Third Place Blog: Cookbooks! Baking Edition

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Cookbooks! Baking Edition

Emily is back, with more great cookbook suggestions. This week she tells us about a few special somethings just for your sweet tooth. And just in time for the holiday baking season. Can't wait til she brings us a few things to taste!

Bouchon Bakery, by Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel

oh. my. god. I received this big beautiful book on Tuesday, and I spent at least 2 hours reading it that night, salivating over the luscious photos and trying to decide which recipe I'd try first. The introductions and stories made what could be an intimidating book feel friendly and approachable, and I particularly liked the playful use of stencils and sifted flour (or powdered sugar?) to number steps in the photos.

Keller's meticulous attention to detail and the beautiful, fun design elevate this book above the rest of the field.

After a few days of browsing, I finally settled on making the Tropeziene, so I made brioche dough (which has to rest overnight) on Friday night and pastry cream on Saturday. The finished pastry was just as lovely and delicious as I imagined and elicited moans of appreciation from my fellow booksellers on Sunday morning. I've already picked up a few new techniques that will carry over to other recipes, and I can hardly wait to take a crack at another recipe.

Vintage Cakes: Timeless Recipes for Cupcakes, Flips, Rolls, Layer, Angel, Bundt, Chiffon, and Icebox Cakes for Today's Sweet Tooth, by Julie Richardson

A wonderful follow-up to one of my favorite baking books, Rustic Fruit Desserts, this book explores cake recipes that the author collected from friends and family and explains their origins, from regional favorites like Wacky Cake (the recipe only differs in one small way from the one I grew up with) to classics like a yellow layer cake with chocolate frosting. I've made most of the "hasty cakes" and can vouch for their deliciousness! Plus, she's a Portland, OR author.

The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle, by Tom Douglas, Shelley Lance, and Ed Anderson

So far I've made the Serious Biscuits (seriously buttery, with a flaky and crisp exterior and pillowy soft interior - the perfect companion for that homemade jam the neighbors gave you) and the Whole Wheat Hazelnut Scones with Maple Glaze (perfect in every possible way - I've made them twice in less than a week!) My next baking project: the famous Triple Coconut Cream Pie!