The Fearless Baker

One of Food52’s most popular columnists and a New York Times bestselling author, top food stylist Erin Jeanne McDowell shares her baking secrets and the science behind them “Erin’s fierce understanding of the science of baking makes her one of the most trustworthy bakers that I know. But what’s even more special is that she does it all with the exact kind of friendliness and warmth that you want when you’re about to tackle laminated dough or French macarons for the first time. The recipes here are as encouraging and thorough as they beautiful and delicious. This book is an absolute must-have for bakers of all levels.” —Molly Yeh, author and blogger, My Name Is Yeh" When people see Erin McDowell frost a perfect layer cake, weave a lattice pie crust, or pull a rich loaf of brioche from the oven, they often act as though she’s performed culinary magic. “I’m not a baker,” they tell her. But in fact, expert baking is not at all unattainable, nor is it as inflexible as most people assume. The key to freedom is to understand the principles behind how ingredients interact and how classic methods work. Once these concepts are mastered, favorite recipes can be altered and personalized almost endlessly. With the assurance born out of years of experience, McDowell shares insider tips and techniques that make desserts taste as good as they look. With recipes from flourless cocoa cookies and strawberry-filled popovers (easy), through apple cider pie and black-bottom crème brûlée (medium), to a statuesque layer cake crowned with caramelized popcorn (difficult), and “Why It Works,” “Pro Tip,” and make-ahead sidebars with each recipe, this exciting, carefully curated collection will appeal to beginning and experienced bakers alike.

What could be more satisfying than presenting friends and family with a perfectly crafted homemade dessert, fresh out of the oven? Yet for many, the idea of baking is intimidating; rolling out pie dough or making a cake from scratch is akin to climbing Mount Everest. The Fearless Baker is a beginner's baking guide written to empower home cooks with spot-on advice and a cache of go-to recipes. Renowned pastry chef Emily Luchetti guides novice bakers through her amazing recipes to troubleshoot their most common pitfalls. Charming color illustrations and photographs of real-life beginning bakers in action complete the instruction, turning even the most tentative baker into a fearless one.

Erin Jeanne McDowell, New York Times contributing baker extraordinaire and top food stylist, wrote the book on pie, a comprehensive handbook that distills all you'll ever need to know for making perfect pies. The Book on Pie starts with the basics, including techniques, conversions, make-aheads, and styling tricks, before diving into 100 of her unique and intriguing recipes. Find everything from classics like apple and pumpkin, to more inspired recipes like Hand-Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches and Chinese BBQ Pork and Scallion Pie. Erin takes every recipe a step further with Pie-deas: ideas for swapping doughs, crusts, and toppings for infinitely customizable pies. Mix and match Pumpkin Spice Pie Dough and Dark Chocolate Drippy Glaze, or the Chive Compound-Butter Crust with the Croque Madame Pielets . . . the possibilities are endless. Look no further than The Book on Pie for the only book on pie you'll ever want or need.

With recipes organized by technique and step-by-step instruction, Fearless Baking is the antidote to years of crumbly cookies, tasteless tarts, and burnt biscuits. If you're a first-time baker, you'll be amazed at the ease and speed with which you can turn out the same kinds of quality homemade treats you've envied in others' homes. If you're an experienced baker, you'll find focused instructions on each aspect of baking, and original fail-safe recipes that can broaden your repertoire. Introductory chapters detail the basic ingredients used throughout the book, along with the appropriate pans and utensils. Each recipe begins with a helpful Baking Answers section to anticipate questions or problems and explain the baking ideas or techniques that the recipe introduces or emphasizes. In addition, the directions not only include tips for visual measurement but also often provide descriptive instructions for recognizing when a batter is properly mixed or an item is done. Each chapter builds on skills and techniques that have been previously explained.Beginning with the simplest recipe (for Perfectly Easy Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Blondies) in Just Stir and Bake, you progress to Glazed Fresh Raspberry Pie in No-Roll Crusts with Simple Fillings, Butter Shortbread Cut-outs in Mixing a Smooth Dough, and Deep South Pound Cake in Mixing a Smooth Batter. Now go on to Cranberry Eggnog Cake with Bourbon Butter Frosting in Putting the Frosting with the Cake, Apple and Hazelnut Macaroon Tart in Rolled Crusts for Pies and Tarts, Orange Meringue Ice Cream Cake in Whipping Eggs for Cakes and Meringues, and Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting in Baking with Chocolate. Finally, wow family and friends with Aunt Elaine's Mocha Whipped Cream Shadow Cake from Whipping Cream for Cakes, Pies, and Pastries, and the Pumpkin Pecan Praline Cheesecake from Melting Sugar for Caramel and Praline. This surefire guide to turning out delicious home-made treats should be on every baker's bookshelf.

