What do you think?
Rate this book
Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
As featured on The Martha Stewart Show and The Today Show and in People Magazine! Hip. Cool. Fashion-forward. These aren’t adjectives you’d ordinarily think of applying to baked goods. Think again. Not every baker wants to re-create Grandma’s pound cake or cherry pie. Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito certainly didn’t, when they left their advertising careers behind, pooled their life savings, and opened their dream bakery, Baked, in Brooklyn, New York, a few years back. The visions that danced in their heads were of other, brand-new kinds of confections . . . Things like a Malt Ball Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting, which captures the flavor of their favorite Whoppers candies (and ups the ante with a malted milk ball garnish). Things like spicy Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits that really wake up your taste buds at breakfast time. Things like a Sweet and Salty Cake created expressly for adults who are as salt-craving ?as they are sweet-toothed. Which is not to say that Lewis and Poliafito sidestep tradition absolutely. Their Chocolate Pie (whose filling uses Ovaltine) pays loving homage to the classic roadside-diner dessert. Their Baked Brownies will wow even the most discriminating brownie connoisseur. And their Chocolate Chip Cookies? Words cannot describe. Whether trendsetting or tried-and-true, every idea in this book is freshly Baked.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2008
109 people are currently reading
10496 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
November 2, 2009
What can I say, it's fall and I want to eat (like it's any different from any other time of the year). I'm going to work my way through the recipes....and I pretty much have. The downside of this book is that every recipe does not have a picture and I really like to see how the author presents their food. And some baking experience is nice. I've been baking for 50 years (Mom started us young!)and some of the techniques were tricky. But all-in-all my experience was very good.
Pear Plum Crisp = A
A super alternative to the regular apple crisp. Not too sweet, with a nice citrusy pop. My son is not a fan of cooked fruit but liked this, said he preferred it over apple. They didn't skimp on the crunchy crisp topping, either. This is also is terrific leftover, either cold or warm (nuke for a few seconds in the microwave).
Milk Chocolate Malted Milk Ball Cake = D
Perfect example of why I don't buy a cookbook until I make a bunch of the recipes. The notes hint that it's a tender cake, but I didn't expect it to be pathological. I followed the directions to the T, even waiting a extra 10 minutes to take the layers out of the pan because my kitchen was so warm. They started to fall apart right then, and by the morning, they were a complete disaster. The flavor was ok, not really malty. I globbed some icing on it, and that was GOOD. I will try this again to see if it was just a fluke. After note: The flavor intensified with a couple hours of sitting. My son loved the cake, the texture and flavor (I had to agree, it was a great tasting cake), and I will try it again, maybe as a sheet cake.
Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins = A
These are terrific, moist with a deep banana and chocolate flavor. Hint: since these are not high rising muffins, try to avoid over-filling the muffin cups. If they get too close to the top of the cup, they flatten out and the edges get crispy. I found that using a standard ice cream scoop (don’t heap the batter in it, just level) was the perfect amount. Also, it’s a good idea to “flour” the chocolate chips before mixing them into the batter; in a bowl coat the chocolate with a teaspoon or two of flour, then put in a strainer to knock off the excess flour. This will keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom and burning (this also is a good trick when baking with blueberries).
Sour Cream Coffee Cake w/ Chocolate Cinnamin swirl = A
Ok this is going to be my signature coffee cake recipe. This was so good. And the sour cream-iness intensified as it sat (though it didn't sit long!) I'm going to experiment with a raspberry or blueberry swirl (for those eaters that are allergic to cinnamon)
Red Velvet Cake w/ Cinnamon Frosting= A
I made this for my son's birthday and he loved it. The red color was perfect, and the cake was tender and moist. I have to admit, I did not make the frosting from the recipe. It had almost a pound of butter, whole milk and some heavy cream.....it would have killed me. I used canned vanilla frosting and added cinnamin to it and it was terrific. Next time, though, I will use the cream cheese frosting and add cinnamin to that.
Pear Plum Crisp = A
A super alternative to the regular apple crisp. Not too sweet, with a nice citrusy pop. My son is not a fan of cooked fruit but liked this, said he preferred it over apple. They didn't skimp on the crunchy crisp topping, either. This is also is terrific leftover, either cold or warm (nuke for a few seconds in the microwave).
