FOUR GREAT BAKES, AND A COOKBOOK REVIEW!

Posted in Cake, Cookbook Reviews, Cookies, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Today I have a very special blog post for you. I am very excited to share a short review of the first cookbook by Martin Sorge. Martin won The Great American Baking Show back in 2023 and just published an amazing cookbook that reflects very well his style of baking: attention to detail, focus on things that truly matter to make a recipe shine, and creativity to come up with clever twists in classics. Normally, I would include a recipe but to do so I would have to ask permission from Martin himself and/or the publisher. I wanted this post to be a surprise for Martin so I did not contact him. I will just share photos of the recipes I’ve tried so far, and direct you to his book. If you love to bake, Great Bakes is a total must-have!

Great Bakes: Modern Classic Recipes from the Midwest, by Martin Sorge. To order, click here.

I will start with perhaps my favorite…

LEMON-GINGER SANDWICH COOKIES

This recipe has quite a few clever twists to prevent common issues with sandwich cookies. The filling is pure genius, using clarified butter to reduce the water content, so that it firms up and holds nicely when you bite into the cookie. The cookie dough contains fresh and powdered ginger, the filling a touch of turmeric. You absolutely need to make this… The texture, the taste, the sharpness of the filling, it is perfection in cookie shape!

BLACK FOREST BROWNIES

Fudgy, intense, sweet but with the bursts of sharpness of sour cherries, this recipe is brilliant and very “uncomplicated”. Martin streamlines things whenever possible, it is part of what makes his book so cool and his flawless baking approachable.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

One of my favorite sections of the book, I made his basic version (although I did add some bells and whistles with the chocolate drizzle and bling), but Martin offers several variations, including one that is calling my name, Toasted Sesame. I even invested in a new pan for this bake… A 9-inch square pan with removable bottom. Because, why resist, right? Click here for the one I got.

ULTRA-OATY OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This was an OMG type of chocolate chip cookie, and got two thumbs up by the resident critic, who is very picky about cookies with oats and chocolate chips. They MUST contain nuts, and Martin did not disappoint him… In case you are wondering, no raisins were invited to this party.

And now, time for a little walk through his book…

The book is divided in chapters that are quite unusual and fun in their terminology. First comes…

DUMP IT IN A PAN… The chapter opens with a quote from Dolly Parton; There’s no bad way to eat a biscuit. Considering her recent passing, this is a sweet reminder of who she was and how she’s lived her life. This chapter shares recipes for crisps cobbler, cornbread brownies and biscuits. I will have to pick my favorite recipe from this chapter to be his brownies since it was the first recipe I tried from his book. He offers a few variations for this classic but the Black Forest was outstanding. I would love to try the coconut caramel brownies, as well as his strawberry and tarragon shortcake, and his Midwest cornbread, which I am sure will be spectacular.

BALLS OF JOY… That is how Martin classifies cookies, isn’t it adorable? Opening quote by Cookie Monster, you will have to get the book to see which one he chose. Chapter opens with Shortbread, and Martin has very clear ideas about what makes it perfect. Love the variations, and adored his basic version. Crumbly, just the right amount of sweetness. He went on with Spritz cookies, which I definitely intend to try, particularly his Eggnog version. But I am set to trying his Strawberry Magic Macarons, just looking at the picture makes me dream.

STUFF IN CRUST… Opening quote by Carl Sagan, one of my heroes. I had not seen that one, and it gave me a huge smile. I do think Martin excels at pastry, the chapter is a basic, thorough lesson on pie crusts, including many versions of pies that you probably never imagined making. Oe example Apple, Quince and Vanilla Bean Pie. The lattice work on that one is to die for. Apple Strudel is in there and looks fabulous too. I am looking forward to making his Corn, Tomato and Red Pepper Galette, and Sausage Rolls.

