You Made That Dessert?

There is no shortage of cookbooks that fall into the “baking is easy” genre. They range in type from books that tell you how to doctor up a cake mix to those that will walk you through the step-by-step process of how to bake and decorate a wedding cake. You Made That Dessert? fits into this category of cookbook, falling neatly right into the middle of it. The cookbook, which is written by Beth Lipton, who blogs at Cookie Pie, is set up so that the recipes are as easy to follow as possible, with clear instructions, detailed ingredients lists and even a list of the tools you’ll need at the beginning of every recipe. At the back of the book, there is a section that goes over what all the tools, ingredients and methods are, giving a basic rundown of baking.

While the setup is nice for those who are completely new to baking and the book’s subtitle says that you can”create fabulous treats, even if you can barely boil water,”  don’t discount this book for more experienced bakers. The recipes chosen for the book are “real” recipes – meaning that they aren’t just the sort of thing you’d find in a cookbook meant only for beginners. They include things like Flourless Chocolate Cake, Maple Walnut Pie and biscotti, all recipes that total novices can make with good instruction, but also dishes that regular bakers will appreciate for their taste and ease of baking.

The book has lots of full-color photos of the recipes so you can see what you’re baking, and also has baking tips sprinkled throughout.