One thing that holds people back from baking all the cookies, cakes and brownies that they want to try is that they don’t know what to do with all of those goodies. One easy answer, of course, is to simply eat what you make – but a 9-inch layer cake is really too much for just a couple of people. An even easier answer is to make smaller batches of goodies using a cookbook like Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers. This cookbook specializes in recipes for some of your favorite baked goods, including cheesecakes, chocolate chip cookies and layer cakes, that are downsized to make very small portions.
The benefit to using a cookbook like this one is that all the work is down for you, so you don’t need to worry about scaling down recipes yourself and wondering whether or not they’ll work out or what you should adjust the baking time to. It is divided up into chapters and includes recipes for cakes, pies, tarts, cheesecakes, cookies, puddings, muffins, scones and other treats. The book is also packed with helpful tips about the pan sizes and other kitchen equipment that might come in handy when baking small batches. You will probably need to pick up a few pieces of unusually sized baking equipment (although many of the recipes can actually be baked in a standard sized can!) to really make the most out of every recipe here. These recipes are quite decadent and are not diet recipes just because of their smaller portion sizes. It is nice to know that you can indulge with some built-in portion control, however!
The recipes are easy to follow along with and are written very clearly. You may need to be a little more accurate when working with a downsized recipe because there is slightly less wiggle room in the amount of liquid or dry ingredients that you add to a recipe, where in a full sized recipe an extra teaspoon or two of flour won’t necessarily make a big impact. Many of the recipes have introductions that note problem areas and how to ensure that you get good results. It won’t take long to get the hang of it, though, and you’ll find yourself turning to this book again and again when you want a chocolate fix.
Linda
April 25, 2011I enjoyed her other book on Small Batch Baking. I have a copy and gave away a few copies. It’s more challenging for me to scale down than scale up since I tend to bake for groups so the first recipe I made from the book seemed like something for a small child after all my big cakes and pans of treats but it was fun and made a great treat that wasn’t too big for 2-4 people. She has some great recipes. I’ll have to check this one out too.
Somerset Industries
April 26, 2011What a great and useful cookbook! This will definitely make baking in small batches a lot easier for many home cooks. Down sizing recipes can be very confusing and time consuming.
Gwyneth
April 30, 2011I really like the idea of small baking amounts and have been toying with recipes to reduce the final product