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Baking for All Occasions
Baking expert Flo Braker rises to the occasion with more than 200 celebration-worthy recipes for baked goods. Whether it's an impressive Dark Chocolate Custard Tart to wish someone a happy birthday, a blue ribbon-worthy batch of Fresh Mint Brownies for the annual family reunion, or an Old World Braided Coffee Cake to impress the bridge club, each recipe is custom-crafted to commemorate life's special events. Lots of introductory information on techniques and ingredients ensure that each treat will be baked to perfection, making this a fabulous reference for any cookbook library. Baking for All Occasions makes each day something to celebrate.
396 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
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69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 13, 2018
I am so conflicted about rating this cookbook.
This is one of those times I wish there was a way to rate the content separate from the format. It's a five start cookbook with five star writing and photos in a two star layout.
Armchair food porn cookbook junkies notwithstanding, cookbooks are meant to be used by real cooks in real kitchens. That means plopping the book down on a counter (preferably a safe distance from messy ingredients), and referring to the details of a recipe while physically doing the steps of said recipes. There are two types of cookbooks that are nightmares for people who really do cook. The first is a visually beautiful cookbook with error-filled, poorly-written recipes. The second is a cookbook with amazing recipes that is rendered unusable because some graphic designer -- who probably couldn’t find the kitchen in his/her trendy loft if life depended on it -- doesn’t stop to think two seconds about how the book will be used.
Folks, with this book, we have the second type. And that’s a crying shame because Flo Braker is the Queen of Good Recipes. I followed her newspaper column for years, and I’ve never made anything from one of her recipes that wasn’t delicious. Her buttermilk layer cake will make you swoon. I've made her Florentine Triangle cookies at Christmas for years, and my neighbors start "reminding" me about them in July. This cookbook is chock-full of five star material.
The cookbook is divided into three parts:
1. A Baking Primer – Even if you are a seasoned cook, it’s worth reading these 50+ pages. Not only are there explanations about ingredients (what size eggs, what is meant by certain terms), but there are some good tips in here as well.
2. Blue Ribbon Worthy – This is the bulk of the recipes. This is subdivided by some arbitrary sections with titles like “Crowd-Pleasing Favorites” and “Ready to Share.” Personally, I would have preferred dividing things into more logical order such as Cookies, Pies, Cakes, etc. because this randomness makes it difficult to find specific recipes. For example, is Triple-Ginger Gingerbread a “Crowd-Pleasing Favorite” or “Blue Ribbon Worthy”? (It’s the first.) While recipes with page numbers are listed at the beginning of each subsection, you still have to remember which section to look in for X recipe. I feel a fully detailed table of contents in the front of the book (and more logical sections) would have been more functional. While there is a breakdown by recipe type in the index, that’s not the most intuitive place for it. There is another hindrance to the listing in the subsections, but I’ll get into that later.
3. The Baker’s Handbook – As expected, this short section contains basic recipe components such as pastry dough, curd, and crème anglaise, but it also has recipes like Silver Cake with Poppy Seeds…which didn’t make much sense as that’s really not a “basic” or a “component.” (It is, however, delicious.)
There are some gorgeous photographs by the talented Scott Peterson in the middle of the book. I don’t need step-by-step photos or even photos of every recipe – I pretty much know what a layer cake looks like – so I didn’t mind the lack of a photo for every recipe. I imagine some people will, especially those who are new at cooking or who “armchair cook.”
I made a half dozen recipes from this book, which I think it a good sampling of whether it is a dependable cookbook. (The aforementioned Florentine recipe is also in this book.) Of the six I had not made before, all turned out wonderfully. The recipes are clear and detailed – something Flo Braker is known for – and the results were delicious. One of the six, the cover recipe, I made for someone else to serve at an event, but she did save me a slice. While I personally don’t care for eggnog in anything but a glass (preferably with bourbon) once a year, I thought the texture was good and the recipe successful.
