Baked Explorations

The book covers a wide range of sweets, from breakfast treats to cookies, bars, pies and cakes. The recipes revisit old favourites such as black-and-white cookies and whoopie pies, giving them a contemporary update, and each comes with a short introduction explaining its history or how the authors came to love it. Breakfast treats such as monkey bread show the book's playful side.

The recipes are clearly written and come from a working bakery, but some are fairly involved and suit bakers with a little experience. The authors write with humour and enthusiasm, and their love of American baking traditions comes through on every page. The book includes full-colour photographs by Tina Rupp, though not every recipe is illustrated. Readers who enjoyed the authors' first book, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, will find more of the same playful creativity here.

Creative, fun and delicious, a good choice for keen home bakers who like to try something new. Many readers return to it for celebrations and holidays, when a familiar dessert with a fresh twist is especially welcome. About 208 pages in the Stewart, Tabori and Chang hardcover.