Taste of Home Baking

Packed with over 780 home-tested recipes for every conceivable baked good, home bakers will never be at a loss for ideas with this voluminous collection on their shelf. Smartly organized in a three ring binder with tabbed sections and page protectors, readers in the mood for a particular sweet can find relevant sections quickly and easily. Once there, they'll find a litany of choices: 10 chocolate cakes, 17 cupcakes, 40 cheesecakes, and so on. Emphasizing practicality over novelty (all recipes are reader-submitted), the editors focus on breadth rather than depth (singular recipes for certain items instead of multiple variations), giving readers plenty of options. Those pressed for time or unsure of their abilities will appreciate the "Almost Homemade" section, with its jazzed-up cake, pudding, and brownie mixes as well as riffs on refrigerated cookie dough, and the brief but useful tips on everything from kneading yeast breads, filling cupcakes, and troubleshooting puff pastry will encourage experimentation while easing fears. Given the book's scope, this is one home bakers can grow with. (Sept.)