So this brings me to the bad news: the book is a complete pain in the ass to cook from because of the font used. The font size is so small that you cannot comfortably read it while holding it, so forget putting it on the counter and reading from it while standing over a mixing bowl. I’m nearsighted, so I had my eagle-eyed spouse try it. He couldn't read without picking it up either. I showed it to someone else for another opinion, and she said she would not have even purchased ANY book with font so small. Ingredient lists are in ALL CAPS. I can’t even begin to understand why. It’s common knowledge that text written in all caps is hard on the eyes. While the paper used is a very nice, heavy, matter creamy color (no glare), the rust color used for the recipe introductions and section divide pages makes for an eye-straining experience. (The white font in the section heads shows up well enough, but the small black font on rust is a (literal) headache.) So, that recipe listing in the subsection that I mentioned earlier? Good luck reading it because it’s tiny rust-colored font on cream paper.
What I’ve ended up doing for every recipe I’ve made is either scanning the page and printing it larger or going on-line to see if I can find it posted on someone’s blog, comparing what I find to the original, then printing the blog page. I guess I could have bought the Kindle edition, stuck the Kindle in a giant plastic bag to save it from potential spills and “zoomed” to make it legible, but I don’t think I should have to do that. It’s the graphic designers job to make the product functional as well as attractive.
In short, a wonderful cookbook of delicious, solid recipes pretty much rendered useless because some graphic artist didn’t spend five minutes thinking about how the product was to be used by the target market.
This is one of those times I wish there was a way to rate the content separate from the format. It's a five start cookbook with five star writing and photos in a two star layout.
Armchair food porn cookbook junkies notwithstanding, cookbooks are meant to be used by real cooks in real kitchens. That means plopping the book down on a counter (preferably a safe distance from messy ingredients), and referring to the details of a recipe while physically doing the steps of said recipes. There are two types of cookbooks that are nightmares for people who really do cook. The first is a visually beautiful cookbook with error-filled, poorly-written recipes. The second is a cookbook with amazing recipes that is rendered unusable because some graphic designer -- who probably couldn’t find the kitchen in his/her trendy loft if life depended on it -- doesn’t stop to think two seconds about how the book will be used.
Folks, with this book, we have the second type. And that’s a crying shame because Flo Braker is the Queen of Good Recipes. I followed her newspaper column for years, and I’ve never made anything from one of her recipes that wasn’t delicious. Her buttermilk layer cake will make you swoon. I've made her Florentine Triangle cookies at Christmas for years, and my neighbors start "reminding" me about them in July. This cookbook is chock-full of five star material.
The cookbook is divided into three parts:
1. A Baking Primer – Even if you are a seasoned cook, it’s worth reading these 50+ pages. Not only are there explanations about ingredients (what size eggs, what is meant by certain terms), but there are some good tips in here as well.
2. Blue Ribbon Worthy – This is the bulk of the recipes. This is subdivided by some arbitrary sections with titles like “Crowd-Pleasing Favorites” and “Ready to Share.” Personally, I would have preferred dividing things into more logical order such as Cookies, Pies, Cakes, etc. because this randomness makes it difficult to find specific recipes. For example, is Triple-Ginger Gingerbread a “Crowd-Pleasing Favorite” or “Blue Ribbon Worthy”? (It’s the first.) While recipes with page numbers are listed at the beginning of each subsection, you still have to remember which section to look in for X recipe. I feel a fully detailed table of contents in the front of the book (and more logical sections) would have been more functional. While there is a breakdown by recipe type in the index, that’s not the most intuitive place for it. There is another hindrance to the listing in the subsections, but I’ll get into that later.
3. The Baker’s Handbook – As expected, this short section contains basic recipe components such as pastry dough, curd, and crème anglaise, but it also has recipes like Silver Cake with Poppy Seeds…which didn’t make much sense as that’s really not a “basic” or a “component.” (It is, however, delicious.)
There are some gorgeous photographs by the talented Scott Peterson in the middle of the book. I don’t need step-by-step photos or even photos of every recipe – I pretty much know what a layer cake looks like – so I didn’t mind the lack of a photo for every recipe. I imagine some people will, especially those who are new at cooking or who “armchair cook.”
I made a half dozen recipes from this book, which I think it a good sampling of whether it is a dependable cookbook. (The aforementioned Florentine recipe is also in this book.) Of the six I had not made before, all turned out wonderfully. The recipes are clear and detailed – something Flo Braker is known for – and the results were delicious. One of the six, the cover recipe, I made for someone else to serve at an event, but she did save me a slice. While I personally don’t care for eggnog in anything but a glass (preferably with bourbon) once a year, I thought the texture was good and the recipe successful.