Milk Chocolate Malted Milk Ball Cake = D
Perfect example of why I don't buy a cookbook until I make a bunch of the recipes. The notes hint that it's a tender cake, but I didn't expect it to be pathological. I followed the directions to the T, even waiting a extra 10 minutes to take the layers out of the pan because my kitchen was so warm. They started to fall apart right then, and by the morning, they were a complete disaster. The flavor was ok, not really malty. I globbed some icing on it, and that was GOOD. I will try this again to see if it was just a fluke. After note: The flavor intensified with a couple hours of sitting. My son loved the cake, the texture and flavor (I had to agree, it was a great tasting cake), and I will try it again, maybe as a sheet cake.
Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins = A
These are terrific, moist with a deep banana and chocolate flavor. Hint: since these are not high rising muffins, try to avoid over-filling the muffin cups. If they get too close to the top of the cup, they flatten out and the edges get crispy. I found that using a standard ice cream scoop (don’t heap the batter in it, just level) was the perfect amount. Also, it’s a good idea to “flour” the chocolate chips before mixing them into the batter; in a bowl coat the chocolate with a teaspoon or two of flour, then put in a strainer to knock off the excess flour. This will keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom and burning (this also is a good trick when baking with blueberries).
Sour Cream Coffee Cake w/ Chocolate Cinnamin swirl = A
Ok this is going to be my signature coffee cake recipe. This was so good. And the sour cream-iness intensified as it sat (though it didn't sit long!) I'm going to experiment with a raspberry or blueberry swirl (for those eaters that are allergic to cinnamon)
Red Velvet Cake w/ Cinnamon Frosting= A
I made this for my son's birthday and he loved it. The red color was perfect, and the cake was tender and moist. I have to admit, I did not make the frosting from the recipe. It had almost a pound of butter, whole milk and some heavy cream.....it would have killed me. I used canned vanilla frosting and added cinnamin to it and it was terrific. Next time, though, I will use the cream cheese frosting and add cinnamin to that.
October 27, 2022
Some very tasty sounding recipes, but also too many that call for ingredients I prefer not to use (e.g., corn syrup, vegetable shortening) or that are not readily available in Turkey (e.g., canned evaporated milk, shredded coconut).
July 29, 2009
Some of these are a little challenging, but I think with practice they'll get easier. The recipes can be complex, with lots of ingredients, but that's just because the writers are nit-picking perfectionists. The recipes are complicated because they're all really *good.* I haven't made anything out of this book that wasn't extremely high-quality (well, it didn't always turn out high-quality, but that was definitely due to the my own lack of skill). Not the *easiest* baking book, but if you're willing to learn some techniques, invest in good ingredients, and follow their well-detailed process as if it were gospel, you can get some really tasty and professional results. A baking book for the overachiever.
PS- So far I've tried: Sweet and Salty Cake (dark chocolate cake with salted caramel and caramel chocolate ganache buttercream) and the Flourless Chocolate Cake. Next up: Grasshopper Cake (dark chocolate cake with crème de menthe buttercream) and possibly something like scones or biscuits.
PS- So far I've tried: Sweet and Salty Cake (dark chocolate cake with salted caramel and caramel chocolate ganache buttercream) and the Flourless Chocolate Cake. Next up: Grasshopper Cake (dark chocolate cake with crème de menthe buttercream) and possibly something like scones or biscuits.
December 26, 2008
I have made enough recipes now from this book to say it's a total winner. In general, the recipes are complicated and many take a very long time to make, but everything I have made has been amazing. The root beer bundt cake, butterscotch pudding tarts, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, monster cookies, pumpkin chocolate chip loaf, pumpkin whoopie pies, brownies...That might be all I've made, but they have gotten rave reviews. The frosting from the root beer bundt cake will be my go-to chocolate frosting recipe from now on, and the monster cookies are to die for. The pumpkin whoopie pies are very impressive and very easy, as well.
Be prepared to have many pounds of butter and cartons of eggs if you're making any of these recipes, but they are so totally worth it!
Be prepared to have many pounds of butter and cartons of eggs if you're making any of these recipes, but they are so totally worth it!
March 3, 2010
During the holidays this book was getting a whole lot of use. I've made several of the delicious goodies, and all have been outstanding, including:
1) The Sweet & Salty Cake is my new favorite chocolate cake. Ever.
2) Coconut cupcakes have the most delicious filling, and I'm not even that crazy about coconut.
