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The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book | 
 enlarge | Creator: America's Test Kitchen
Publisher: Boston Common Press
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
Buy New: $20.97
You Save: $13.98 (40%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  51 reviews
Sales Rank: 979
Media: Ring-bound
Edition: Lslf
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 552
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.3
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 9.4 x 2.4
ISBN: 1933615222
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.815
EAN: 9781933615226
Publication Date: September 1, 2008
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Product Description
Featuring more than 700 kitchen-tested recipes, 800 step-by-step photos, opinionated product ratings, and at-a-glance tutorials that guarantee success every time you bake.
A companion to the bestselling America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (with more than 550,000 copies sold), this comprehensive cookbook delivers the foolproof recipes, step-by-step instructions, and troubleshooting guides that have become the hallmark of every book published by America's most trusted test kitchen. For anyone who has made pie dough that seemed impossible to roll out, bread that failed to rise, or a birthday cake that couldn't be served, this book will be a lifesaver as well as a lifelong and trusty baking companion. And with 22 chapters, this book is packed with recipes that will keep you busy (and your family and friends happy) for years to come.
Here you'll find recipes that range from easy and approachable (simple bowl cakes, quick breads, no-knead bread, and no-bake cookies) to more ambitious and demanding (artisan breads, wedding cakes, fancy layer cakes, and pastry). So whether you are an accomplished baker looking for a great collection of new recipes or a beginning baker looking for a practical step-by-step guide and easy recipes to bake for your family, you'll find what you want here.
In addition to the recipes, The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book is full of test kitchen tips that explain how or why a recipe works (and where you can go wrong), recipes at a glance (where we provide mini tutorials with photos), and illustrated troubleshooting guides (where we highlight the most common baking problems and their solutions). A practical guide to baking basics with information on key ingredients and necessary equipment (along with the test kitchen's favorite brands), The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book will help anyone get started on the right track.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 46 more reviews...
Highly Recommended November 16, 2008
I am hopelessly addicted to anything kitchen and cooking related. Lately I've been reading cook books almost as one reads novels. This book is cook book excellence. This book takes a step-by-step approach in which novices and experts alike can extract useful information. Details abound in the techniques required to complete each recipe. The recipes are range from beginner to expert which is fantastic. I feel as if I can achieve growth in my baking skills by attempting simpler recipes and then heading for more the more complex recipes contained within this book. This book is well organized with pictured dividers, sturdy with hardcover and binder system. Individual recipes can be removed from and reinserted into the book. This not only makes and wonderful addition to a personal collection but is truly appropriate as a gift for someone that has a mere interest or full fledged passion for baking.
Over 700 recipes offer baking results guaranteed to succeed. November 15, 2008
This companion to the AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN FAMILY COOKBOOK offers a collection of foolproof recipes, step-by-step directions, product ratings and troubleshooting guides for a range of quick dishes, no-knead breads, no-bake cookies, and more. The lay-flat thick binder format lends to kitchen use and explanations cover how or why a recipe works, what could go wrong, and how to avoid any uncertainties. Over 700 recipes offer baking results guaranteed to succeed.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
America's Test Kitchen Family Baking October 29, 2008
The book was great!! Received sooner than expected which was greatly appreciated. Thanks for the GREAT service you provide to me.
No longer intimidated to try baking! October 26, 2008
I come from a family of excellent bakers, but so far my baking experience has been mostly things to come out of a box. I can count on one hand the times I have baked something from scratch, and half of those times my Mom has helped. (I'm 27 years old, so it's about time I learn!)
This book is a very well-rounded, staple baking book that I can see myself using for years. But what makes it stand out from all the other cookbooks and baking books that sit on my shelf, gathering dust?
I no longer feel intimidated to try my hand at baking something from scratch. This book is very good at explaining, in simple terms, the "science" of baking. I am always amazed at why two people can follow the same recipe and have such strikingly different results.
The Test Kitchen baking book claims to "make the mistakes, so you don't have to." It has a great introductory section which explains the importance of: preheating your oven, using the right measuring methods, choosing quality ingredients, using the right equipment, watching your baked goods instead of relying solely on a timer, etc. It also explains the differences between the variety of flours, and why they make a difference in your recipes - as well as many other ingredients. It also goes through a variety of other pantry staples to have on hand, as well as baking pans and other equipment... recommending their favorite brands.