So this brings me to the bad news: the book is a complete pain in the ass to cook from because of the font used. The font size is so small that you cannot comfortably read it while holding it, so forget putting it on the counter and reading from it while standing over a mixing bowl. I’m nearsighted, so I had my eagle-eyed spouse try it. He couldn't read without picking it up either. I showed it to someone else for another opinion, and she said she would not have even purchased ANY book with font so small. Ingredient lists are in ALL CAPS. I can’t even begin to understand why. It’s common knowledge that text written in all caps is hard on the eyes. While the paper used is a very nice, heavy, matter creamy color (no glare), the rust color used for the recipe introductions and section divide pages makes for an eye-straining experience. (The white font in the section heads shows up well enough, but the small black font on rust is a (literal) headache.) So, that recipe listing in the subsection that I mentioned earlier? Good luck reading it because it’s tiny rust-colored font on cream paper.
What I’ve ended up doing for every recipe I’ve made is either scanning the page and printing it larger or going on-line to see if I can find it posted on someone’s blog, comparing what I find to the original, then printing the blog page. I guess I could have bought the Kindle edition, stuck the Kindle in a giant plastic bag to save it from potential spills and “zoomed” to make it legible, but I don’t think I should have to do that. It’s the graphic designers job to make the product functional as well as attractive.
In short, a wonderful cookbook of delicious, solid recipes pretty much rendered useless because some graphic artist didn’t spend five minutes thinking about how the product was to be used by the target market.
September 17, 2011
I think the actual title of this book is Baking for All Occasions.
The book is one of the best gifts I have ever received, and the treats I have completed from the recipes have become gifts for my coworkers, friends and family.
Each recipe is detailed and exceptionally clear. The layout is beautiful. The baking primer in the beginning of the book covers invaluable techniques, baking principles, and guides on bakeware essentials. The meticulous recipe directions mean that I never have to guess what to do, and I have made several items without a single failure.
The Lemon Lavender cake has become a staple in my repertoire and I have made it for friends, family, and coworkers. The Congo Brownies are exceptional and the Apricot Flaky Scones are perfection. Each cake recipe yields a fluffy, moist, delectable texture. Aside from the Lemon Lavender I have also made the Almond Tea Cake with Tangerine Glaze, Mocha-Almond O'Marble Cake and Tender Butter Cake with Nut-Crunch Topping.
This book has brought me so much pleasure. I tackle each recipe with complete confidence because the book has never steered me wrong. I highly recommend it.
The book is one of the best gifts I have ever received, and the treats I have completed from the recipes have become gifts for my coworkers, friends and family.
Each recipe is detailed and exceptionally clear. The layout is beautiful. The baking primer in the beginning of the book covers invaluable techniques, baking principles, and guides on bakeware essentials. The meticulous recipe directions mean that I never have to guess what to do, and I have made several items without a single failure.
The Lemon Lavender cake has become a staple in my repertoire and I have made it for friends, family, and coworkers. The Congo Brownies are exceptional and the Apricot Flaky Scones are perfection. Each cake recipe yields a fluffy, moist, delectable texture. Aside from the Lemon Lavender I have also made the Almond Tea Cake with Tangerine Glaze, Mocha-Almond O'Marble Cake and Tender Butter Cake with Nut-Crunch Topping.
This book has brought me so much pleasure. I tackle each recipe with complete confidence because the book has never steered me wrong. I highly recommend it.
September 28, 2019
Though it's not my typical style, I dearly love this cookbook. While I do wish it had MANY more pictures, I can't help but love all the unique and delicious sounding recipes. They do all seem like quite a bit of work (or at least the ones I'm particularly interested in), but it would be a nice cookbook to have on hand for when you're feeling ambitious.
March 26, 2011
Baking from it monthly with ABC Bakers. So far I really like it. Instructions are very clear and very describing. This books works and not only with US flours. (which is a major review point in my book)
January 6, 2010
I haven't made that many cakes etc out of it but those that I have made are excellent!
May 15, 2009
Four and a half stars though I haven't made anything from it. I copied a modest four recipes and can't wait to try them. The book is lovely. The layout fantastic. It is well put together and I trust it sight unseen. Or, taste untasted.
July 22, 2016
Lots of tasty sounding recipes with uncommon twists to them.
October 17, 2012
Too fussy and pretentious.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews