Fall for baking
New cookbooks make mad dash to bookstores before the holidays arrive
New cookbooks make mad dash to bookstores before the holidays arrive

As fall sets in, the pace of new cookbooks being published in time for the holiday season is picking up. My desk gets piled high this time of year with review copies of the latest releases of ethnic, American regional and single-topic volumes penned by chefs (these often are too involved and with ingredients too difficult to find), diet books, whimsical topics and heavy books containing hundreds of recipes with detailed instructions.

A renewed interest in baking has brought new books from some seasoned experts to entice us into the kitchen to brush up on our baking skills or to master new baking techniques. At least a dozen titles have been released in recent months, ranging from extensive baking guides and recipe collections to one-topic books with excellent cookie, quick bread, cake (Southern and Bundt) and sweet bread recipes.

Carole Bloom, a European-trained pastry chef who's written nine other cookbooks, is author of the 645-page "The Essential Baker” (Wiley, $40). A nontraditional cookbook, "The Essential Baker” appeals to the home baker by arranging recipes according to the primary ingredient: fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, chocolate, dairy products, spices and herbs, and coffee, tea, liqueurs and spirits.

"This is the way most people like to choose what they make,” Bloom writes. "For example, if you want to make something with nuts, go to that chapter and look for recipes that use almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, etc. If you want to make something with peaches, go to the chapter on stone fruit in the fruit section. For chocolate recipes, go to the large section on chocolate that is divided by type: dark, milk, white, cocoa and specialty chocolate.”

If the photo of Dark Chocolate Madeleines on the cover doesn't draw you into this book, the step-by-step formatting of the recipes is certain to be helpful, particularly for novices. Check out this book as a holiday gift for someone who loves baking or wants to master a variety of pies, cakes and other desserts.

With recipes submitted by home bakers from across the country "The Taste of Home Baking Book” (Readers Digest, $29.95) from Taste of Home magazine includes Oklahoma favorites such as Cream Cheese Macadamia Cookies from Lillie Grove, Beaver; Cute Kitty Cookies from Kay Curtis, Guthrie; Victorian Strawberry Chocolate Cake submitted by Amy Parker, Ponca City; Apple Cake from Iona Redemer, Calumet; Blueberry Sour Cream Pound Cake from Juanita Miller of Arnett; Irish Bread from Martha Glenn, Enid; and Hawaiian Sweet Bread submitted by Ruthie Banks, Pryor.

The 510-page book with hidden ring binder includes secrets for making successful brownies or cakes at the beginning of each chapter, color photos of many of the recipes, how-to photos with detailed directions, and baking, storing and problem-solving tips throughout. Select this book as an all-purpose guide for baking different sweets, including plenty of classics.

Quick breads are simple to assemble — no kneading and no rising — which is why these recipes are a favorite when there's little time to bake. "Quick Breads” by Linda Collister (Ryland, Peters and Small, $12.95), includes recipes for sweet as well as savory breads, corn bread, popovers, muffins, biscuits and scones. With just 64 pages and plenty of color photos, you may want to tackle the recipe for Cider Apple Doughnuts. Can't you just imagine the aroma of these just-made treats on a crisp fall morning accompanied by a favorite coffee?

Nancie McDermott's "Southern Cakes” (Chronicle Books, $19.95) is a must-have for anyone who enjoys baking cakes from scratch. The two-layer Classic Coconut Cake on the book's cover is one of seven versions of coconut cake in the book, but don't overlook the Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Quick Caramel Glaze, the White Fruitcake from Eudora Welty and the popular Hummingbird Cake. A chapter on chocolate cakes, Southern style, includes Buttermilk Cake, Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake and Mississippi Mud Cake. Some color photos are included.

Carole Walter has studied with pastry chefs around the world, taught baking for 20 years and written four cookbooks. Her latest, "Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More” (Potter, $35), includes 200 recipes for sweets and treats presented in concise form so as not to be intimidating or overwhelming. Recipes range from simple muffins to more complicated croissants and brioche, but I'd probably buy the book just for the Sticky Buns recipe on the cover. An extensive chapter at the end of the book includes helpful information on equipment, ingredients and techniques.

More than 200 recipes, many with color photos, have been compiled by Jill Snider for "Cookies” (Robert Rose, $22.95). The former test kitchen manager for a flour maker has created cookies for kids and adults alike, holiday favorites and plenty of chocolate options, such as the Soft and Chewy Chocolate Indulgences. The Cranberry Almond Oatmeal Cookies on the book's cover are excellent for fall and the holiday season.

Bundt cakes are popular throughout the Heartland region, and to celebrate that fondness for the Bundt pan, the Minnesota Historical Society Press is publishing its second vintage-inspired cookbook, "Bundt Cake Bliss: Delicious Desserts From Midwest Kitchens” ($16.95), with 85 recipes compiled by caterer Susanna Short. Accompanied by tips for making the best Bundt cakes, the collection includes glazes, frostings and fillings. An unusual wild rice and blueberry Bundt cake recipe, a Bubble Loaf and even a Pine Nut and Chili Bundt make this an interesting collection of recipes. If the book is not in bookstores, order online at www.mhspress.org. The society's first vintage cookbook, "Hot Dish Heaven,” published last year, is also available on the Web site.

Color photos and how-to guides fill "A Passion for Baking” by Marcy Goldman (Oxmoor House, $29.95). Yeast breads, pizza crust, grain breads, cheesecakes, cookies, cakes, bar cookies and more are included in this 320-page collection with easy-to-follow instructions.

Fifty-two (one for each week for a year) cookie recipes are in Sally Sampson's "Cookies” (Wiley, $16.95). The recipes are concise, like Week No. 1's Gingersnaps. Color photos of some cookies are found throughout the book.

In the coming weeks, I plan to share details about other new cookbooks to consider for holiday gift-giving.

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