The lemon pound cake is TO DIE FOR. I spent such a long time perfecting my recipe but I prefer hers. I made small modifications to bump up the flavor (using an organic lemon oil). However, I've found that a lot of people couldn't make it as well as I did even with thorough instructions. Hm.

It's not for the beginner baker though the recipes in theory are simple. They're simple in ingredients not in method.

I haven't made anything else from this book but if they're anything like her lemon cake then it's a five. ( )

Hows and Whys of Successful Baking

BakeWise is an encyclopedia of baking. Chapter 1 is on cakes, muffins and quick breads. Chapter 2 is devoted to puffs and the magic leavener, steam. Chapter 3 is on pie-making. Chapter 4 is on cookies. And Chapter four is about the "Great Breads" and their flavors.

Shirley Corriher is something of a science sleuth. Not stopping with practical instructions on how to bake, she provides answers to the questions we all have when a cake is too dry or the cookie too crumbly or the genoise deflated.
As for the last, just reading the instructions for "Mimi's Magnificent Angel Food Cake" made me want to make clouds of these foam cakes which use air for leavening.

All endeavors can be enhanced by techniques, and even outright "tricks" of the trade, but Shirley is constantly providing useful ideas. Want higher, lighter, flakier pastry without more butter? Brush off the flour with ice water to make it easier to roll.

BakeWise also has "At a Glance" Charts

Bakewise was a winner! I don't have Cookwise so I wasn't quite prepared for the level of detail! This lady has covered every aspect of baking you could ever have questions about. Want to know all about chocolate, where it comes from, different types, and how it works in baked goods - check! How about the science behind a flaky pie crust, a perfect meringue, or the emulsion process involved in making a buttercream frosting? That's all here too. Just want some good recipes? So far I've made:

Shirley's Crazy Cake - this recipe intrigued me. No eggs and you mix all the ingredients in the pan you bake it in! Literally no clean to clean! It turned out very good with a nice light crumb and a mocha flavor from the cocoa and coffee. She has a similar recipe called Serious Stuff Gingerbread that is on my list to try.

E-Z Delicious Peanut Butter Cookies Another interesting recipe technique-wise, no flour! This recipe is just peanut butter, brown sugar, an egg, and some toffee bits. These are the best peanut butter cookies I've ever had! They had an intense peanut butter flavor and a sort of soft, chewy texture almost like a chewy chocolate chip cookie. I took these to work and got numerous requests for the recipe.

Rooster's Famous Fire Crackers - This is the only one I've made so far that I didn't care for. It's essentially saltines with red pepper and cheese baked. She explains why they get really crispy and cheesy and I though the idea sounded intriguing, but the end product didn't do it for me.

Simpley Wonderful Strata - Brownes Billows of Cheesy Puff - wow! This was great! I've never had a strata puff up this much. It was cheesy and puffy and delicious! It would be a perfect Christmas morning meal.

There are so many other recipes in this cookbook I want to try! I have marked Take-Your-Breath-Away Lemon Pound Cake, Sweet Pears and Crunchy, Roasted Walnut Muffins, "Touch of Grace" Southern Biscuits and a bunch of others! ( )