Phaidon Press recently sent me a review copy of What to Bake & How to Bake It by Jane Hornby. The large, beautifully-illustrated book arrived a couple of weeks ago, giving me ample time get to know the book and try a few recipes.
When reviewing a cookbook, I start with a quick overview. Is the index easy to use? Does it have the sections I usually look for? Is it engaging both to my eye and my taste buds? Are the recipes interesting? Will I want to look at it again, as soon as I get home from work tomorrow?
Granted, these are basic questions, but they are the questions that matter. The most telltale question is the last one; did I return to it as soon as I got home from work? Yes! And, we had friends due for dinner the next evening, it was the perfect excuse for me to make something to give the book a trial run.
Going back to my list of questions, I found the book to be set up well, starting with my favorite introductory section. Hornby gives basic advice for successful baking: how to master cakes, pastries, cookies, and bread; lists of required equipment and best ingredients; and a photographic guide to baking sheets, pans, utensils, equipment; and – my favorite – the visual guide to what things should look like.
The visual guide includes what poorly creamed butter, split batter, overbeaten egg whites, overwhipped cream, and burnt melted chocolate look like. Equally important, it shows what they should look like. For a novice, this is invaluable. Heck, it helps all of us!
After the introduction, the book is divided into four sections comprising the 50 recipes in the book: Simple Family Baking; Morning Coffee & Afternoon Tea; Special Bakes; and Desserts and After Dinner.
While I can’t figure why scones appear in both Family Baking and Morning Coffee, or why pumpkin pie is a Special Bake and not under Desserts and After Dinner, I did decide that these choices are personal. The important thing is that they are easily found, well done, gorgeous to look at, and the instructions are detailed and accurate.
For our guests, I chose something from Special Bakes section, something I hadn’t had in ages – Linzer Cookies. Hornby makes hers with hazelnuts but acknowledges that some people prefer almonds. As I had my first Linzer Cookies in Germany, made with almonds, that was my choice for the cookies, too.
Following the well-written, step-by-step illustrated instructions, I made the cookies exactly as written. (Sorry I didn’t have a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the centers!)
Hornby’s incredible attention to detail made the recipe a breeze for me, and the results were, without doubt, the best Linzer Cookies I have ever had.
Since then, I have made her buttermilk pound cake. Again, it came out perfectly. She used a hand-held mixer, but said it could easily be made with a stand mixer. For the test, I used my hand mixer, as well and it came out looking just like the photo in the book.
Cake taste-tester friends all loved it. I served it with lemon curd, a popular condiment here in citrus world.
Some of the other recipes I plan to bake soon include: Golden Drizzle Citrus Cake, Vanilla Sponge Cake, Classic Crusty Bread, Cherry-Almond Streusel Slice, Maple-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls, Coconut Layer Cake, Chocolate Hazelnut Log, Strawberry Meringue Cake, and Mint Chocolate Macarons.
I like this book a lot, and happily recommend it. As you can tell, the recipes cover a range from simplest to fancy, and all are completely doable. Hornby’s clear directions – with her beautifully laid out visual instructions – will make this a go-to for all bakers.
What to Bake & How to Bake It from Phaidon Press retails for $35, and for $39.95 in Canada. (All opinions within this review are my own.)
Linzer
Cookies
Developed and maintained by Inspiratech LLC.
Design by Themeshift.
Jill
February 21, 2015 at 6:20 pmYou forgot to say when the tasting would be held 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
February 23, 2015 at 2:39 pmJill – I will remember to send an invitation next time!
Lizzy (Good Things)
February 21, 2015 at 11:00 pmI'm with Jill, when do we get to taste!? Seriously, looks like a great book… great review too, David. And Linzer cookies, I've always wanted to bake those!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 23, 2015 at 2:39 pmThanks, Liz – I think you will really like these!
Unknown
February 22, 2015 at 4:00 amI'm so glad that you featured this recipe – I've wanted to try these for so long. Isn't Penzeys Cinnamon the best? I agree with your criteria for a cookbook review but have never articulated it this way.