NEED TO KNEAD… Opening quote by James Beard. Martin knows how to pick the quotes, I tell you. This is an outstanding chapter, Martin did his homework and each recipe sounds like a winner. I have not made a recipe from his book yet, but a whole wheat loaf from his blog is a favorite in our home. You can check that recipe here. From the book, pretty much everything in this chapter appeals to me: Big Crusty Loaf, Three-Seed No-Knead Bread,Whole Wheat Toast Bread, Honey Emmer Dinner Rolls, just to name a few. But perhaps my favorite section in this chapter is “Breads that Speak German”. He had a chance to practice bread baking in Germany, and shares his expertise with us. Swabian Soft Pretzels, Bungalowbrot, Vollkornbrot (aka Real Rye Bread), Stollen. A wonderful collection indeed.

NICE CAKES… Martin confesses that cake was his nemesis for many years, and since I was a certified cake-o-phobe, I had to smile. Martin is partial to chocolate ganache or whipped cream to decorate cakes, although he shares a Chocolate Cake with Peanut Buttercream that seems amazing. I am absolutely mesmerized by Nirali’s Masala Chai Chocoflan, Nirali was a contestant in the same season of the Bake Off, and they live in the same city, so they kept swapping ideas and baking together. This gorgeous cake is a result of this sweet collaboration.

BEYOND CATEGORIZATION… Opening quote: The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Indeed it is! In this chapter you will find things such as Chocolate Malt Pudding, Lemon Curd (with variations), Pavlova, Choux Pastry and incredibly cool Sweet Corn Cream Puffs.

NEEDLESSLY COMPLICATED… This is a nod to the showstopper component of the Bake Off. Martin starts giving tips on how to tackle a real intimidating, complex baking project. Having won the competition in that tent, he knows what he’s talking about. The chapter opens with S’mores Croquembouche, moves to Bagel and Lox Paris Brest, but I am also super intrigued by his Piña Colada Princess Cake.

I hope you enjoyed this little review, I close this post congratulating Martin not only for the amazing performance in the tent, but for the beautiful job he did composing and publishing this book!

1 YEAR AGO: A Duet of Macarons

2 YEARS AGO: Caramel Sandwich Cookies

3 YEARS AGO: Miso-Caramel Cracker Cookies

4 YEARS AGO: Mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival

5 YEARS AGO: Almond-Raspberry Triangles and a Special Cookbook Review

6 YEARS AGO: Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

7 YEARS AGO: Roasted Cauliflower Salad over Hummus

8 YEARS AGO: Queen of Sheba

9 YEAR AGO: Brunch Burger

10 YEARS AGO: Mango Salsa with Verjus

11 YEARS AGO: Raspberry Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Brownies

12 YEARS AGO: Scary Good Pork Burgers

13 YEARS AGO: Review of exercise program Focus25

14 YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with a Thai Seafood Curry

15 YEARS AGO: Post-workout Breakfast

16 YEARS AGO: Semolina Barbecue Buns

17 YEARS AGO: Lavash Crackers

30Nov2025

PINECONE ALMOND COOKIES AND A COOKBOOK TO LOVE

Posted in Cookbook Reviews, Cookies by sallybr

I follow wonderful bakers on Instagram, they are a great source of inspiration, from cookies to cakes, from tarts to bread baking, and patisserie in general. A few months ago I learned that Winnie Lee (IG ohcakeswinnie) was going to publish her first cookbook. I placed an order and anxiously waited. If you like to order Bake with Winnie for you or to gift to someone, click here. Her style of baking is whimsical, clever, creative. Reminds me of one of my favorite bakers from The Great British Bake-Off, Kim-Joy. Bake with Winnie is a book full of gorgeous bakes, colorful, playful, impossible to look at them and not smile. And dream. Today I share with you the second recipe I tried: Pinecone Almond Cookies Tartlets, absolutely adorable!

PINECONE ALMOND COOKIES
(published with permission from Bake with Winnie)

350g (3 ½ cups) ground almonds
125g (1 cup) icing sugar
3 eggs (medium)
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla paste
sliced almonds (for decoration)
50g (⅓ cup) dark chocolate (for dipping)
Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 175°C and line a flat baking tray with baking paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground almonds and sifted icing sugar. Whisk the eggs, vanilla and almond extract in a separate bowl and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix with a whisk or spatula until you get a thick, slightly sticky paste. You can add a bit more ground almonds (25g / ¼cup) so it’s easier to work with.