I didn't realize so many things can affect your recipe, like using the wrong temperature of butter. The last time I made cookies with my Mom, she "freaked out" when I added dry ingredients before properly creaming the butter and sugar. I thought she was crazy, but now I understand why proper creaming is important for cookie texture. There are even pictures to show me the under creamed, over creamed, and "just right" level.
It explains basic cooking techniques and shows photos of the process, such as whipping egg whites or melting chocolate.
So, not only does the book equip you with a great set of recipes that have been tested in their home kitchen for ease of use, it also gives you the basics you need when following the recipe, to make sure it turns out well. I think this is what takes it beyond a book that "sits on the shelf" to one I'm ready to dig in and start using. Also, the recipes themselves are great - things Mom and Grandma used to make, not too fancy, but not too basic either. The book isn't dedicated to dessert - there is also a section of pizzas, calzones, breads and breakfast items such as scones and muffins.
I've made many recipes from the America's Test Kitchen Family cookbook, which is laid out just like the Family baking book. Not only is there a photo of most recipes, often there are photographs of the various steps involved. This is so helpful for a new baker in discovering the way things are supposed to look and get a visual picture of some more complicated steps. I think even an old baker can learn a trick or two.
I highly recommend this book for college students, wedding presents, or housewarming gift - or to anyone who aspires to be a better baker. The recipes that are good for beginners are even marked so, giving those "intimidated bakers" in your life a great starting point. There are so many tasty items in here that I can't wait to get baking! So in that respect this book has already done its job.
Thanks, America's Test Kitchen, for inspiring us willing but intimidated chefs and bakers into action!
Another great Test Kitchen book! October 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love America's Test Kitchen. Their Best Recipes line really does give the most fool-proof recipes around, and I love how they give the science and experimentation background of everything, just as in Cook's Illustrated. All of the recipes I've tried have produced tasty, reliable results. You never have to cross your fingers and hope for the best with their recipes.
This book goes a step further, with excellent sections on baking basics, tools, ingredients, and techniques. They also recommend their best reviewed ingredients and tools (along with prices) to take the guesswork out of shopping. It's really handy to have a tested shopping guide for every imaginable baking tool, and it's doubly cool that the winning tool is often the cheapie model.
The recipes themselves are detailed and include tips, hints & troubleshooting advice. Foolproof recipes are marked as "great for beginners" to help new bakers build confidence. And all of the recipes include beautiful color photos of both the finished product and the steps involved.
Sidebars with variations extend the recipes even farther. One really nice sidebar feature is the "Don't make this mistake!" sidebar, which not only warns you of a common pitfall, but gives you a photograph of the results (e.g., overmixed muffins vs. correctly mixed muffins--you always read "don't overmix" in muffin recipes, but this is the first time I've seen a photograph of the result--which looks exactly like my last batch of unsatisfying muffins!).
The book covers everything from fluffy pancakes to crusty rustic loaves, crackers, cookies, brunch casseroles, plain and fancy cakes, to pies and tarts. There are even a section on shortcut baking, which includes both quickie recipes and easy treats built around mixes and prepared ingredients, and light baking, with slimmed-down versions of coffee cake, cookies, brownies, and muffins.
All types of baked goods are broken down by subcategory (drop cookies, bar cookies, rolled cookies; layer cakes, sheet & cupcakes, bundt/tube cakes--even wedding cakes!). This really helps you quickly select the right recipe.
Even if you didn't make a single recipe, this book is invaluable for its detailed photographs of baking techniques and advice on variations--for instance, the best results making muffins from quick-bread batter, or the different route to take when baking mini loaves vs. full sized loaves.
The book is ring-bound (5 rings for less stress on each hole than a 3-ring) so it can lay flat while you cook. The front inside cover has an emergency substitute chart, and the back inside cover have measuring and weighing equivalents and storage tips. You do have to insert the dividers yourself (but this does keep the book from arriving all crumpled), but insertion points are well-labeled, and the task gives you the opportunity to peruse the book. Each chapter's table of contents is on the divider so it's easy to flip right to the TOC and find your recipe. The cover price is a little steep, but the discounted Amazon price is fantastic, making it a really excellent value.
Splendid, comprehensively photographed all-around baking book, with bonus points for convenient format and all the extra tips & reviews. Yay!
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