3) Try the vanilla marshmallows for smores, you'll never want another store-bought marshmallow
4)The only off note I thought was the red hot red velvet cake. Cinnamon in a red velvet? No thanks. However the boiled flour frosting was delicious, and way better than cream cheese.
1) The Sweet & Salty Cake is my new favorite chocolate cake. Ever.
2) Coconut cupcakes have the most delicious filling, and I'm not even that crazy about coconut.
3) Try the vanilla marshmallows for smores, you'll never want another store-bought marshmallow
4)The only off note I thought was the red hot red velvet cake. Cinnamon in a red velvet? No thanks. However the boiled flour frosting was delicious, and way better than cream cheese.
March 17, 2012
The Baked Boys know exactly what they are doing when it comes to Modern Baking.
In fact, they are the modern bakers of our time.
The recipes (and I've tested almost all) are flawless.
If you like kicked up classics with a twist. Then you need this cookbook.
No fancy sauces, or crazy hard to find ingredients ever needed.
Here are some of their recipes I did:
http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/20...
http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/20...
In fact, they are the modern bakers of our time.
The recipes (and I've tested almost all) are flawless.
If you like kicked up classics with a twist. Then you need this cookbook.
No fancy sauces, or crazy hard to find ingredients ever needed.
Here are some of their recipes I did:
http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/20...
http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/20...
July 3, 2016
I'm a sucker for cookbooks, especially ones with baked goods. This one looks like there are some great recipes, I have several scoped out to try. I liked the pictures that showed the items, made me want to give them a try.
April 28, 2016
ooohhhhh bourbon chocolate pecan pie - for real?
Read
September 9, 2016Make the lemon lemon loaf. Trust me.
December 9, 2021
If you have a chance to bake from this book, do it. As the first book in this series, it has all the classic recipes that you'd expect to be fantastic - chocolate chip cookies, brownies, sugar cookies, etc. And they are. You wouldn't think that one cookbook could result in brownies so much better than the alternatives, but you'd be wrong. The key is that they emphasize little things that nobody else bothers to mention. Buy the good chocolate. Refrigerate your cookie dough. Stuff like that. But even the recipes you'd have thought would just be filler are fantastic. The granola? To die for. Granola is not supposed to be to-die-for.
I've had this cookbook for years and it's still my go-to for baked goods (unless I want to make the pistachio cake from the sequel... soooooooo good)
I've had this cookbook for years and it's still my go-to for baked goods (unless I want to make the pistachio cake from the sequel... soooooooo good)
February 14, 2022
This isn't really "New Frontiers" in baking, just a repeat of standard classics. Some have a twist to them, but I wasn't wowed enough to consider buying it, and a big reason is the photos. There are hardly any, and that's something I don't like at all, especially when you have intricate recipes for layer cakes. Measurements are US instead of metric and that's fine for brownies, etc but baking with grams is more accurate, especially for cakes. It doesn't take much work to include it because, without a doubt, they use metric in their bakery in order to scale up. I've bookmarked the bakery itself for a future visit to New York, though, and saved a couple of recipes to try.
June 8, 2022
I enjoyed flipping through this, though I don’t see myself buying it. The recipes that intrigued me were:
Coconut Snowball Cupcakes
German Chocolate Cake
Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust
Black Forest Chocolate Cookies
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling
Overall, a pleasant read. I wish there were more pictures.
Coconut Snowball Cupcakes
German Chocolate Cake
Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust
Black Forest Chocolate Cookies
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling
Overall, a pleasant read. I wish there were more pictures.
August 18, 2024
Overall I felt the recipes were amazing, and I read this thoroughly cover to cover. However, from a baker's perspective, I really wish every recipe had a photo with it. I rarely want to bake something if I can't see visual inspiration. Only about 1/2 the recipes had accompanied photos, so that was a bummer. Overall, though, a solid collection of recipes.
October 25, 2018
Did not wow me, but frustrated me that any recipe I liked had no pic!
April 2, 2019
I liked this cookbook. I liked the recipes and also liked the asides and sidebars on variations, history and tips. Well done.
December 27, 2021
you don’t have to be baked to love everything in here hahaha
February 22, 2023
A nice selection of recipes from the bakery Baked based in Brooklyn NY.
There is a section devoted to baking terms.
