Review: The Messy Baker: More Than 75 Delicious Recipes from a Real Kitchen

Title: The Messy Baker: More Than 75 Delicious Recipes from a Real Kitchen
Author: Charmian Christie
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: August 26th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Rodale Books

★★★★★

Five stars.

---

The Messy Baker is a cook book that's right up my alley. Don't get me wrong. There are some days and events where I want my baked goods to be flawless so that I can impress people or prove myself (such as when the in-laws are involved). But most of the time, I just want delicious sugary treats in my face hole. It doesn't matter if the cookies are exactly two inches wide, or if the top ombre cake layer is the exact perfect shade of lavender. This book celebrates those who focus on one thing: deliciousness.

There are over 75 recipes included in this cookbook, and each section is divided by adjective. That's right: adjective. Whether you're in the mood for something dippy, flaky, or crumbly, there's a chapter for you. I think this is a really cute and surprisingly effective way of divvying up the book.

The instructions are really easy to follow and understand so new bakers, don't be afraid to pick this book up. I also adored the photography that was included in this book. It all looked so damn appetizing that I wanted to bake all of the things immediately. There's a decent amount of pictures included, which are really important to me when it comes to cookbooks. I like knowing what the end result is at least kind of supposed to look like. This book also includes both savory and sweet baked goods, so even those without a sweet tooth will find something to love.

I pretty much want to bake everything in The Messy Baker, but a few of the ones that I'm most eager to test out for myself include Deep Dark Cherry & Chipotle Brownies, Raspberry-Stuffed French Toast, Cherry & Lemon Macaroon Meringues, and far too many others to list. In short, this is a book that I will definitely be purchasing for my kitchen. Everything looks delicious and doable, and worth a messy kitchen. Thanks so much to Rodale Books and Netgalley for my copy of The Messy Baker.