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Bake

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Your best friend in the kitchen and bestselling author, Rachel Allen, is back with a collection of delicious and easy cakes and bakes, tarts and pies, quiches and casseroles from her brand new TV series.

What could be better than the smell of freshly baked bread or the joy of eating warm cookies straight from the oven? Do you pine for the pleasures of gingerbread houses and holiday delights or the warming goodness of home baked casseroles?

These are just some of the treats that await in Bake, which ties in with Rachel’s brand new TV series. She shares both the sweet and the savoury sides of baking, whether quick snacks, wholesome breads and pies, exotic cakes and tarts or easy baked meals for friends and family.

Fully illustrated with beautiful food photography including step-by-steps to take the mystery out of traditional baking and pastry making. Rachel also offers troubleshooting techniques for common problems and wheat or gluten-free recipes so nobody is left out of the fun!

Rachel’s friendly and expert tuition make this easy-to-use book the best friend to every home baker.

Recipes

Cardamon breadCrispy bacon and cheddar breadCheese straws and pretzelsPork, chorizo and spinach pieBeef pasties with mint, ginger and peasBaked cheese fondue in a squashSeville orange meringue pieCornish saffron breadLime and yoghurt cake with rosewater and pistachios

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2009

93 people are currently reading
1321 people want to read

About the author

Rachel Allen

89 books26 followers

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5 stars
1,008 (41%)
4 stars
766 (31%)
3 stars
469 (19%)
2 stars
108 (4%)
1 star
50 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Ulrike.
16 reviews4 followers
February 13, 2012
I got to know the irish chef Rachel Allen when I lived in Ireland to work as an Aupair a few years back. I pretty soon figured out that the children loved to help in the kitchen with all the mixing and measuring. So every week we would pick out something nice from this book and start baking. This way I discovered lots of lovely recipes this book has to offer for bread, muffins, bars, cakes and quiches. When I went back to Germany I got a copy of this book as a present to take home. I still love it and turn to it whenever I look for a nice treat to make or just when I get homesick for my second home in Ireland.

I love the variety in this book as you have everything from sweet to savoury and from little bites to real meals like gratins and casseroles. I also enjoy the last part of the book which is all about the basics of baking like techniques and basic recipes.
Profile Image for Author Annette Dunlea.
56 reviews32 followers
December 4, 2013
Bake by Rachael Allen
Bake is Rachael Allen’s hardback cookery book to accompany her current TV Series. It is published by Collins Press and its ISBN is 007259700. I watched her tv series and she has a pleasant manner and her instructions are very easy to follow. She has a no nonsense approach to baking. She says in her book there is no magic baking is all about using the right ingredients in the right quantities. Her book is beautifully laid out with clear instructions and pictures to accompany the text. It is divided into 9 chapters clearly labelled. Included in this book she has trouble shooting ideas, alternatives to use for recipes, step by step instructions to making various pastries and a list of kitchen utensils the cook needs. Amongst the sweet and savoury recipes she included lots of my favourites : eccles cakes, fairy cakes, swiss roll, Baked Alaska, chocolate cake, Quiche Lorraine, croissants, eclairs, cottage pie and doughnuts. I am passionate in life about two things my writing and my food and I loved this book. Reviewed by Annette Dunlea author of Always and Forever and The Honey Trap
Profile Image for Cara.
291 reviews14 followers
December 4, 2013
Found this on sale in Tescos at £4.85... bargain!!

It is a good all-round baking book, suitable for all levels of experience. There is a good mix of sweet and savoury baking recipes, some familiar classics e.g. Eclairs, Chicken & Leek Pie, Christmas Cake; and some more unusual ones e.g. Baked Red Lentil Dhal, Cinnamon Pecan Buns, Rhubarb Crema Catalana. The Glossary could be a bit more comprehensive, but the section on Basic Recipes and Techniques is very handy.

Bake is the book that accompanies Rachel Allen's TV series of the same name (which I didn't see, but have heard good things about) and comes with plenty of Baking Tips throughout, along with suggested variations for many of the recipes. My only real criticism is that there are not enough photos of the finished item(s).

Now, off to make some German Spice & Hazelnut Cookies :-)
Profile Image for Elaine Mullane || Elaine and the Books.
1,001 reviews340 followers
April 5, 2017
One of my favourite books for baking! The recipes in this are so easy to follow - I don't think I've ever messed one up! Rachel Allen uses simple ingredients to make the most tasty breads and cakes. My favourites, which I make regularly, are the Light Sweet Scones, the Brown Soda Bread, the white Ballmaloe Soda Bread, the Chocolate Brownies (I add fudge and white chocolate chunks!), the Banana Bread, the Lemon & Passionfruit Tart, the Chocolate Tart...I could go on!

Beautiful recipes, wonderful treats and fool-proof baking. Win win!
Profile Image for Christopher.
153 reviews10 followers
February 1, 2017
Love this book!! as long as you follow the recipies and methods word for word you cannot go wrong. The Oatmeal and Chocolate chip cookies were gorgeous, lovely savory recipies there too such as the Quiche Lorraine and the Potato,Spinach and Goats cheese Tart which were both simple and delicious. I made the gingerbread house at Christmas and it turned out so cool, it really looked great and the kids loved it (especially the eating it part). The recipe for the orange meringue pie really worked well but there was some issues with the timing of how long it took to make the curd ( I found myself stirring a pot for nearly an hour). I am still giving this book the five stars because it is a complete introductory course to baking that will be of value to any budding enthusiast. It is well worth buying, it has made baking so simpe and enjoyable!
Author 3 books39 followers
February 3, 2013
Great book for learning to bake more difficult recipes - suitable for those who have the basics, but want to stretch themselves a little in the kitchen. Rachel is good for noting things other chefs forget in their books, for example, whether to line or grease a tin etc. Her books read well, possibly because she is clearly used to teaching the art of baking and this comes through onto the page. A nice book.
Profile Image for Ana Wilde.
1 review
December 4, 2013
I buy a Rachel Allen book every Christmas for my husband but really it's also a gift for me as he cooks some great stuff from her books and I don't think any of her recipes (at least the ones we have tried) have ever failed.

We have used quite a few of the recipes in this book over and over again.
Profile Image for Beth.
48 reviews
November 5, 2009
Great book..only downside is all the calories from eating the cakes!
Profile Image for Liz Allen.
9 reviews1 follower
October 14, 2010
Wonderful book. Great Recipes with easy to follow directions.
It's "a keeper" in my household!
3 reviews2 followers
May 27, 2013
Such a great book filled with all the charm of Rachel Allen, just like on her TV shows. Often reference this for hearty bakes like breads.
Profile Image for Maria.
63 reviews
May 3, 2021
Bake is a fun cookbook that delivers exactly what you want. I found the recipes easy to make and the instructions were clear. I recommend it!
Profile Image for Gillian.
71 reviews
July 7, 2010
Ah Rachel. How confident you are, how foolproof your recipes seem on the tellybox, and how completely out of whack all the measurements are in real life. I give you the cottage pie, which my beloved husbanian made one Sunday as I travelled home from my best friend's house in London. The measurements were so messed up he had actually made ANOTHER PIE from the ingredients he couldn't fit in the first bowl. Definitely not a book for the novice cook or baker. Sorry Rachel.
Profile Image for Ciara .
258 reviews53 followers
September 21, 2012
There are some tasty recipes in this book!
Definitely worth having a flick through at some point, the chances are that you will find something that you like.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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