Rating: 
Summary: Will give you baking confidence!
Review: I baked my first pie using this apple pie recipe. Gale's great instructions took the fear out of pie crust and it was so easy! The crust came out so buttery and flaky without using any solid vegetable shortening. Besides giving thorough instructions, there is useful information on ingredients and baking equipment that other books omit. It's great for any baker experienced or not.
Rating:
Summary: Nice all around baking book.
Review: I consider myself an adequate but certainly not an expert baker. I loved this book. I have made almost every item in it. It is quite basic in parts but I have to admit I learned a few things. Some of the recipes are a little complicated but it is easy to work yourself "up to them". I was thrilled with the chocolate cake, rich and dark. Especially helpful were the pastry and pie recipes. I have to admit, anything with a rollout crust has been a problem for me. I found the advice to be just the thing I needed to gain confidence. Nice book, excellent gift.
Rating:
Summary: Butter Sugar Flour Eggs: Whimsical Irresistible Desserts
Review: I watch Sweet Dreams daily on FoodTV and had to get this book. I have been trying to make pie crust for 30 years and resorted to buying Pillsbury premade in the refrigerator section of the supermarkets. Let me tell you, Gale's pie crust is great. I was able to make it and it did't fall apart and the taste was fabulous. Just for the pie crust recipe alone, the book is worth it. Gale also gives all the little hints and tips in her book which I find interesting and very helpful. A great book and a must-have.
Rating:
Summary: Butter Sugar Flour Eggs: Whimsical Irresistible Desserts
Review: I watch Sweet Dreams daily on FoodTV and had to get this book. I have been trying to make pie crust for 30 years and resorted to buying Pillsbury premade in the refrigerator section of the supermarkets. Let me tell you, Gale's pie crust is great. I was able to make it and it did't fall apart and the taste was fabulous. Just for the pie crust recipe alone, the book is worth it. Gale also gives all the little hints and tips in her book which I find interesting and very helpful. A great book and a must-have.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice selection of recipes, Handy tips, Well written book
Review: I've actually only baked a few recipes from this book, but there are quite a few I'd like to try, including the Brooklyn Blackout Cake. I found the recipes fairly easy to follow, although you may need to add your own experience to achieve the best results. For instance, I believe that the Coffee Cake needs more butter, and I've found that it bakes much more evenly in a tube pan, than the square pan called for in the book. The author has a background of somewhat mixed ethnicity, which shows up in the wide range of recipes. Everyone will find something they like, whether it's German, Jewish, Italian, French, Scandinavian, or just good old American favorites. The use of unique combinations of ingredients is also nice, with combinations like grapefruit-cream cheese, lemon-strawberry, and ginger-orange. Some of these recipes may be a bit advanced for beginning bakers, but that's not really a problem. Follow these directions, and I'll bet that the worst of your flops will still be good to eat.
Rating:
Summary: Nice selection of recipes, Handy tips, Well written book
Review: I've actually only baked a few recipes from this book, but there are quite a few I'd like to try, including the Brooklyn Blackout Cake. I found the recipes fairly easy to follow, although you may need to add your own experience to achieve the best results. For instance, I believe that the Coffee Cake needs more butter, and I've found that it bakes much more evenly in a tube pan, than the square pan called for in the book. The author has a background of somewhat mixed ethnicity, which shows up in the wide range of recipes. Everyone will find something they like, whether it's German, Jewish, Italian, French, Scandinavian, or just good old American favorites. The use of unique combinations of ingredients is also nice, with combinations like grapefruit-cream cheese, lemon-strawberry, and ginger-orange. Some of these recipes may be a bit advanced for beginning bakers, but that's not really a problem. Follow these directions, and I'll bet that the worst of your flops will still be good to eat.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have
Review: If you enjoy baking, you MUST HAVE this book. I have watched Gale Gand on Food Network for some time, and was thrilled to find this book at my local library. I could hardly put the book down because it is so much more than a recipe book! It offers Gale's and Rick's personal comments on everything from the history of the dessert to the perfect technique for getting the result you want. It is also a lesson in the "chemistry" of baking. Understanding why you use certain ingredients and how they work in the recipes makes it easier to get the dessert to come out just right. When the time came to return the book to the library, I knew I had to buy it, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys "wow-ing" friends and family with homemade goodies.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have
Review: If you enjoy baking, you MUST HAVE this book. I have watched Gale Gand on Food Network for some time, and was thrilled to find this book at my local library. I could hardly put the book down because it is so much more than a recipe book! It offers Gale's and Rick's personal comments on everything from the history of the dessert to the perfect technique for getting the result you want. It is also a lesson in the "chemistry" of baking. Understanding why you use certain ingredients and how they work in the recipes makes it easier to get the dessert to come out just right. When the time came to return the book to the library, I knew I had to buy it, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys "wow-ing" friends and family with homemade goodies.
Rating:
Summary: The Tiramisu is the BEST I've ever tasted!
Review: My husband and I ended up buying a copy of this book for each other for Christmas. It was a good thing we had two copies in the house for a while because neither of us wanted to put it down. Tiramisu is my all-time favorite dessert and I have tried many recipes and variations--both at home and dining out. I made the Tiramisu in this book for a New Year's Eve party and it was BY FAR the most incredibly wonderful piece of tiramisu I have ever had. It was time consuming, but well worth the effort! The other recipes look equally wonderful and I can't wait to try them!
Rating:
Summary: Butter Sugar Flour Eggs:Whimsical Irresistible Desserts
Review: No one in the world of baking understands the '4 basic food groups' - butter, sugar, flour and eggs - like Gale Gand. After a lifetime of collecting dessert cookbooks, this one now has the place of honor, IN the kitchen, not ON the shelf! The recipes are thoughtful and easy to follow and the results delicious and fun...an unbeatable combination. AND, can we talk about he BLACKOUT CAKE! It appears that Gale has cracked the code and figured out the secrets of this legendery New York icon. For that alone, buy the book! This book is a must-have and a must-give.
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