Using a small ice cream scoop or your hands slightly damp, portion out the dough. Roll into long oval shapes and slightly flatten them. Arrange on the baking tray. Press sliced almonds into the top of each cookie in overlapping rows to mimic the look of pinecones, leaving about 1/3 of the cookie bare for
dipping in chocolate later.

Bake for about 12–15 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.

Dust with icing sugar the almond section of the cookie. Melt the dark chocolate and dip the bare end of each cookie into the chocolate. Let the dipped cookies set on parchment paper before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Just loved making this batch of cookies, which could easily also be flipped into hedgehogs, don’t you think? Add the chocolate to the other side, a couple of white drops of chocolate or Royal icing, or even sprinkles for the eyes, and there you go! New shape….. They have a nice texture and that delicious taste of almonds made more intense by the roasted pieces all over. The only time-consuming step is finding nicely shaped almond slices in the bag, they are often a bit too broken or damaged. But it is totally worth it.

Moving on, a teaser recipe from the book, Chocolate Tartlets, in which she makes the dough in a pretty efficient way, shaping them in the bottom side of muffin tins.

That should give you an idea of Winnie’s style of baking. I am totally smitten by her cookbook. So let me take you through a little stroll through her publication… The book is divided in five sections.

PRETTY FOR SPRING. In this section she shares so many bakes with a floral and overall cute component. She opens the chapter with one incredibly beautiful crostata, perfect lattice and colorful flowers all around the edge, all made with pastry. Truly a masterpiece! Imagine Madeleines decorated with pressed flowers, a Roll cake perfect for Valentine’s with hearts imprinted all over. A complete dream of a chapter.

SUMMER LOVIN’. Again the chapter opens with a showstopper, her Happiness Cake Roll, at some point I simply must make it and take for my donations on Fridays. It is one of the happiest bakes I’ve seen, just gives you a smile. A patterned roll cake topped with all kinds of colorful concoctions made of meringue. Another favorite of mine is her Strawberry Cake, decorated with a white buttercream lattice. Must bake! Adorable Linzer-style cookies are part of this chapter too.

SWEET AND SPOOKY. If you are a Halloween-lover like myself, you will flip for this part of her book, but there is a lot more. It starts with cupcakes decorated as little foxes. It is in this chapter that you will find chocolate tartlets I used as a teaser recipe, although hers are different, the filling is ganache and they are all topped with a fresh raspberry. A Spider Web Cake Roll must be part of my Halloween next year. It is a promise! But my very very favorite? A Woodland Cake Roll which is rolled vertically. I’ve been fascinated with this type of cake for a long time.

MAGICAL CHRISTMAS. I almost made her opening recipe, Gingerbread Man Cake Roll. Yes, she is huge on cake rolls, a kind of bake I love and do not make often enough. That must change… Snowflake Pastries made with puff pastry are on my list also. They look absolutely amazing. Perhaps my favorite of this chapter: Holly Mini Tarts. Incredibly cute!

FROSTINGS AND FILLINGS. In this final chapter she shares some of the basic recipe used throughout the book, so it is very useful, plus you can use those for your own versions of cakes and bakes.

I thank Winnie for allowing me to publish a recipe from her cookbook, she is a very sweet person, quite helpful and interactive in her IG page (click here), so pay her a visit and order a copy of her book for yourself or someone you love…

ONE YEAR AGO: Fall Leaves Panch Puran Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Farro with Chickpeas and Spinach

THREE YEARS AGO: Bison a la Mode de Bourgogne

FOUR YEARS AGO: Masala Mashed Potatoes

FIVE YEARS AGO: Lessons from Tanya: Sugar Cookie Silhouettes

SIX YEARS AGO: Cherry-Chipotle Chicken Thighs

SEVEN YEARS AGO: White Chocolate Mini-Mousse with Sugared Cranberries

EIGHT YEARS AGO: You Say Ebelskiver, I say Falafel

NINE YEARS AGO: Happy Thanksgiving!