Jamie Winship spent nearly 30 years living and working in conflict zones, and during that time he has learned an important truth: all human conflict originates from fear, and fear originates from a false view of God, ourselves, and others. Until we exchange what's false for what's real, we will never experience being fully alive, fully human, and fully free. Unpacking the power of knowing our true identity in Christ, Winship takes us on a journey of telling ourselves the truth, changing our mindsets, and experiencing actual life transformation that leads to radical courage in the face of all that life throws at us. With humor, clarity, and real-life practicality, Living Fearless is your invitation to listen closely to what God is trying to say to you about himself, about the person he created you to be--and also about all those other people he created and loves. If you want to discover the incredible difference abiding in Christ will make in your life and faith, get ready to do "a new thing" with God.

Michelle Lopez—the wildly popular and critically acclaimed blogger behind Hummingbird High—teaches busy people how to make cookies, pies, cakes, and other treats, without spending hours in the kitchen. If anyone knows how to balance a baking obsession with a demanding schedule, it’s Michelle Lopez. Over the past several years that she’s been running her blog Hummingbird High, Lopez has kept a crucial aspect of her life hidden from her readers: she has a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. But she’s figured out how to have her cake and eat it too. In Weeknight Baking, Lopez shares recipes for drool-worthy confections, along with charming stories and time-saving tips and tricks. From everyday favorites like “Almost No Mess Shortbread” and “Better-Than-Supernatural Fudge Brownies” to showstoppers like “a Modern Red Velvet Cake” and “Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie” (it’s vegan!), she reveals the secrets to baking on a schedule. With rigorously tested recipes, productivity hacks, and gorgeous photographs, this book is destined to become a busy baker’s go-to. Finally, dessert can be a part of every everyday meal!

Food & Wine's 28 Cookbooks and Food Books to Add to Your Shelf This Fall Bon Appétit's 27 Best Cookbooks of 2022 From the New York Times bestselling author of The Book on Pie and The Fearless Baker, a savory baking book for delicious baked goods at any time of day. Savory Baking is the next best thing to a private baking and pastry class from star food stylist and baking expert Erin Jeanne McDowell, given in her signature fun and reassuring style. Not only are each of her recipes intensely crave-able, they also offer inventive inspirations and variations for endless, out-of-the-box customizations and more flexibility. Take her Buttermilk Biscuits, for instance, which comes together in a single bowl. You can cut them in different shapes—Erin prefers squares so there’s no scrap dough left. And she suggests adding cheese (or fresh herbs or bacon) for bolder flavor. Or substituting the buttermilk with sour cream or crème fraiche for a je ne sais quoi tang. Or adding her green chile gravy when serving. Or make a monkey bread made of biscuit dough! Or... Chapters span all day (and night) for freshly baked goods whenever the mood strikes: Easy and Essential Bakes Stovetop Savories Yeasted Doughs Pizzas, Flatbreads, and Stuffed Breads Pastries Snacks, Bites, and Apps Pies and Tarts And for those who can’t shake the sugar, there are “sweet tooth breaks” throughout. With Erin’s can-do encouragement, expert tips, and “Prep School” features to get you equipped with basic techniques throughout, this sweeping and beautifully photographed guide to savory baking will exponentially expand your savory baking repertoire with a ton of delicious fun.

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • Celebrated food blogger and best-selling cookbook author Deb Perelman knows just the thing for a Tuesday night, or your most special occasion—from salads and slaws that make perfect side dishes (or a full meal) to savory tarts and galettes; from Mushroom Bourguignon to Chocolate Hazelnut Crepe. “Innovative, creative, and effortlessly funny." —Cooking Light Deb Perelman loves to cook. She isn’t a chef or a restaurant owner—she’s never even waitressed. Cooking in her tiny Manhattan kitchen was, at least at first, for special occasions—and, too often, an unnecessarily daunting venture. Deb found herself overwhelmed by the number of recipes available to her. Have you ever searched for the perfect birthday cake on Google? You’ll get more than three million results. Where do you start? What if you pick a recipe that’s downright bad? With the same warmth, candor, and can-do spirit her award-winning blog, Smitten Kitchen, is known for, here Deb presents more than 100 recipes—almost entirely new, plus a few favorites from the site—that guarantee delicious results every time. Gorgeously illustrated with hundreds of her beautiful color photographs, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook is all about approachable, uncompromised home cooking. Here you’ll find better uses for your favorite vegetables: asparagus blanketing a pizza; ratatouille dressing up a sandwich; cauliflower masquerading as pesto. These are recipes you’ll bookmark and use so often they become your own, recipes you’ll slip to a friend who wants to impress her new in-laws, and recipes with simple ingredients that yield amazing results in a minimum amount of time. Deb tells you her favorite summer cocktail; how to lose your fear of cooking for a crowd; and the essential items you need for your own kitchen. From salads and slaws that make perfect side dishes (or a full meal) to savory tarts and galettes; from Mushroom Bourguignon to Chocolate Hazelnut Crepe Cake, Deb knows just the thing for a Tuesday night, or your most special occasion. Look for Deb Perelman’s latest cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Keepers!