Dorie Greenspan

On one hand, the technical information in the book is abundant and invaluable coming from Dorie Greenspan. On the other hand, I really value lots and lots of pictures in my cookbooks, and this one is lacking in that department. At one point I read through 11 recipes without a single photo--not even one of the wee ones they sometimes stick at the top near the names of the recipe. That was super disappointing to me, especially when I've learned so much from Greenspan in other formats. Still, it's a collection of solid traditional French recipes with a fair amount of technical discussion.… (mere)

--Cinnamon Raisin Bread (good, but a bit of a tighter crumb than the ATK cinnamon swirl bread; makes decent French toast)

--Brown Sugar Oat Squares (seemed underdone when I took them out of the oven, even at the maximum recommended time, but crisped up nicely and were tasty)

--"Everything Cake" (Again, took longer in the oven than the max recommended time and was still slightly underdone in the middle. I sliced it in half to make a layer cake, with lemon curd between the layers)

--Rugelach: very good! Chilled dough for two days, then baked half and froze half. Used berry jam, cinnamon-sugar, chopped pecans and semisweet chocolate for filling.

--Apple galette, with caramel applesauce: Good, but not sublime. Good crust for any fruit filling. Made for Rosh Hashanah dinner.… (mere)

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

Dorie Greenspan is a treasure to the world. I've adored several of her cookbooks, not simply for the recipes, but for her voice. Some cookbooks exude arrogance. Dorie's books feel like an aunt taking you by the hand and casually talking you through a recipe without any strict edicts involved. Most every recipe includes variations of ingredients and/or techniques so that individual bakers can make the recipe their own.

As the title says, this cookbook is all about baking, and there's a wide spectrum involved. There are basic chocolate chip cookies and pie crust recipes, as well as those for more complex éclairs and layer cakes and pies. There's even a section of savory baking recipes that, in a suitably French-influenced way, seem to revolve around cheese. Readers of Dorie's other cookbooks will see new takes on old favorites, too, like her cheese puffs and her famous World Peace Cookies.

The two criticisms I have of the book are on a more technical level. (I did read a galley so some information such as gram amounts were incomplete, but the formatting itself is set.) First of all, I wish every recipe had a picture. The photography that is included is stunning--I wanted more! I want to know what the final versions should look like! Also, some of basic building block kinds of recipes, like the pie and tart crusts, were all the way in the back, and I wish they were actually within the relevant section for easier reference.

Overall, though, this book is a winner. I'm sure it will be a bestseller and a book that many people wear out with use.… (mere)