TEN YEARS AGO: Two Takes on Raspberries

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Spice Cake with Blackberry Puree & The Global Pastry Review

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Own Your Kitchen with Cappuccino Panna Cotta

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

5Jan2025

CHEDDAR & JALAPEÑO SOURDOUGH + COOKBOOK REVIEW

Posted in Breads, Cookbook Reviews by sallybr

I am beyond excited about this blog post because not only it features one of the very best sourdough breads I’ve ever baked, but it allows me to review Elaine Boddy’s FOURTH cookbook (click here to order The Sourdough Bible), published just a couple of weeks ago. Without further ado, take a look at this beauty!

CHEDDAR AND JALAPEÑO SOURDOUGH BREAD
(printed with permission from Elaine Boddy’s The Sourdough Bible)

50 g (¼ cup) starter
350 g (1½ cups) water
500 g (4 cups) strong white bread flour, plus more for dusting
7 g (1 tsp) salt, or to taste (I used 10g)
Filling 200 g (1 cup) grated cheese
100 g (¾ cup) sliced jarred jalapeños, well drained (I used 80g)

In a large bowl, roughly mix together all the dough ingredients. Cover and leave the bowl on the counter.
After 2 hours, perform a set of pulls and folds on the dough. Cover and leave once again.

After 1 hour, perform two more sets of pulls and folds. Cover the bowl again and leave it on the counter after each set. Leave to proof until the dough has doubled in size. Once doubled, place the bowl of dough, covered, in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Sprinkle flour over your kitchen counter. Ease the risen dough from the bowl onto the counter. Use your fingertips to push out the dough, until it becomes an 18 x 12–inch (46 x 30–cm) rectangle and an even thickness all over. The dough will want to pull back as you stretch it; continue to pull it gently, being careful not to make holes in the dough. Sprinkle the cheese and jalapeños filling evenly over the stretched dough. Roll up the dough from one of the shorter edges toward the other to make an even roll of dough. Lift the dough and place it, smooth side down, in the banneton. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to proof again. Transfer the cold dough to your lined pan, and score it.

If you’ve chosen to preheat your oven, heat to 425°F (220°C) convection or 450°F (230°C) conventional. Bake at the above temperatures for 50 to 55 minutes from preheated. Or, if baking from a cold start, bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and pan, and allow to cool fully before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you’ve never mixed a sharp cheese with pickled jalapeños and invited them both for a little sourdough party, you are missing quite important things in life. It is a brand new year, do what is RIGHT! The bread is simply outstanding, I normally exercise restraint when consuming bread, but I will admit I had zero power against this baby.

The level of spice was just right for us, I used slightly less than Elaine did, about 20% less. Use the sharpest, best Cheddar you can find. The color of the crust is enough to make a grown up cry in anticipation of great things to come.

The bread uses the method of lamination to incorporate the goodies, although as Elaine says, you could conceivably just add everything as you mix the dough. She is always making sure you can go the simple route if so desired. That brings me to her masterpiece, The Sourdough Bible.

THE SOURDOUGH BIBLE

I adore the cover! So modern, and unusual, incredibly stylish… But what really matters is what’s inside, so let’s take a tour together.

The book is divided in three parts. Part I will explain simply everything about making a starter, keeping it alive and using it to make dough. If you know someone who flirts with the idea of embracing sourdough baking but feels insecure, this book is the best gift ever. Anyone will be able to produce a healthy sourdough starter using her detailed explanation. Even if you are an experienced sourdough baker, you will find great tips and suggestions in this section of the book, like how to use different flours, swap the water for other liquids, laminate, add seeded crusts. Wonderful source of information.

Part 2 is where all the recipes will be. It starts with her MASTER RECIPE, which is the essence of all her breads. The master recipe is like a canvas that she uses to create more complex variations, not only in flavor, but shape. This section of the book has a huge number of photos of the process involved in each bread, beautiful shots, on a blue background that makes the white dough shine. A pleasure for the eyes, and dense with info and details.

Here are some of the recipes included that made my mouth water: Whole Grain Spelt and Poppy Seed Loaf, Beer and Mixed Grains Loaf, Rye and Caraway Loaf, Cheese and Jalapeño Loaf (featured today), Chocolate and Chili Loaf (OMG, must absolutely make this one), Cranberry and Hazelnut Loaf, just to name a few.

Her series of mini-loaves is wonderful, starting with her Master Baby Loaf, and moving on to Whole Grain Spelt and Seeds, Cumin and Carrot Loaf, and other tasty options to make a small loaf, great if you don’t have a huge family, or if you just want to experiment with new flavors.

