Culinary Arts (CULA): Baking & Pastry

Welcome to the sugar-fueled, manically creative cake universe of Christina Tosi, founder and owner of the Milk Bar bakery. It's a universe of ooey-gooey banana-chocolate-peanut butter cakes you make in a crockpot, of layer cakes that taste like Key lime pie, and the most baller birthday cake ever. Tosi covers all things cake, from microwave mug cakes and cake truffles to her signature naked layer cake filled with pops of flavors and textures. She also guides you to making cakes of any flavor you can dream up, whether you're a kitchen rookie or a full-fledged baking master.

Each chapter begins with a primer that describes the style of baked goods, as well as an explanation of essential ingredients, equipment, and baking methods. You'll learn why the flour you choose is key; how to tell if you've kneaded your bread dough long enough; why the temperatures of butter and eggs are critical in cake making; what equipment you need to accurately measure dry and wet ingredients; how an icing spatula can perfect your finished layer; and why soufflés fall (it's not what you think). Interspersed among the careful instructions are detailed photographs illustrating proper baking techniques, clever "getting ahead" tips that can be completed in advance without altering the recipe's outcome, multiple recipe variations, and helpful storing advice.

This book is not only full of glorious recipes, it also continues Julia Child's teaching tradition. Here, basic techniques come alive and are made easily comprehensible in recipes that demonstrate the myriad ways of raising dough, glazing cakes, and decorating crusts. With nearly 200 recipes, and half as many pages of tantalizing full-color photographs, this incomparable kitchen companion goes far beyond what most cookbooks offer. More than 50 pages of illustrated reference sections define basic terms and techniques, and explain the hows and whys of batters and doughs to take you effortlessly through the essential techniques. With recipes for breads, pastries, cookies, and cakes -- from chocolate to cheesecake, from miniature gems to multi-tiered masterpieces -- this cookbook is a total immersion experience in the wonder of home baking.

Author Erin Jeanne McDowell, contributor to the "New York Times" and Food52, baker extraordinaire, and star food stylist, has written the book on pie -- how to bake them with the flakiest crusts, top with with the tallest swoops of meringue, and cut them for the perfect slice. This essential handbook starts with an in-depth tutorial, complete with troubleshooting and expert tips for decorating, before diving into recipes for every kind of pie imaginable: fruit, custard, cream, chiffon, cold-set, savory, and mini. They range from classics like apple pie to inspired creations like Caramel Pork Pie with Chile and Scallions. With Erin's suggestions for mixing and matching pie doughs and toppings, as well as all her "pie-deas," this book offers an endless arsenal of pies for your kitchen.

Bubby's restaurant in New York City, known for its comfort food, began simply in 1990 with just pie. Owner Ron Silver started a wholesale pie business which later morphed into two restaurants. This book celebrates the once-humble dessert that started it all. The text strikes a balance with recipes that are doable for the new baker and dynamic enough for the experienced pie maker. A primer on crusts covers flaky, sweet crumb, and savory, and is accompanied by how-to illustrations. The authors also prime readers on fruit pies before launching into chapters including cream and custard pies, and savory pies. In addition, seasonal pie chapters and recipes for deep-dish desserts (such as buckles, crisps and cobblers), dumplings and sauces, fill the collection.

This book is from the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library series. Filled with kitchen-tested recipes from popular chef and author John Phillip Carroll -- each one shown in a glorious full-color photograph -- this beautiful, practical book makes quick baking easier and more creative than ever before. All the basics are covered, from selecting equipment to mixing batters to preparing flavored butters and spreads. A fully illustrated glossary provides a convenient reference to fundamental ingredients.

Known for his delicious and gorgeous baked goods, John Barricelli of the SoNo Baking Company in Norwalk, Connecticut, has become a local celebrity. In this book, he brings everyday baking with fruits and vegetables within reach for home cooks, offering 135 sweet and savory recipes for all seasons.