Mary Berry's baking bible Fully updated with over 250 new and classic recipes

"I felt it was time to create a new complete book of baking," writes Great British Bake Off judge Berry (Cook and Share) in this helpful revamp of her essential guide to home baking. The updated edition includes American measurements, more photos, and 20 additional recipes. The new chapter on bread baking showcases a dense seeded nut loaf with almonds, pistachios, and walnuts; garlic cilantro naan; and tender yeasted cottage loaf. A chapter on baking for children includes plenty of treats that will be hits at birthday parties--including adorable mini jam tarts--as well as recipes kids can help out with, such as colorful iced animal cookies. More adult cookie options include delicate lacy Florentines and boozy brandy snaps. Cake recipes abound (there are 10 variations on cheesecake alone), with Berry drawing inspiration from Viennese, Parisian, and Swiss confections. The mouthwatering all-chocolate chapter challenges home bakers to tackle a multistage chocolate mousse cake, while the chapter on "Celebration Cakes" stars a beautiful and elaborate bûche de noël. Variations on classic English cakes include Victoria sandwiches with chocolate or coffee buttercream filling. This comprehensive opus is an appealing, easy-to-use volume that will have anyone who picks it up eager to hit the kitchen. (May)

British baking star and cookbook author Berry (Mary Berry Cooks to Perfection; Entertaining with Mary Berry) was introduced to most United States bakers via the Great British Bake Off. Her eminence in the baking world is of long-standing, making this book (a revision of one of her earlier efforts with a nod to U.S. measurements and ingredients) welcome. Readers will find many of the British bakes that have been seen on the show--Victoria sponge, Battenberg, Bakewell, lemon drizzle, parkin--some in perhaps a slightly altered form, as well as standards like chocolate chip cookies with Berry's spin. For the most part, ingredients are recognizable to a U.S. reader, except for something called "buttery spread," used in place of other shortenings but without specifying a brand or fat percentage. All manner of baking is included--cakes galore, including more fruitcakes than most on this side of the pond might want, tarts, scones, soufflés, crackers, breads, etc. It is pretty and bright, with fewer pictures than some new baking books, but enough to inspire. As an author, Berry is encouraging, warm, and helpful. VERDICT From a baking point of view, this adds some new things, and from a circulation standpoint, this will be a big winner.--Danise Hoover

Introduction When I published my first major baking book, Ultimate Cake Book , in 1994, it was with the hope that it would encourage more people to take up homebaking, and show inexperienced cooks that cake making isn't as complicated as it might first appear. The success of that book has been tremendous and I have been touched by how many people still rely on it even now, nearly thirty years later! In 2003, as I wrote the introduction for the revised edition of the Ultimate Cake Book , I remember marveling at the continuing demand for cake-making instruction. Now, it seems, people are turning to homebaking even more since the success of The Great British Bake Off! In light of this increased interest in homebaking, I felt it was time to create a new complete book of baking--my Baking Bible. This is a new edition of The Baking Bible to include right up-to-date favorites--such as a glorious Red Velvet Cake, Rainbow Cake, Quick Sourdough Loaf, and Herb and Garlic Flatbread. I hope this book will inspire a new generation of cooks, as well as prove useful to seasoned bakers. The aim was to produce an easy-to-use baking collection to satisfy all your baking needs. I have included a bread section, containing my new bread recipes. There are some unusual cakes to try, like Zucchini Loaves, and recipes for favorites, such as Cupcakes. But as this is a "baking bible," I have tried to include as many classic recipes as possible. There are lots of traditional celebration cakes for occasions such as Easter, Christmas and christenings, birthdays and weddings, and some well-known favorites like Victoria sponge and Chocolate Chip Cookies. I've included lots of simple recipes for children to make (with supervision), and some more challenging recipes that require careful timing, and more skill, including pâtisserie-style desserts, such as Gâteau Saint Honoré. Cooks of all levels of experience should find something to make and to challenge them here. Since I first started writing recipes, the equipment available has evolved and improved enormously. Now we have reliable ovens, food processors and electric mixers, nonstick pans and baking sheets, and bread-makers. With the help of these aids, baking has become quick, easy, and stress-free. All you need is to weigh and measure your ingredients very carefully and follow the tested step-by-step instructions. I have tried to include recipes for all occasions and I hope you will find plenty of bakes to suit your tastes. But, most of all, I hope that this new collection of my favorite and trusted recipes will help you enjoy homebaking. Cakes are made to be shared, so once you have mastered a recipe, invite your friends and family to enjoy the fruits of your labor with a good pot of tea--happy baking! Excerpted from Mary Berry's Baking Bible: Revised and Updated: With over 250 New and Classic Recipes by Mary Berry All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.