Small Batch Baking, Cookbook of the Day

by Nicole Weston, Posted May 3rd 2006 @ 8:02AM

Small-Batch Baking by Debby Maugans Nakos is a book designed for people who don't want (or need) a dessert for ten every time they want something sweet. All the recipes in the book are scaled to make mini batches: two individual cheesecakes, a half-dozen cookies, a dozen cream puffs. There are over 250 such recipes in Small-Batch Baking, including not only cookies and cakes, but cobblers, puddings, pies and breads. The proportions are exactly right for one or two-person households or for small families who don't want their kitchens to be continually filled with leftovers. Nakos gets creative with her baking tools, too, calling for mini layer cakes to be baked in empty aluminum cans and other treats to be baked in individual ramekins instead of full-sized bakeware. The only downside is that you often have to use part of an egg in a recipe rather than the whole thing, but using an egg substitute can solve that problem in a snap.

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Filed Under: Cookbook Spotlight, Books, Methods
Tags: baking, book, cookbook, cookbook of the day, dessert, recipes, small batch baking

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-04-2006 @12:03PM suburban misfit said... I got this at the library a few months ago and found it lacking. I specifically got the book for the chocolate chip cookie recipe and it, quite frankly, sucked. I tried it four times, two with egg and two with egg subsititute, and all four times were incredibly disappointing. I'd rather take my regular recipe and freeze half of the dough.

About half of the recipes I tried didn't work to my satisfaction (and honestly, my standards aren't that high: if it's sugary and sweet, I'm good).
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5-04-2006 @12:18PM Nicole said... I have this book and I've liked the recipies that I've tried, but all the recipies are over the top. Sometimes simple is better, especially for strawberry shortcake. I'm also a little leary of baking in washed cans. I know you're not supposed to leave food in cans after you open them because of seepage of chemicals from the can into the food, so how can they be safe to bake in? So far, I've avoided those recipies, or used shorter, wider baking containers. (BTW, Cost World Market or whatever its called, is the place for small baking containers.)
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