Moving on, she introduces breads that are baked in a loaf pan, starting once again from her Master Sandwich Loaf Recipe, and adding complexity as new ingredients are added. Enriched Brioche-Style Loaf, Potato Water Spelt Loaf, Cheese and Chipotle Ketchup Babka (Sally faints!) are some examples included. Have I mentioned the photos are gorgeous?

So that brings me to
THE TEASER RECIPE

This tiny little bread is made in a mini-pan with the shape of a cube. I am soooo totally in love with it, the flavor was outstanding, and what a fun bread to make…

This one is her Whole Grain Spelt Cube Loaf. Several other recipes using this pan with or without a lid are waiting for you, so place an order for her book, if you haven’t yet already. For instance, you can use the cube pan to make a Chocolate-Filled Vanilla Swirl Loaf, or a Banana Walnut Swirl Loaf. All adorable… What are you waiting for?

Focaccia: Amazing collection of goodies. From the master recipe she creates Red Onion and Chive Focaccia, and playing with small versions she shares Blue Cheese and Fig Baby Focaccia, so cool for a dinner party. In another departure of shaping, you will find Wedge Rolls, a super clever way to deal with a batch of sourdough. My favorite of this section is the Seeded Wedge Rolls, for sure. I need to bake a batch.

Yet another creative way to play with the concept of bread, Elaine makes a series of “Snug Rolls” , in which goodies are incorporated by lamination and the rolls treated as you would a cinnamon roll type bake. Garlic Butter, Cinnamon Rolls, Cheese and Caramelized Onion Jam are some examples of “snug rolls” in this part of The Sourdough Bible.

Maybe you rather have your rolls kiss gently instead of hug together? Go for her series of “Round Rolls” that features Herby Za’atar is there… Whole Grain and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns, both called my attention right away.

Flatbread and Pizza comes next, from the Master Recipe to variations such as Herb and Parmesan Flatbreads, Spinach and Goat Cheese Pizza, Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Vegetables Flatbread.

If you think Bundt pans cannot bake sourdough bread, think again. Elaine puts them to great use, making showstopper loaves with all sorts of flavor and flour combinations. Chocolate Orange Loaf, Cheese and Pickle (I am sure we would LOVE this one!) and, ready for this? A COOKIE LOAF! Just amazing…

This part of the book closes with recipes using discard sourdough, and my favorite is the Uzbek flatbread, as I have those gadgets and love putting them to use. Crepes, Chocolate Chip Rye Pancakes, Everything but the Bagel Crackers are other examples.

We arrived at the final, Part 3 of the book. This section covers Tips and Tricks for Mastering Sourdough. No matter your level in brea baking, it is a great source of information, but beginners in particular will benefit from it. Essentially every single question a person might have about sourdough baking is covered in this chapter. A must-read.

I have every one of Elaine’s books, but I will have to say she outdid herself with The Sourdough Bible… it is a must-have for anyone interested in sourdough baking, and the best source for beginners because it offers a simplified, straightforward approach to sourdough, without unnecessary complications and endless, rigid rules. Go have fun in the kitchen, bake great sourdough bread, let Elaine be your guide!

ONE YEAR AGO: La Buche de Noel

TWO YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Apple Carpaccio

THREE YEARS AGO: Chocolate-Cherry Miroir Cake, A Vegan Showstopper

FOUR YEARS AGO: Bee Happy Honey Macarons

FIVE YEARS AGO: Episode 7 of Great American Baking Show, Canapes, Opera Cake and Running out of Gas

SIX YEARS AGO: Raspberry Ganache Macarons

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Pain au Chocolat

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Two Unusual Takes on Roasted Veggies

NINE YEARS AGO: Kadoo Boranee: Butternut Squash Perfection

TEN YEARS AGO: Creamy Broccoli Soup with Toasted Almonds

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Fennel and Cheddar Cheese Crackers

TWELVE YEARS AGO: A Festive Pomegranate Dessert

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: My First Award!