I just received the most hilarious book to review called "Confessions of a Serial Entertainer" by Steven Stolman. I did find a couple of recipes to try – but a lot of them use Bisquick, etc. Anyway, if you're offered it, I think you'd really enjoy his writing.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 23, 2015 at 2:42 pmI love Penzeys, Susan – it is so wonderful to have a store only a couple of minutes from the house – convenient and dangerous! Thanks for the recommendation of "Serial Entertainer!"
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
February 22, 2015 at 8:27 amDavid, ah Linzer Kekse – actually they are some of my favorite cookies to bake at Christmas time and I also add lots of nuts, cinnamon and vanilla and my favorite jam (seedless as well) to them – you certainly baked some picture perfect cookies there – I bet they were an absoulte hit and disappeared in no time!
Euch noch einen schönen Sonntag
Andrea
Cocoa & Lavender
February 23, 2015 at 2:43 pmVielen Dank, Andrea! Do you use almonds or hazelnuts when making Linzer Kekse or Linzertorte?
dedy oktavianus
February 22, 2015 at 8:51 amSimply damn delicius coookies!!!
Dedy@Dentist Chef
Cocoa & Lavender
February 23, 2015 at 2:43 pmThanks, Dedy!
Padaek
February 22, 2015 at 11:41 amLooks and sounds like a great cookbook and your Linzer cookies look amazing! Your photos are always so beautiful. For a moment there, I thought they were photos from the pages of the cookbook. Always great to read your posts. Best wishes. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
February 23, 2015 at 2:44 pmWow – that is the greatest compliment I could get! I love your site – I went over and read lots trying to find your name to thank you! Padaek is lovely and I look for3ward to your posts!
Sippity Sup
February 22, 2015 at 10:26 pmIs it the almond that make this a Linzer cookie (kinda like the almonds in Linzertorte). GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
February 23, 2015 at 2:45 pmYep, Greg! Exactly.
Valentina
February 23, 2015 at 9:29 pmLovely. I love Linzer-esque desserts. Sound like a great book to have. So cool that it shows you what you're not looking for (split batter, etc.) P.S. I quite like the powdered sugar art. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
February 24, 2015 at 3:48 pmValentina – so glad you liked the powdered sugar shot. It was just too much fun to pass up!
Unknown
February 23, 2015 at 9:38 pmDavid, I believe Linzer cookies travel well by mail…just sayin.
I love, love Linzers and yours look fabulous! I love cookbooks with lots of photos, because I want to see what it looks like! I've never understood the books without photos or maybe just a couple here and there. I would think photos are vital for a cookbook!
This one looks like a keeper. I'm surprised the scones weren't in the afternoon tea section because as a Brit, that's where they belong for me! xx
Cocoa & Lavender
February 24, 2015 at 3:49 pmAh, the scones appeared in both places, Nazneen – which is why I was so confused! But, really, it doesn't matter as there was a scone there, too.
I am really with you – I want lots and lots of pictures in my cookbooks! xo
Provence WineZine
February 24, 2015 at 7:24 pmDavid, That's quite an endorsement! It looks like a book I would like to have in my library–I love the idea of a section that shows what something should and shouldn't look like.
Now, when are you writing your own?
xo
Cocoa & Lavender
February 24, 2015 at 10:18 pmSusan – I agree! The section that shows you what things should and should not look like is extremely valuable!
As for my book, you will need to be very patient! xo
Karen (Back Road Journal)
February 25, 2015 at 11:19 pmYour linzer cookies look beautiful. The book sounds like it would make a great gift to give to new bakers, with all its photos of what things should look and not look like.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 27, 2015 at 4:44 amYou are right! And I think this would make a great wedding gift, Karen.
Linda
December 1, 2023 at 11:37 amI immediately ordered two for gifts! Thanks! Gorgeous photos, as always.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 5, 2023 at 3:39 pmIt’s a great book with many different recipes — good for beginner and experienced bakers!