Going to try some of the bar cookies like honeycomb bars and raspberry bars.
There is a section devoted to baking terms.
Going to try some of the bar cookies like honeycomb bars and raspberry bars.
May 13, 2024
Lots of good sounding recipes. I have only tried one but it disappoints. Rootbeer cake…no taste of rootbeer…perfectly nice chocolate cake. the icing was completely impossible to spread…
March 6, 2017
These recipes are interesting, but complicated. I also wish that all the recipes had pictures.
July 29, 2011
I am not a huge fancy baker, and this cookbook speaks to me because other than these neopolitan things that require you to bake the batter in three separate pans,then assemble the 1/4 inch cakes with apricot jam, and then cut them out (I mean, not hard, I will probably make them with Ivy because they look cool, but I do not need another cookbook with a recipe like this...) everything looks pretty basic--that impression is reinforced by the fact that I have ALL the tools they insist you have to make the recipes therein, and all the cakes just require that you assemble them straight and frost (not that that isn't a challenge, just that it is do-able). THings I absolutely have to make are the Sweet and Salty cake (which Martha Stewart highlighted--but is a chocolate cake with caramel ganache), the butterscotch tarts with oatmeal crust, and root beer bundt cake (with a chocolate root beer butter cream frosting). While both Oprah and Christopher Kimball (so a baker and a consumer) think these are the best brownies, I am skeptical that they will be better than Abe's (a side by side tasting might need to be arranged) and the crisp recipe is definitely not better than the recipe I use, for my taste (more butter, less oatmeal, and therefore not enough like an oatmeal cookie for me) it looks good. Great new addition, especially if you already have the basic cookbooks for baking!
March 25, 2012
This book gets 5 stars purely for the reason that it contains our family's favorite brownies: Kicked Up Brownies. These moist, rich gems contain cardamom, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper! They start with melted chocolate and butter over a double boiler (or a stainless bowl over a water-filled pan) so they aren't as easy as other brownies I've made but the extra bowl and pan during cleanup and this extra step are well worth it to all of us!!
I need to try more recipes from this book, as I realize that giving a book 5 stars based on one outstanding recipe isn't quite fair, or rather doesn't tell the whole story. But for now we love these so much that all other brownies pale in comparison, making me feel comfortable enough doing so. I wonder what other treasures remain buried/untried by us in this book.
I need to try more recipes from this book, as I realize that giving a book 5 stars based on one outstanding recipe isn't quite fair, or rather doesn't tell the whole story. But for now we love these so much that all other brownies pale in comparison, making me feel comfortable enough doing so. I wonder what other treasures remain buried/untried by us in this book.
January 28, 2009
I can't tell how I feel about this book yet. I was super excited about it, and the recipes are definitely cool, but I've made three things from it already and two of them didn't really turn out very well. I've got my eye on that red hot velvet cake though. I'm watching you, cake.
Addendum: I've decided that the index to this book is really badly done. Everything is only indexed by its title, so therefore when I'm looking up "granola" I have to remember that the title is "Easy Homemade Granola" and look under the "E's." Seems like a rookie cookbook mistake. Luckily there aren't that many recipes so I'll live. PS - That granola is seriously delicious and I've already made it twice.
Addendum: I've decided that the index to this book is really badly done. Everything is only indexed by its title, so therefore when I'm looking up "granola" I have to remember that the title is "Easy Homemade Granola" and look under the "E's." Seems like a rookie cookbook mistake. Luckily there aren't that many recipes so I'll live. PS - That granola is seriously delicious and I've already made it twice.
December 5, 2010
I've made several recipes from this book and some have been amazing:
* banana espresso chocolate chip muffins
* chocolate chip cookies
* pumpkin chocolate chip loaf
* peanut butter crispy bars
Some are between good and great:
* bourbon chocolate pecan pie
* brownies
* pumpkin whoopie pies
So far, only one recipe was between okay and good (root beer cake: thought the frosting was way too sweet, but willing to give it another try).
Recipes are easy to follow, and there are unique recipes here that I haven't seen in other books (waiting to try the chocolate malt ball cake and the sweet and salty cake). And now I have a big crush on Renato.
* banana espresso chocolate chip muffins
* chocolate chip cookies
* pumpkin chocolate chip loaf
* peanut butter crispy bars
Some are between good and great:
* bourbon chocolate pecan pie
* brownies
* pumpkin whoopie pies
So far, only one recipe was between okay and good (root beer cake: thought the frosting was way too sweet, but willing to give it another try).
