Baking Book, she shares 101 delicious and easy-to-follow recipes, from cookies to ice cream, to help you spend less time in the kitchen and less money on food. Whether you're looking for entertaining-worthy desserts or just want to make yourself an effortless treat, Charmian has you covered. Impress your guests with Quick Chocolate Mousse, Mini Baklava Bites or a heaping serving of Strawberry Eton Mess. Feeling like a bit of self-indulgence? Keep it simple with Peanut Butter Cookies, Maple Popcorn or Chocolate Hazelnut Mug Cake. She also provides tips and tricks, must-have pantry items and equipment, and walks you through how to avoid the most common baking mistakes. If you're new to baking, this book is a great place to start. Nothing here is too difficult and you won't have to spend a car payment on speciality pans. If you're a seasoned pro, you'll find inspiration and new ways to make old favorites without the fuss. So grab an apron and take the 3-ingredient challenge!

IACP AWARD FINALIST • The expert baker and bestselling author behind the Magnolia Network original series Zoë Bakes explores her favorite dessert—cakes!—with more than 85 recipes to create flavorful and beautiful layers, loafs, Bundts, and more. “Zoë’s relentless curiosity has made her an artist in the truest sense of the word.”—Joanna Gaines, co-founder of Magnolia NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TIME OUT Cake is the ultimate symbol of celebration, used to mark birthdays, weddings, or even just a Tuesday night. In Zoë Bakes Cakes, bestselling author and expert baker Zoë François demystifies the craft of cakes through more than eighty-five simple and straightforward recipes. Discover treats such as Coconut–Candy Bar Cake, Apple Cake with Honey-Bourbon Glaze, and decadent Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake. With step-by-step photo guides that break down baking fundamentals—like creaming butter and sugar—and Zoë’s expert knowledge to guide you, anyone can make these delightful creations. Featuring everything from Bundt cakes and loaves to a beautifully layered wedding confection, Zoë shows you how to celebrate any occasion, big or small, with delicious homemade cake.