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: A Message from WordPress

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Turkish Chicken Kebabs

2Jun2024

CHICKEN FAJITA BITES AND A COOKBOOK REVIEW

Posted in Appetizers, Cookbook Reviews, Pizzas & Small Dishes, Poultry by sallybr

Not too long ago I bought a new cookbook (surprised?) called BRILLIANT BITES, by Maegan Brown, also known as The BakerMama. I found myself getting amazed by each and every recipe because they were for the most part quite unusual and so creative. Have you ever imagined making cacio e pepe pasta in appetizer shape? I bet you haven’t. We don’t host dinner parties that often anymore, but appetizers can be fun to make and even if you are not hosting, you could conceivably make a meal out of three or four appetizer options. I contacted Maegan and asked her permission to share one of the recipe of her cool cookbook. Here I am to offer you Chicken Fajita Bites, colorful and oh so tasty!

CHICKEN FAJITA BITES
(printed with permission from Maegan Brown’s Brilliant Bites)

6 red mini sweet peppers, 4 whole and 2 finely chopped
6 yellow mini sweet peppers, 4 whole and 2 finely chopped
6 orange mini sweet peppers, 4 whole and 2 finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken tenders, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 cup (112 g) shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnishing
Key lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Sour Cream Avocado Sauce
¼ cup (55 g) well-mashed avocado (about ½ avocado)
¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

To make the chicken fajita bites: Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Slice each whole mini pepper in half lengthwise, leaving the stem intact, and remove any seeds and pith. Slice a small sliver off the back of each half so that it sits flat on the baking sheet (I omitted this step) being careful not to slice all the way through. Arrange the peppers in a single layer, cut sides up, on the prepared baking sheet.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped peppers and onion and cook and stir until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, chili powder, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt until well combined. Add the chopped chicken to a large bowl and toss it with the 2 tablespoons lime juice, then add the seasoning mixture to the bowl and thoroughly coat the chicken.

Add the chicken to the same skillet the peppers and onion were cooked in and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked all the way through, about 4 minutes. Return the peppers and onion to the skillet and toss to combine with the chicken. Remove from the heat.

Completely fill each mini pepper half with the chicken fajita mixture, then top with a little shredded cheese. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the cheese melts and the peppers are soft. Meanwhile, make the sour cream avocado sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients until well combined. Drizzle some of the sauce onto each bite, garnish with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, and serve with lime wedges (if using) for squeezing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: My only modification of the recipe was to use ground chicken instead of chicken breasts, because I happened to have some in the fridge waiting for a good opportunity to shine. And shine it did. Super tasty little bites, that will also stand on their own without the sauce if you want to make it simpler. But the sauce takes it to a much tastier level, so I don’t recommend you skip it.

Now for a little review of Maegan’s cookbook…

The book offers 70 appetizer bites, divided in 6 categories. I will list them below and include some of my favorites because of their cute or unusual factor… So many called my name!

PARTY BITES… The Chicken Fajita Bites are from this first chapter, and I they are so adorable, I actually made them as a light lunch for me and hubby on a Saturday. They were perfect! From this chapter my favorites are: Cacio e Pepe (so unusual and cute), Sushi Taco Bites (I absolutely MUST make them), Steak Frite Bites, and Chopped Kale Caesar Salad Cups.

HOLIDAY BITES… I just fell in love with every single one in this group! It starts with Birthday Cake Cookie Bites with Party Hats! How can you resist them? Below a little screenshot straight from the book.

The whole chapter is one cute recipe after another… Love Bug Bites, Mini-Muffins Many Ways, Jack-o-Lantern Mac and Cheese Bites, Bow-Tie Antipasto Bites (coolest appetizer ever), Pumpkin Pie Bites (gorgeous), Candy Cane & Snowman Caprese Bites, just to name a few.

BREAKFAST BITES… Eggs Benedict Bites (so creative!), Dutch Baby Bites, Smoked Salmon Bagel Bites, and get this: Chocolate Babka Bites… I honestly want to bake the whole collection in this chapter!

SNACK BITES… She describes this chapter as a fun twist on everyday snacks. I give you a few examples: BLT Grilled Cheese Bites, Popcorn Bites, Loaded Baked Potato Chips, and Monte Cristo Cracker Bites. All presentations are super cute!

