A Passion for Baking: Bake to Celebrate, Bake to Nourish, Bake for Love Paperback – January 29, 2014

Delivered on time as expected

I saw this book on line, so I went & checked out in the book store. I spent over an hour going through it. I just fell in love with it, the author goes into such great detail on everything. And the receipes are wonderful, they're are so many of them to choose from. So I bought the book on Amazon. I got the book yesterday, and I couldn't wait to try it out. Less than a hour of getting it, I was in the kitchen baking the Marble Cream Cheese Muffins. They are devine, they are so full of flavor & so very rich. My roommates were in heaven when they were eating them.The author takes a no nonsense take on baking. She's a pro, but she wants to make it fun & easy for everyone. I'd always been afraid to try to bake bread. But with this, I tried it, and the breads that I've baked have come out perfect every time. The 2511 rolls are wonderful. I use them to make Cinnamon Pull aparts aswell as just plain rolls. Some of the best I've ever had. And her recipe for Classic Southern Buttermilk Biscuits are the best I've ever made. I'm from the south, I dispaired of ever being able to make a truly good biscuit. They came out so light & flakey & just plain good. I mean just every recipe that I've made have come out even better than I'd hoped for. This is my go to book, I have over 260 cook books. And I mean this, if the house was on fire. This book would be one of things that I'd grab before I left the burning building. I know that sounds crazy, but if you get this book. And you use it, you'll know what I mean. From now on, anything that Marcy writes. I'll buy & be happy to buy it. All I can say is Thank you very much for writing this cook book. You've got a fan for life. I have had a passion for baking for a very long time. But Marcy, God Bless you. You have given me a even greater Passion for Baking.

This book is my new go-to baking cookbook. I have been baking most of my life but this book really has helped me to better understand the technical side without getting too scientific. The beginning section on Flours, fats, substitutes, and her own little tricks, etc. is truly one of the best parts of the book. The type of recipes are well rounded and unique without being too foreign or fancy. All of these recipes are approachable and she offers her own little thoughts on each, which is very helpful. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to start baking.

I ordered this book after it was referenced on one of my favorite baking blogs. I'm probably what most would consider a baking snob-- I turn my nose up at warm, buttery rolls in favor of crustier, artisan bread. Likewise, the mall and the bookstore are not where I go to get tasty treats.So, when several of the recipes were labeled "mall muffins" and "bookstore squares" I started feeling a little uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I gave the cookbook a chance and found out that the recipes are rather good. Plus, it is nice to have recipes for desserts that can be assembled in an hour (and do not require 2 days of work or 20 separate steps). In a nutshell, these are simple, reliable, homey recipes that are good for bake sales, baking with the kids, and pot lucks-- many recipes are also suitable for company.The bread and pizza section are not suited to my personal tastes and convictions, but they do provide easy recipies for bakers who are in a hurry or need a good starting place.Some of the language is a little annoying (e.g. the section on cheesecakes is called "Say Cheesecake" and one recipe is called "Grand Funk Granola Bars. She calls the cinnamon buns "sleazy good").Some of the recipes are not reliable. The Blueberry Hill Cookies for example do not hold together (not sure how one egg is expected to bind two cups of oatmeal-- only 1/3 cup of flour did not help matters... they completely fell apart). This was not the only flawed recipe, but the majority of them seemed OK./Here are the sections of the book:1) baking secrets2) loaves large & small3) rolls, baby breads, & buns4) pizza & other flatbreads5) scones & biscuits6) the muffin shoppe7) the cookie jar8) the biscotti bakery9) bars & squares10) quick breads and coffee cakes11) pies, tarts & pastries12) sweet yeast baking13) cake creations14) say cheesecake15) holiday baking16) grainy goodness17) baker in a hurry18) source guideI prefer Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours, but this book is a fine as well. If you already have Baking From My Home to Yours, I do not think A Passion for Baking adds much since they are very similar.In sum, if you need an all-purpose baking book, a Passion for Baking is the book for you. The recipies are clear, easy-to-read, and very easy to execute. You do not need to be an expert baker to get good results... and if you are an expert baker, you are bound to find a handful of recipes to add to your repertoire.

LOVE this book!! This is my absolute go to book for all things baking!! In fact, I have had this book for about 4 years now, and I may need to order another copy because it is pretty thrashed and sticky from being in the kitchen so much.What I love most about this book is not necessarily the taste or appearance of the finished products (Which no doubt are awesome), but the fact that every recipe in this book is spot on! Basically this was my first real baking cook book, and I have had many others since, but this is the only book that I can count on. I am a Washington State Fair baking champion, and so I know what it is to bake a lot (and fail a lot too lol), and I really feel like Marcy Goldman's recipes are the only ones that I can truly trust. I have had very few good results with a lot of the other more commonly known people (Martha Stewart, Williams Sonoma, etc), but Marcy's recipes always work for me. I have NEVER had one of her products fail!My favorite recipe in this book is the Chocolate Fallen Souffle Torte- I know the recipe by heart because I have made it so many times. The absolute one thing that I get the most compliments on! This cake is amazing and perfect in every sense of the word!