Recipes are easy to follow, and there are unique recipes here that I haven't seen in other books (waiting to try the chocolate malt ball cake and the sweet and salty cake). And now I have a big crush on Renato.
June 30, 2012
Favorite Recipes:
Banana Cupcakes
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Upstate Cheesecake *
Classic Pie Dough *
Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
Lemon - Almond Meringue Tarts
Baked Bars *
Lemon Lime Bars *
Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bar
Peanut Butter Crispy Bars (elegant rice krispies)
Pecan and Almond Chocolate Toffee
Vanilla Bean Caramel Apples
Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce *
Vanilla Marshmallows
I would place this as more on the professional/ pricy side of cookbooks, with very specific equipment and ingredients and while they are fine and delicious ingredients, they are much more costly and harder to track down, so just be aware of that.
Banana Cupcakes
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Upstate Cheesecake *
Classic Pie Dough *
Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
Lemon - Almond Meringue Tarts
Baked Bars *
Lemon Lime Bars *
Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bar
Peanut Butter Crispy Bars (elegant rice krispies)
Pecan and Almond Chocolate Toffee
Vanilla Bean Caramel Apples
Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce *
Vanilla Marshmallows
I would place this as more on the professional/ pricy side of cookbooks, with very specific equipment and ingredients and while they are fine and delicious ingredients, they are much more costly and harder to track down, so just be aware of that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2011
Another tasty-looking cookbook from a NYC bakery that I've never been to, but was filled with complex but delicious recipes that I would love to try. Again the biggest complaint was there weren't enough pictures for all the items. I will say that the overuse of dark chocolate in the cookbook was a bit overkill, but I did like the fact that they used dried cherries in several of the recipes. I would be tempted to try the Easy Homemade Granola, Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust, Brewer's Blondies, Oatmeal Cherry Nut Cookies, and the Green Tea Smoothie.
September 23, 2012
Ok, I caved an bought another cook book. I tried the Sour Cream coffee cake recipe via the food blog "Crepes of Wrath" and it was amazing. The only problem I had with it was that it made a LOT of coffee cake. I'm going to make it again this week, but I'm planning on halving the recipe. I also can't wait to try the brownies and the Sweet and Salty cake, especially after reading the other reviews here! Also, the adult hot chocolate looks amazing, especially if I can make some homemade marshmallows too...
September 10, 2009
what fun! I wish every recipe had a picture. Super introductory story about two dudes who decide to create a bakery in NYC that has the best cup of coffee and piece of cake you can find. My kind of guys.
I look forward to make the: marshmallows, brownies, sweet and salty cake, and millionaire's shortbread one of these days.
I might have to buy this book; I don't know if 3 weeks from the library will be long enough.
p.s. anyone know where you can buy "gelatin sheets" in Louisville?
I look forward to make the: marshmallows, brownies, sweet and salty cake, and millionaire's shortbread one of these days.
I might have to buy this book; I don't know if 3 weeks from the library will be long enough.
p.s. anyone know where you can buy "gelatin sheets" in Louisville?
November 5, 2010
Just realized I don't have ANY cookbooks on my list. I would have to say that I do sorta read cookbooks. I go through them and look at recipes.
So this is a lovely cookbook. The layout is great if a bit intimidating - I mean 3 pages on how to cook and assemble a cake! There's several I'd like to try. My sister made the Rootbeer cake and although we all agreed we didn't taste the rootbeer it was TASTY none the less. I'm very picky about icing yet loved this.
So this is a lovely cookbook. The layout is great if a bit intimidating - I mean 3 pages on how to cook and assemble a cake! There's several I'd like to try. My sister made the Rootbeer cake and although we all agreed we didn't taste the rootbeer it was TASTY none the less. I'm very picky about icing yet loved this.
March 30, 2013
Everything I've tried from this book has been out of this world. Just so delicious. Favorites include root beer cake, brownies, and plum pear crisp. I look forward to trying out the other recipes too! While everything tastes delicious, the cake recipes only make one layer and it is a little tedious to triple the recipe for a proper three layer cake. Recipes, however, are easy to follow and the writers add tips to help the user out. Again, everything has tasted so, so great.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews