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I know there are lots of different opinions on Martha Stewart out there, but one thing I know for sure is the woman knows how to bake. Evidence of the baking ability of Martha and/or her kitchen staff is found in Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. This little book is a gem for anyone interested in starting out baking or trying more advanced techniques. The book is broken down into simple baking goods, cookies, cakes, pies, tarts, cobblers, and crisps, yeasted baked goods, and pastries. This book is very informative. It opens with general baking tips - such important tips as, the proper way to measure flour and prepping the ingredients before you start. The book then introduces you to general baking equipment with photos and explanation of each tool. The next section is probably the best one in the book for people just starting out. This section is the general baking techniques section, which I think is an invaluable resource. This section shows you how to measure ingredients, pack brown sugar, fold in egg whites, whip cream, and the list goes on and on.
The rest of the book introduces you to a number of great recipes for everything from biscuits to pate a choux. The beginning recipes are easier to do, the recipes get harder as the book progresses (and hopefully your skills do too). This cookbook is filled with beautiful photos of all the recipes. There are more photos for the more difficult skills like making your on puff pastry (not that too many people have time to make their own puff pastry, but it’s there if you want to try it). This book is a great resource for anyone who loves to bake or wants to learn how.