ABOUT BAKE SMART
Critically acclaimed baking expert and media star Samantha Seneviratne dispels common baking myths and fears—and shares 100 of her favorite irresistible recipes.
Star baker Samantha Seneviratne wants to tell you the baking secrets of industry pros: You can soften butter in a microwave in seconds, without melting it. Don’t bother sifting flour. No stand mixer? No problem—you can mix it by hand. Test the doneness of a cake without toothpicks (who actually has those?). Make a custard with a dump and stir method. Tempering schmempering.
Break free from common baking myths, fears, and unnecessarily fussy procedures, with Bake Smart, filled with Sam’s tips and warm reassurances plus 100 stunning, mouth-watering recipes that are surprisingly achievable for any home baker. Chapters are organized by main baking ingredient (Butter; Sugar; Eggs; Flour, Nuts & Cocoa; and Yeast), each starting with a quick intro to break down the fundamentals of baking, as well as core recipes—like Basic Custard, Any-Nut Frangipane, and Rough Puff Pastry—that are easy to master and return to again and again.
And each chapter includes recipes for delicious, modern-yet-timeless sweets:
Stuffed S’more Cookies
Lemony Hibiscus Doodles
Raspberry Rye Balsamic Tart
Burnt Caramel Basque Cheesecake
Caramelized Banana Cream Cornflake Tart
Passion Fruit and Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Gianduja Rugelach
Maple Tahini Chocolate Skillet Cake
Big and Fluffy Lemon and Orange Buns
Chocolate Sesame Swirl Bread
Linzer Cookies
Apricot Cardamom Buns
ACCOLADES
NAMED A “BEST COOKBOOK OF FALL 2023” BY:
NEW YORK TIMES | BON APPÉTIT | TASTING TABLE | NEW YORK MAGAZINE
SIMPLY RECIPES | EATER BARNES & NOBLE | CUP OF JO
“The perfect guide for anyone who wants to ace their baking with minimum study.”
New York Times Best Cookbooks of 2023
“Bake Smart offers essential techniques and tips to make baking less stressful—and to help home cooks become better bakers. Seneviratne’s recipes are… revelatory.”
Bon Appétit’s Best New Cookbooks 2023
“Samantha Seneviratne takes those elusive baking secrets and effortlessly integrates them into your home set up… This isn’t just a guide—it’s a baking companion of the first order.”
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“Even while being greatly informative, Seneviratne’s words are simple and inviting: You’re learning, sure, but mostly you’re baking because baking is fun.”
The Strategist’s Best Fall Cookbooks 2023
“If you've ever said, "I'm just not a baker,"…buy this cookbook. You'll shed your fears and fill your home with the smell of fresh-baked cookies in no time. Samantha Seneviratne is a magician with her words—she can explain even the most complicated things in a way that only a master instructor can.”
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“Full disclosure: I love Sam! I’ve loved her and her baking for years. But this book…It’s everything that makes Sam a baker’s pal pressed between covers. There are so many great bakes, so may flavor twists, so many bright ideas and such good lessons in every recipe. First-time bakers will learn a lot from Sam. Pros will, too. Bake Smart is an all-around terrific book.”
—DORIE GREENSPAN, New York Times bestselling author of Baking with Dorie
“Bake Smart is the delicious embodiment of Sam’s love and infectious joy for baking. She shares her sensational recipes and clever kitchen secrets that will make you a more confident baker. From the ‘core recipes’ that will become your on-repeat staples to her delightful family favorites like Sticky Banana Monkey Bread and Fried Blueberry Mini Pies, Bake Smartwill fill your heart and kitchen with love.”
—ZOË FRANÇOIS award-winning author of Zoë Bakes Cakes
“In Bake Smart, Sam shares her baking secrets and explains complex techniques in a fun and friendly way that will give bakers confidence to make everything from perfect flaky piecrust and yeast breads to ooey-gooey cookies. Every single recipe is so inviting and delicious, and reading through them feels like hanging in the kitchen with your best pal who also happens to be an excellent baker. I know that my copy is going to be dog-eared and batter-stained in no time.”
—YOSSY AREFI, award-winning author of Snacking Bakes and Snacking Cakes
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