dk books

Customer Review:

Review by: Debbie Chubb, 28 September 2011

'This is easily my favourite baking book and my family have enjoyed several yummy cakes and biscuits and things that I have always thought were beyond me. The instructions are clear, but what sets this book apart are the clear photos for each step, giving you an excellent idea of what consistency is needed at each stage. There is a good selection of different recipes with easy adaptations for different flavours and fillings. There is plenty of variety from meringues to cheesecakes and breads. Oh, and the Chocolate Fudge cake balls are divine!'

Customer Review:

Review by: Michele Platman, 28 September 2011

'This book is probably one of the best baking books I have ever used. Despite its size and weight (and it''s pretty big when opened fully), the instructions are very clear and precise, and I love the step by step photographs. I have now tried quite a few of the recipes and they all worked beautifully, not least the Normandy Pear Tart (which is now a firm favourite in our dinner party repertoire!). All the recipes tried came out of the oven looking exactly how they looked in the photographs (a rare thing for me!). All the recipes tried were absolutely delicious and our dinner guests (who were unsuspecting guinea pigs) absolutely raved about the pear tart. The method for making the pasty pastry for this particular dessert was a bit different to how I normally make pastry, and it was a bit difficult to roll out at first, but once baked with its filling, was crisp and melt-in-mouth all at the same time. The other recipes I tried (Rosemary Foccaccia, Chocolate Fondants, the Chocolate and Hazelnut Brownies and the Feta Filo Pie) were absolutely 10 out of 10 easy to make and delicious! They too, came out of the oven just as they looked in the photographs. Having said that this is a large book, the page size is perfect, as it gives plenty of room for the photographs of the different stages of a dish. It''s a really great book which I would heartily recommend to any keen amateur/home cook ... from beginners to the more experienced alike.'

Customer Review:

Review by: Sophie Castle, 27 September 2011

'As someone who constantly messes up baking this book is ideal! All of the recipes are idiot proof and are broken down into simple instructions with photographs. I found these photos invaluable, especially when it came to instructions such as ''make into fine breadcrumbs'', as there is a photo to show you exactly how this is achieved. I loved making Florentines - they look so complicated but are actually easy to make (even for a novice cook). I felt much more confident making brownies, cupcakes and muffins because I could follow exact instructions and I was even taking requests from family members and friends to bake them some! It was also really handy to have the breakdown at the beginning of the recipe for how many it served, how long it took to make and how long it took to bake. I can''t wait to try out more recipes and really feel that this book is a great beginner''s guide to baking. '

Customer Review:

Review by: Tony Ross, 27 September 2011

'If first impressions are meant to count, then this book certainly makes a good one. A big, heavy book packed to the gunnels with tantalising photographs of food that just MAKES you want to bake! Having tried quite a few of the recipes prior to submitting this review, I can safely say that the instructions are clear, the photographs make it super-easy to make sure you’re doing what’s expected and the recipes have turned out exactly the way they should. As useful addition to the usual index is a section called “recipe choosers”. This is full of logical groups like “Traditional Afternoon Tea”, “Prepare Ahead”, “Picnic Basket”, “Children’s Parties” and “Weekend Brunch” with all of the associated recipes pictured under the group heading. The pictures are accompanied by the recipe name, page number along with (as a useful and considerate addition) the preparation and cooking times. This makes it very easy to quickly locate something that you not only want to bake, but lets you make sure you’ll have enough time. There are too many more positives to list, but I feel there is an omission from the book and that is a difficulty rating for each recipe. Also, although the page-edges are thoughtfully colour-coded so that all recipes from one section can be quickly located within the book, it would have been better if the index was colour-coded in the same way. These are nothing short of nit-picking and do nothing to detract from the splendour of such a wonderful book. '

Customer Review:

Review by: Jane Hopwood, 02 September 2011

'A wonderful book for anyone new to baking or in need of inspiration. Easy to follow with good illustrations.'