DESSERT BITES… Hard to pick favorites here! Baklava Bites, Chocolate Chip Cookie Cannoli Bites, Crepe Bites (I fell in love with those and share a screenshot of the book below), Coconut Key Lime Pie Bites might be the cutest little bites ever…

SAVVY SIPS… This is the only chapter that does not really work for me, as I don’t drink cocktails, but if you love them and have guests who do, you’ll find quite a collection, from Espresso Smore’tini to Mango Mai Tai, Pina Colada Popsicle Shots, and Eggnog Bites.

Well, I hope you consider getting this great cookbook before your next dinner party! Totally worth it!

ONE YEAR AGO: Oreo Balls, Fun and Easy

TWO YEARS AGO: Pork with Prunes

THREE YEARS AGO: Honeyed-Jalapenos on Spelt Pizza

FOUR YEARS AGO: Bulgur and Chickpea Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

FIVE YEARS AGO: Purple Star Macarons

SIX YEARS AGO: Smoked Salmon, Fait Maison

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Kouign-Amann, Fighting Fire with Fire

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Yin and Yang

NINE YEARS AGO: Chocolate Toffee Banana Bread

TEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, June 2014

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Baked Coconut and “The Brazilian Kitchen”

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Honey-Glazed Chicken Legs

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: French-Style Rolls

6Dec2023

BAKE IT BETTER, THE BOOK & THE VIRTUAL SPOT

Posted in Cookbook Reviews by sallybr

Wondering what to give to that friend who loves to bake but seems to own every single gadget known to mankind? Here is a suggestion for you: offer Matt Adlard’s Bake it Better, still hot from the press! And if you want the gift to be even more special, add to it a membership to his virtual cooking school, where every month a series of two or three recipes of increasing complexity are shared. Not just the recipe, but a super detailed video tutorial to make it happen flawlessly in your own kitchen. And when you join the site, you will immediately gain access to the closed Facebook group, where you can hang out with other baking-addicts such as yours truly… To order the book, click here… To get the membership-gift, click here.

I will now share a few recipes I’ve tried from this wonderful book, which recently was the focus of a nice baking weekend with my friend Tanya (see post about it here). The recipes are listed in the order I made them.

CHOCOLATE CHUNK BROWNIES

These are fudge-y, intensely flavored, and have a crackly topping made more special with the drizzle decoration. Matt is known for always gilding the lily in unexpected ways, often simple touches that add a lot to the final bake.

TOASTED MILK POWDER AND BROWN BUTTER COOKIES

What is different and unique about these cookies is the use of toasted milk powder plus browned butter. If you have ever heard of “bronze butter”, this is pretty much the easiest way to achieve that level of buttery intensity. His trick to add a few chips right when the cookies are out of the oven make them look pretty professional… Yes, it is the “bake it better” at work!

ALL-BUTTER SHORTBREAD

These are very special cookies that remind Matt of his Dad’s special cookies baked at his restaurant. Matt’s technique is quite straightforward, with small details that make this one of the simplest bakes of the book, but with amazing complexity of taste and texture. I aded just a little pattern on top with a rolling cutter.

PEANUT AND WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

These are simply amazing! Delicious cookie that bakes soft and tender, with a puddle of peanut butter in the center. The whole design and simple decoration is typical of Matt, taking a humble cookie into a cute playful presentation through the little details. These cookies were a huge hit with our departmental colleagues.

TIGER MADELEINES

My favorite bake of this series, it required me to buy a special silicone pan for the madeleines because to do the coating with tempered chocolate you cannot quite use metal pans. Totally worth it.

Once again the traditional madeleines are made super especial by just splitting the batter in two portions, adding chocolate to one of them and making a simple pattern with a piping bag. Genius. Coating the back with chocolate just ties the whole thing together, but you can conceivably skip that step, and just bake them in a regular, metal pan. They are spectacular!

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into Matt’s first (and let’s hope NOT last) cookbook! If you love to bake or if you are a beginner baker and would like to learn perfect technique, this book is for you. Apart from the recipes I listed today, I was honored to test a few other recipes from the book while Matt was writing it and I can tell you that the Cardamon and Orange Custard Tart is simply to die for…