Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First of all, I am a seasoned amateur baker, not a professional pastry chef. And as much as I cook a lot -- and all kinds of things from low carb to vegan to Paleo and whatever traditional American cooking looks like -- my real love is to bake. And I especially love to bake completely from scratch where I need to buy some special, good quality ingredients and carve out a few hours or maybe over a couple days to savor the process. For those of you, who like me, love to bake and aren't afraid to jump into detailed recipes that require some technique, then Rose Beranbaum's baking books are for you. "The Baking Bible" is the follow up to her last baking gem "Rose's Heavenly Cakes" (and her other timeless classics like "The Cake Bible" and "The Bread Bible "). The writing and the layout I loved with Heavenly Cakes is still intact and improved with the addition of specific helps called "GOLDEN RULES," "SPECIAL TIPS," and "TROUBLESHOOTING." Some Heavenly Cakes recipes reappear in a new form such as the "White Chocolate Caramel Buttercream" -- a "White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream" redux that I guarantee you will love (the original version is my #1 all-time favorite cake frosting EVER). The Red Rose Cake is a new version of the previous Rose Red Velvet Cake in a new shape of a 3-D rose instead of the heart. While I admit I am focused on cake so far, "The Baking Bible" includes Beranbaum's best to date pies, pastries, tarts, cookies, candy, bread and preserves. Although the title says "bible," this isn't intended to be an exhaustive collection of baking recipes, but rather updated winners and the best recipes and techniques one could expect from the writer of some of the best-loved and award-winning baking books we'll cook from for years to come. Do plan to spend some time reading through the book and planning some happy hours baking before you jump in. It is quite enjoyable to read through all the tips, instruction and see the possibilities before ever hitting the kitchen.