Rose's Baking Basics

I've been following Rose for about 6 years and I even have a tag for her on my blog so yes i have to consider myself a hugh fan. I think its fair giving that backstory before I get on to the review. Her book Rose's heavenly cakes were my very first digital cakebible and whenever someone asks for a cake that isnt red velvet or poundcake that book is where I start looking for inspiration. This book on the other hand is not about baking the most difficult cake with the weirdest pronounced name or where each cake has milelong ingredientlist followed by 2-3 pages on how to cut the basil the right way before you boil it 10 secs in carbonated water - this book is all about the basics and how to. Even if you have baked your entire life there is always some new tricks you can learn and this book has a lot of them. The recipes are - as always with Rose - well written, easy to follow and filled with good pictures with instructions and when you think the recipe is over and you turn the page to the next she gives you variations on how to make it, for example change a single pie to 8 smaller ones and what to use and timers and temperatures. Brilliant. It might seem like a small thing but for a lot of people this should come handy. The index is sorted as it should, all cookies with cookies not by holidays or ingredients or the worst example ive seen which was sorted after seasons. Another winner for me as a non-american is that everything is listed with both american meassurements and grams, no need to convert, its already there. If you feel insecure about baking this is the book for you also if any person out there wanna start baking with little to no experience this is the book I would buy. There are a lot of "how to" books out there and internet has even more info and guides if you are into that sort of things but this book has it all in an easy written and pics not to mention a great collection of cookies, cakes and pastries. Dont miss out.

someone please guide me to the area of this “Baking Basics” book where Rose has given detailed I nstructions on how to prep a whole egg before portioning out “1/2” of an egg or “3/4” of an egg for some of the recipes in this book! Surely I am missing where this important bit of accurate baking information/instruction is printed. Do I swirl the yolk and white with a fork and expect it to be properly combined then measure, or do I risk incorporating a little air by gently whisking the egg which better combines the yolk with the white? I would really like to know exactly what Rose recommends. Guess I will just skip all those recipes calling for part of a whole egg. UGH!

This is exactly what I was hoping for. First off, the physical quality of the book is excellent. It lays flat and has good quality thick pages. I know this sounds like a minor thing, but for a cookbook that will be opened and closed, and laid out on the counter, and flipped thorough...it's important. It also has an attached ribbon bookmark, which also is a good touch.Content-wise, it's exactly what I was looking for. Detailed instructions for pastry basics, like pate a choux, pastry cream, etc. Tons of pictures for the various steps, and pages of troubleshooting, i.e., if this goes wrong, then it was probably because... The recipes are given in both volume and mass, which is good. I know it's better to bake by mass, but sometimes volume is just easier. And the recipes are extremely precise (Who would give a measurement of 1/2 cup minus 3/4 tsp?...or something like that...can't remember it exactly). It also gives options (using the food processor versus doing by hand). It clearly explains upfront what you should do ahead of time (mise en place) and what equipment will be needed. The only thing that is not perfect, is that because it's soooo detailed, sometimes it takes a while to find your place in a recipe and see what's next on the fly...even if you read it ahead of time. But that's just the way it is when you have that level of detail.I'm kind of a Food Network junkie, so it's nice to see all these pastries they talk about clearly explained. I would say it's a very good teaching book, but would still be of value for more experienced bakers. (So far I've made 3 recipes...all very good). Very, very pleased with this purchase.

I did like the pics. There's lots of hand holding in this book like about how to handle problems you may experience baking cookies. Well, I have baked one thing. . . the oatmeal cookies. . . and I have a problem with American measurements vs. European weighing recommendations. The recipe calls for 1 egg in American ingredients. If you know that it is going to take more egg than that, don't print 1 egg. Yes, I am American trying to bake some cookies. . . not construct a building. The cookies were too dry after sitting for 2 hours. Why? Don't put American instructions incorrectly. Now I don't trust the book to make anything else.

Beautiful book with easy explanations and step by step pictures. Well made book. And I already baked the first cake from it

I have all of Rose Levy Beranbaum's Cookbooks, and they are almost always the ones I grab first. Her attention to detail is unmatched. I like the fact that she included different sizes of some of her best recipes, such as White Cake, or White Cupcakes than she has in other books, so you can use whichever one suits you for your specific purpose. Follow her instructions to the letter, or you may not like the results. Once you get used to her methods, everything is pretty easy to follow. I am a pastry chef and I find you can't go wrong with any of Rose's recipes if you want something wonderful!!

Great book, good condition.

Very well explained

Measuring on a scale-done! Essential equipment-done! Solutions for possible problems-done done! Over 600 step by step photographs ensuring success! Done! Rose even tackles Light Italian Meringue Topping for Pies! Who does that in a beginners book? Japanese Milk Bread-I've found it impossible to get a recipe that works. Key Lime Pie-the best I had was in New York, not Florida and I've never been able to replicate that pie. Peach Cobbler with Biscuits (Scones), a American Southern recipe which looks like my Mother's recipe. Nearly 400 pages of clear instruction and beautiful baking. I wish I had this book years ago, and while my failures and successes baking have been fun, I will truly enjoy learning all over again. I think I need to purchase a copy for my daughter so she can have successes and time to enjoy her family :) Well done :)

This was ordered for my wife who is involved in the baking trade. She is quite pleased with the layout and finds the directions very helpful.

An excellent book and the recipes are very good for all skill levels.