You only have to get to the first chapter of Baking Out Loud: Fun Desserts with Big Flavors to realize that the book lives up to its name of delivering fun treats and loads of flavor. The first chapter is dedicated to reinventing childhood treats, as the author, like so many of us, grew up with some of those brightly packaged goodies as favorites. The updated recipes capture a lot of the nostalgia of the old treats, but with much more flavor, so recipes include treats like Red Velvet Twinkies, Overstuffed “Oreo”s and a red wine-kissed variation on Fig Newtons.
This chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book in terms of the way the recipes are approached. These recipes aren’t just looking to make something delicious, they’re looking to take something over the top by putting in more flavors, more filling and making things even more irresistible. The rest of the book is divided up into chapters that include Brownies, Bites + Bars; Cookies + Biscotti; Custards, Creams + Puddings; Pies, Tarts + Cakes; Everything Frozen; and Morning Sweets. The recipes are written clearly and seem approachable, even though they sometimes contain flavor combinations that are unexpected or might seem intimidating in another book. This one makes everything seem so fun that even the multi-step version of a Snickers bar won’t seem overly intimidating. Most of the recipes also include suggestions for variations on the original recipes so that you can change things up. The pictures are mouthwatering, too.
This is one cookbook that has something in it for everyone, and one that delivers unique recipes that you won’t find just everywhere. The approach comes off as being so fun that, once you have a copy, you won’t be able to resist trying your hand at at least one recipe – and you’ll probably come back for more after that, especially if you get bored of some of the plainer offerings in some other books.
What do you think?