The Baking Book
Human&Rousseau
Review: Brian Joss
All of the recipes in this book have been published in Your Family magazine and all of them have been tested in their kitchen.
For the most part they’re idiot-proof and you can make anything from cookies to cakes and everything in between including gluten-free bakes and low-sugar options.
There are some twists on old family favourites, like the apple and rasberry crumble, which is distinctly moreish.
The coffee biscuits are equally lip-smacking good as are the choc pecan nut slices and the Amarula malva pudding.
The 12 categories are Smell the bread; Pick a muffin; Grab a piece of tart; It’s a piece of cake; Fill the cookie jar; Add fruit to the mixture; Off to the patisserie; How about some savouries?; Let’s cut out the gluten; Let’s reduce the sugar; Proudly South African and Anyone for dessert?
Although the recipes in Let’s reduce the sugar are not exactly suitable for diabetics, they can be eaten as a treat, in moderation, now and again.
You can make a naartjie cake, muesli cookies, pear and ginger clafoutis or a baked lemon curd pudding and they use xylitol instead of sugar. Just because you use a substitute for sugar, doesn’t make it suitable for diabetics although the book doesn’t say they are.
The mouth-watering images are by Elmarie Knapton, Roelene Prinsloo, Dylan Swart and Dawie Verwey. The Baking Book gets five stars and it will be well used.