Thursday, December 1, 2011

A Cookbook for the Avid Baker

       I have at least five gift cards to Chapters bookstore in my wallet at the moment. Bookstore gift cards are one of my two favorite things to receive as gifts for the holidays, the other being baking tools and equipment (yes you, beloved Kitchenaid mixer).
        What do I do with these gift cards? I buy books, of course -- especially baking cookbooks. I read regular books too, but I have one of those nifty Kindle e-readers for my regular reads… meaning I have lots of room left to spend money on cookbooks, which I absolutely insist be printed in full-color, large-photo brilliance. 

        Maybe you're an avid baker like me. Maybe you're interested in starting. Either way, please let me point you in the direction of my favorite baking book. Meet my beloved hardcover, Baked ExplorationsBefore I start rambling about how much I love it, please know that I was not in any way paid to write this post.I am just a girl who is in love with a book and feels like telling the world about it.  
        Baked Explorations is the second Baked cookbook written by the Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, who started the first Baked bakery in Brooklyn and the second in Charleston, North Carolina. Everything I have tried from this book has been amazing and some of the best recipes I have posted on my blog were adapted from it, like my all-time most popular post: Mississippi Mud Pie. The best part about this book? It's almost all desserts (yay), with great classics as well as modern spins on old favorites.
        I have almost every recipe in this book either made or to-be-made, like their Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie, famous Sweet & Salty Brownie (I must try this!), and Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake with Caramel Rum Frosting. 
        This book is my prized possession. What's your favorite cookbook?


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The Liebster Award: The Dude, the amazing blogger and photographer behind Dude for Food, has passed on a blogger-to-blogger award -- to me! I'm so honoured! Thank you Dude for thinking of me when you made your choices!
        This particular award is called the Liebster Award, with "liebster" being the German word for "dearest" or "lovely".  It's for striving, up-and-coming bloggers in the ever-growing blogging community -- a community I entered earlier this year. I have been chosen by other bloggers for blog awards before, earlier in my life as a blogger when I was still new and unsure, but now I know my way around the blogosphere (or whatever they call it) and I'm feeling ready to accept this one.


So here are five great food blogs that I feel deserve this award, in no particular order:
Texanerin Baking

       If you were named here, then you can choose to pass on the award if you want -- it's all up to you. You can check out the Dude here for a complete list of rules.
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15 comments:

  1. Man, that does look like one awesome cookbook! I'm adding that to my Christmas list.

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  2. I got this book as a birthday present last summer!  Well... we need not mention that I purchased it for myself, need we?  In any case, I sat down and read it cover to cover the day it arrived (ahh... it was warm then and I sat outside sipping iced tea...) and like you have nearly each recipe marked as a "to make" recipe.  Those that we have tried so far have all been wonderful.  Truly a fantastic book!

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  3. Oh my, a mudpie recipe? I'm more than intrigued :)

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  4. What a coincidence! Last night I decided to make your butterscotch blondie cupcakes after work today. While I was waiting for them to finish baking, I finally checked Google Reader and saw this. Very neat! I'm really honored so thanks a bunch. :)


    My favorite cookbook is David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. I don't even bother looking for other versions of recipes he's already made. It's just useless. I've tried almost all of the more "normal" recipes in the book and they're all amazing. 

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  5. What a great book  suggestion! 
    I love bookstore giftcards and baking tools either..
    Have a nice weekend!

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  6. Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love.December 2, 2011 at 8:53 PM

    That looks like such a great cookbook! I love looking at baking cookbooks too.

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  7. Thank you for suggesting your favorite book.  I'm the beginner one and it is definitely nice to know what book is good to have.  It's really scary for me to bake because I didn't grow up looking at how everything is baked... my mom wasn't a baker and I don't know what's right or wrong... so thank you!

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  8. seems like a good book thank you for sharing

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  9. I'm the same way, I use my kindle for regular books, but I really love my cookbooks to be all lined up looking pretty :)

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  10. I'm jealous of you - you have five Chapters giftcards!! I love collecting cookbook and have to say I've amassed over a dozen in the last 3 months alone! This book looks like a great addition. Thanks for sharing!

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  11. I broke down and bought both of the Baked cookbooks...I have no will power when it comes to cookbooks!  I have too many favorites to mention...but Ina never fails :)

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  12. Looks like a beautiful book. I am a very sad baker though.
    Congratulations on your award :)

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  13. Thanks for introducing me to this book. One of my favourite books is called The Cranks Bible by Nadine Abensur.

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  14. I don't have a favourite cookbook....haha- it's just too hard too choose one! This one looks amazing though- it's definitely my type of cookbook!

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  15. The book suggestions look great. I am not quite a baker, though recently my husband purchased me an oven so I could try my hands on baking. 
    Thank you so much for considering me for the award. I had to read it twice to ensure it was me! I am really touched and appreciate it. 

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