Review: Get Your Bake On by Brian Emmett

Title: Get Your Bake On: Sweet and Savory Recipes from My Home to Yours
Author: Brian Emmett
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: May 26th 2015
Source: Gallery Books


Book Description:

Cook up some delicious, down-home goodness with this cookbook of more than seventy-five sweet and savory recipes from Brian Emmett, grand prize winner of CBS's The American Baking Competition.

In 2013, Brian Emmett burst onto the culinary scene with his charm, confidence, and superior baking and cooking skills on season one of The American Baking Competition. He won over the hearts of Americans nationwide, who watched this enthusiastic husband and father immerse himself in his passion and, ultimately, take home the illustrious title of "Top Amateur Baker".

Now, in Get Your Bake On, Brian shares over seventy-five recipes that leave no doubt as to why he was crowned champion on the show. This cookbook encompasses a hearty mixture of The American Baking Competition favorites, brand-new concoctions, and Emmett family recipes passed down through generations. Staying true to the show's theme, there are plenty of sweets: From miniature tarts to his famous Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookie, Brian’s baked goods are sure to satisfy even the most demanding of sweet tooths. But Get Your Bake On also features a strong savory element with classic, feel-good recipes such as Sunday Brunch Strada and Beef Chili with Buttermilk Cornbread.

So grab a spoon, America, Brian's back, and he's ready to dish!

Review:

★★★★

I'm a big fan of the CBS reality competition "The American Baking Competition" and, of course, baking. So when this book came onto my radar, I knew I had to give it a read. Over all, I think this is a handy guide that home cooks will find useful, and is a great guide for someone who is looking for a "little black book" of baking recipes- that is, a guide full of all kinds of recipes located in one book.

There is a good blend of variety here in this cookbook. There are a lot of basic "starter" recipes (things like white cake, biscuits, etc) as well as more complex recipes like layer cakes and macarons. The recipes are sorted by the type of baked good, and included are basic tips, tools, ingredient checklists, and conversions. There's a good blend of sweet and savory recipes, so there's something to bake for every occasion.

I was impressed with how much emphasis in this cookbook was placed on everything being baked from scratch, even things like pudding. There's a really nice chapter included in Get Your Bake On on variants of dough and crusts.

The instructions are really easy to follow, and there are good, detailed descriptions for each step of the recipe, so that you know if you're on the right track to baking a successful treat.

The one big drawback of this book is that the ARC that I received for review did not include any pictures. I am not sure if this is just something relevant to the ARC and I'm not sure if the finished copy of the book will include pictures, but this one did not. Pictures are a really important factor to me when purchasing a cookbook so I hope that it is just this version that is lacking them.

There are quite a few recipes in this book that I am looking forward to baking, but my top highlights include Chocolate Espresso Macarons, Blueberry Meringue Cloud Cake, and Mini Pavlovas with White Chocolate-Coated Popcorn.

All in all I think this is a useful one-stop-shop for all your baking needs. Whether you're new or old to baking at home, and whether you have a sweet or a savory tooth, there is sure to be something for everybody.

I was given a copy of this cookbook in exchange for my honest review.