Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence: A Baking Book

i absolutely adore claire and her recipes are so clear and concise. the amount of variety in here, especially for a dessert themed cookbook, is so genuinely nice. i recently made the focaccia recipe and it came out so fluffy and perfect.

It’s Claire Saffitz. Where can you go wrong? This is one of the best cookbooks I’ve ever had in that she helps you UNDERSTAND what you are doing and WHY you do it. The way she describes the steps, and outlines the way you can get creative, helps anyone understand baking and the ways you can make it your OWN. But even if you don’t - the recipes are fantastic and delicious just as-is.

I love this book! Some of the recipes might be considered challenging - but that's what I love about them. There's a basic technique section at the end is full of step-by-step photos which is helpful. I tried the most complicated recipe in the book and it was a complete success. I was literally shocked when it look just like the photo. OMG - so delicious. (the Gateau Basque)A lot of the recipes may seem familiar, but Claire adds a twist that creates a newness about them - gives them their own flavor profile. For me, this one is "a keeper". It's something I turn to when I want to either challenge myself, or create something a little different.

I read a lot of reviews before I bought this book. Another reviewer said that the reviews by people who got a free copy were fake because it had only been out for a month or so. Well, I got this book less than 7 weeks ago (I paid for it myself) and I’ve made over a dozen recipes (!) since then, and ~5 of them multiple times.I’ve been joking that it’s the best book I’ve ever owned and with each recipe, that declaration is less of a joke.... it’s just that amazing.The almond poppyseed cake is the one I’ve made the most, and I will say I add more powdered sugar to the glaze so it sets thicker. But mostly I’ve made everything by the book. The recipe matrix at the front of the book really *is* amazing, but my favorite part of the book is the recipe descriptions. They are so well written.I’ve made the following recipes: brioche + brioche pigs in a blanket, almond poppyseed bundt cake, kabocha turmeric tea cake, seedy maple breakfast muffins (I call them Birdseed Muffins), the oat pecan brittle cookies, chocolate chip cookies, focaccia, malted brownies, rough puff pastry, palmiers, buttered pie dough, creamy greens & baked eggs pie, skillet buckwheat blueberry pancake, classic birthday cake, cream cheese frosting, miso buttermilk biscuits, and rice pudding cake with mango caramel. My favorites have been the almond poppyseed cake. seriously, it’s SO good.... I’ve given whole ones to loved ones as well as slices of it, and everyone who tries it is obsessed with it. I had to buy some sturdy cake rounds & boxes because I know I will be giving this cake to so many people this year! Okay, back to the list of standouts— I also loved the pecan oat brittle cookies (quite a few steps but one of the best cookies I’ve ever had), the rice pudding cake with mango caramel (one of the best desserts I’ve had since my last trip to France a few years ago- I cooked it and baked it a bit longer than the recipe), the brioche pigs in a blanket, and the buckwheat blueberry skillet pancake. Only a few were so-so, and no total flops (at least not yet— I’m more of a beginner at baking so I’m sure I’ll encounter some flops at some point). Most recipes do take at least a few hours from start to finish, but she often calls for ingredients to rest in the fridge at different points, so that contributes to a lot of the time. Some are pretty quick and easy though! It’s fun to try new techniques because her instructions are usually very thorough. And I like the ability to plan out making different parts of a recipe across a few days. After getting the book I discovered I her YouTube channel where she makes different recipes from the book, it’s been awesome to use as a reference for the recipes I also made. Trust the reviews from the people who got the book for free for their reviews. This really is good enough that you will want to make recipes from it as often as possible. There are so many more recipes I’m excited to try- the flourless wave cake, tarte tropezienne, carrot cake, thrice baked rye cookies, gateau basque, clam and fennel pizza..... every recipe looks incredible. I’m just sad I didn’t know about it until ~4 months after it was released!!!! Honestly, I could probably write a few thousand more words about why I love this cookbook but instead I am going to go make another recipe from the book (her lemon tart!).Update: in the time it took amazon to approve my review, I made another recipe (which was technically three recipes?)- the lemon tart. Sweet tart dough, lemon curd, then the lemon tart recipe itself. It’s amazing and another standout. I love the layer of jam in between the tart shell and curd! And I love how tart the lemon curd is. Another win!!!

10/10. Claire is wonderful! Great recipes that are easy to follow. Lots of variety. I love the recipe matrix at the beginning of the book.

First off, you'll need your reading glasses, perhaps even your magnifying glass, to read the print in this cookbook. But don't let that persuade you from the great content in this baking book.I saw a video by Claire Saffitz where she gave concise instructions for making a carrot cake. I wanted the recipe. It's in this book.The conciseness of her video is reflected in the details in the recipes in this book. There is a lot of instruction, but she doesn't overdo it at all. Regardless of your level of expertise, you're likely to become a better baker with this book. Most recipes are more than one page because they include a picture and ample instruction to achieve the results.As I paged through the book, I found many recipes that I want to try. There are a wide variety, recipes that I haven't necessarily seen another cookbooks, but none so out of the ordinary that I'd question "Why?"Bottom line, I'd recommend this cookbook for the carrot cake, the many other mouth watering recipes, and the well-done instruction.

Claire used to be on this forgettable YouTube channel. I was excited when she went off on her own and even moreso when she came out with her own channel. I finally got her book and it's amazing. It is very well written, the pictures are very nice. The food is the focus of the book, unlike other YouTubers whose books I have regrettably purchased. There's a wide variety of skill levels to help you grow as a baker. Worth the purchase. Definitely recommend.

This cookbook is the bomb! I have baked two recipes and both turned out better than I expected. Everyone raved how they were absolutely delicious. I also love her helpful tips for success. They really help you become a better baker.