Jami Curl is a self-admitted baking obsessive. When she worked as a professional, she made sure that every recipe was followed exactly. Everything they served had to be perfect. It all had to be hand-crafted. Every sprinkle had to be in place. And while I admire bakers like that, I am just not that person. But it’s okay, because even Jami Curl has come around to understanding what it’s like to be a busy home baker. In fact, she’s simplified the processes even more than anyone else I know.
Baking Gold is the collection of her easy recipes and new, laid-back attitude for dozens of tasty treats. She starts with just a handful of doughs and batters, and uses those basic building blocks to create cookies, tarts, cakes, brownies, and bars with ease. For example, she shares her recipe for Butter Dough. And then follows with 7 different recipes you can create with it, from Everyday Holiday Cookies to Citrus-Vanilla Cream Dots to Jam Jambles to Maple-Pecan Not-Pie Bars.
The Brown Sugar-Oat Dough can lead you to bake Goodie Snacktime Bars (with dried cherries, white chocolate, and toffee bits), Nutty Chocolate Oaties, or Apple-Citrus Crisp. Her Overnight Dough can inspire you to make her Caramel Sticky Buns, Gooey Cinnamon Swirls, Chocolate-Almond-Honey Butter Poufs (which look amazing!!), or Coconut Jam Tarts (or honestly, any kind of tarts you want; she includes several ideas for sweet and for savory here, if you need some inspiration to jump start your own creativity).
But let me stop here for a minute and talk about these doughs, particularly the overnight dough. Anyone who has contemplated making homemade cinnamon rolls knows that it takes a lot of work. It’s a finicky dough, and it has to rise, and there are just a lot of steps that makes it seem like just eating cereal may be a better option. But the Overnight Dough in Baking Gold looks genuinely easy, especially if you have a stand mixer. You just add the ingredients, most of which an average baker has on hand, and let it rest overnight. There will be some proofing the next day, but the way that Curl has written these recipes, each step is simple, with just a handful of ingredients, but ending with a truly delicious treat.
But these doughs are not enough. There are also 2 batters, Chocolate Sour-Cream Batter and Vanilla-Sour Cream Batter, so you can create any of the ten cake recipes she’s provided (Marshmallow-Cocoa Cake! Vanilla Celebration Cake! Cinnamon Crumble Cake!), or use add-ins and your own creativity to come up with your own.
And still there is more! The Magic Mix is a quick mix of flour, salt, and baking soda, and can be used as a shortcut for cookies and brownies of all kinds, from Pretzel-Toffee-Chocolate-Cherry Cookies to Peanut Butter Brownies, Ginger-Molasses Cookies with Orange Zest to Malted Milk-White Chocolate Brownies. She even thinks to include ideas for a Brownie Party or Sprinkles Party and ways to give some of these treats away. The recipes are freezable, giftable, and absolutely delectable.
So here’s where we are: 6 basic techniques, over 75 recipes, and a cookbook full of color, flavor, and lots of fun. Anyone who is nervous about home baking, or who needs a schedule-friendly recipe collection, can get excited about the magic that is Baking Gold. I know I’m excited!
I’ve received a free copy of Baking Gold from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
