Baking books: best of the new batch

Reviewing baking books is a daunting task. When it comes to baking recipes, precision and rigorous testing are essential, and countless books are produced annually. Television’s sudden obsession with the topic has meant this year has been no exception. How to make sense of them all? And are any reliable enough to make us cast aside our old Mary Berrys and Marguerite Pattens?

Let’s get cupcakes out of the way first. I’m not a fan (dizzyingly high swirls of icing make me feel sick), but it’s hard to ignore the zillion books devoted to them. Most are more about decoration and lifestyle than flavour, and worse, many of those spawned by popular bakeries have too many recipes which don’t work – Hummingbird for example had to print a whole page of corrections (pdf).

The latest Primrose Bakery book moves on from cupcakes. It is relentlessly pretty but I had some mixed results, particularly with a custard cream-like biscuit (melting moments) which erupted in the oven and was far too sweet. I had much better results with Bea of Bloomsbury’s book, Tea with Bea. Cupcakes are scarce (although a gingerbread and Guinness one passes muster), and there’s a whole section devoted to cheesecakes, some delicious tarts (bourbon, custard and pecan) and a vegan chocolate cake one friend swears by. Bea’s American roots mean that some of the recipes (especially the snickerdoodles) are a little sweet for my taste.

If you haven’t been baking since you were first big enough to hold a wooden spoon, which books which will see you right? The latest from Leon is as warm and cuddly as we have come to expect and has a marvellous section which tells you everything you need to know (and a fair bit you don’t) about baking methods and ingredients. It’s also marvellously diverse with indulgent recipes from reliable sources such as Josceline Dimbleby next to some very useful and healthy-looking “free from” concoctions from former Chez Panisse baker Clare Ptak. However, the very first recipe I tested, the Honey Bread, failed dismally – twice.

If you can get past the disparaging judges you might do well to buy the book which accompanies The Great British Bake Off. Linda Collister’s no nonsense tone is pure home economics teacher but the advice is stellar and there are step-by-step photographs and concise recipes.

The shining star of last year’s contest was Edd Kimber whose macarons garnered rare wholehearted appreciation from the judges. He now runs masterclasses on making these as well as including them in his new book, The Boy Who Bakes. The book is charming and has something for everyone – a quick baker’s tour of the US and Europe yields indulgent recipes with American inspiration including bourbon pecan pie, peach and blueberry cobbler and some extravagant, multi-layered cakes (caramel and cinnamon and an elegant raspberry ripple), there are delicacies such as quirky little stuffed frangipani cakes and some British favourites – gingerbread, Guinness parkin and a curd tart.

On the subject of macarons, the translation of Pierre Hermé’s book Macarons is finally with us. This is one for perfectionists – I’ve made macarons in the past but my humble efforts have been vastly improved by following all the tips in this book. All the signature macarons are here, accompanied by some deliciously moody photography.

Also from France, Clotilde Dusoulier continues with her adaptations of Ginette Mathiot’s works with the most beautiful Art of French Baking. The illustrations are reminiscent of Jules Destrooper biscuit tins, the layout is clean and the photographs enticing without being off-puttingly perfect. I love French patisserie and have spent many an hour trying to get my pâte sucrée tart cases just so, so I really enjoyed trying a few things here, especially a quick brioche flavoured with orange flower water and brandy, a caramelised pineapple custard, and “mirrors” – basically small meringue cases filled with rum frangipan and glazed with a rum and apricot syrup.

Of course, some books are considered classics for good reasons, and Geraldene Holt’s Cakes, recently reissued by Prospect Books, is one. It certainly deserves much more recognition than it’s had. The style is reminiscent of Jane Grigson with no photographs, lots of good advice, precise descriptions, informative recipes and entertaining context (everything from a lonely hearts ad in Private Eye seeking a decent scone maker to the origins of the expression “Limey”). Really the only cake book you need.

Finally, Dan Lepard’s new book Short and Sweet is, for me, the new definitive guide to baking. I’ve tried a fair few recipes without failure. I’ve learned a few new tricks, my absolute favourite being the addition of butter to suet pastry (elevated to the sublime when encasing mutton and capers). The exceedingly light and easy to roll cream cheese shortcrust has become a family favourite. It’s a perfect mix, from the extensive number of leavened and unleavened breads, moreish cakes and savoury pastries, to the bang on trend whoopee pies and some simple chewy caramels. He demystifies everything including working with sugar (caramel, icing, sauces). Finally, a very small thing – no matter which page you turn to, it stays open. I wish more publishers would ensure their books did the same.

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baking with Bill & Sheila