Baking for the Holidays- 50+ Treats for a Festive Season by Sarah Kieffer is a 2021 Chronicle Books publication.

Often times, when it comes to holiday baking, though I’m more in my element than with cooking turkeys or hams, or other holiday meal items, I start to stress thinking of the exacting measurements, temperatures, and cooking times, the often-complicated steps and time consumption to pull off an appealing presentation for guests- which is why I normally stick to the tried and true recipes- claiming it’s tradition, when it fact, I’m just too nervous to try something new.

This year, though, I’m in a much different mood. I’m ready to shake things up a little! When I saw this book on Edelweiss, I was hoping to find some new ideas that weren’t terribly expensive or overly complicated.

I was quite pleased by what I saw. As the title states, the book has as a set number of recipes- but there are variations on many of these recipes.

The author begins by giving us a very small glimpse into her background and holiday memories, before moving on to instruct the reader how to perform a few tasks, such as making egg wash and tempering chocolate.
There is even a very thoughtful list of the ingredients used, and the suggested brands one should have on hand, as well as tools- mostly basics, like kitchen scissors, thermometers, etc., but there were a few things one might need to consider buying for certain recipes- all easily found on the internet.

The recipes ranged from pastries, breads, holiday desserts, candies, cookies, cakes- and a section for after Christmas treats. All the recipes include color photographs, and the pastry section had detailed instructions on some of the more complicated procedures such as breading dough.

Most recipes were easy to moderate- but there were a few that were fairly involved and might be more time consuming. Many of these recipes can be served anytime- not just during the holidays. I thought the lovely confetti cake would make a nice birthday cake! It was so colorful!
There was a small section at the end for ‘extras’ where I found a homemade marshmallow recipe- the mint version, which was paired with hot tea, sounds so yummy!! I can’t wait to try it!

Overall, if you are looking for a very helpful recipes book devoted to baking- holiday or otherwise, this is one I think you should check out!! ( )

This book was received as an digital ARC from Chronicle Books.

The good:
Perfectly laid out, stunning pictures, and I absolutely love the basic recipes she included. If nothing else, those recipes for basic Danish and sweet doughs, rough puff pastry, and cheaters croissant, plus the "extras" section, might make getting this cook book worth it.

The bad:
These are recipes you can find a thousand times over. I almost didn't bother scrolling though it because the recipes were so 'eh.' There isn't anything I got excited over which was disappointing.

Bottom Line:
If you don't already have a recipe book with these Christmas basics, then sure, grab a copy, but if you're a seasoned Christmas baked goods baker, then stick to what you have. ( )

Baking for the Holidays by Sarah Kieffer
50+ Treats for a Festive Season

What a treasure this book would be as a gift to oneself or to another. I can see creating holiday baking traditions using the recipes in this book, enjoying the process, and memories that would be treasured by the baker, assistant bakers, or recipients of the baked goods. So many of the recipes triggered personal memories of recipes I have made or would like to make in the future relatives or friends. I just wish that desserts didn’t have so many calories. Ah well…

What I liked:
* The introduction with memories of the author’s childhood
* The recipes selected for the book
* That many recipes provided variations on the basic recipe
* The notes on techniques, ingredients, and equipment
* The clear concise list of ingredients and directions for making the recipes
* The beautiful photographs
* The old favorites and some new ideas to try
* The gift section with smaller items like cookies, bars and candies
* That it put me in the mood for the holidays…and for cooler weather
* Thinking about someday being with family again during the holidays

What I didn’t like:
* I can’t really think of ANYTHING I didn’t like

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I like to own it? Yes
Would I buy it as a gift for someone else? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

5 stars, Fabulous Baked Treats

BAKING FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Sarah Kieffer

A wonderful how-to book for baking treats for the holidays or special occasions. There are lovely full-color photos throughout the book, the author shows you exactly how to fold your dough and how to give it an impressive, stunning almost show-like presentation. Stars with cinnamon bread, easier puff pastry, and panettone scones are some of the recipe techniques that the author displays for you to follow step by step.

I always like to read books about baking, to give my family a special treat, that can be made every year. Highly recommend it. There is a section at the beginning that goes over the techniques of baking, along with a description of each ingredient used and the purpose of it.

There are crisp, clean farmhouse, snowy scenes for art, strategically placed throughout the book. It really is eye candy and you may not want to share your copy with anyone else. Since I have an eBook, it was simply amazing that all of the pictures were included, usually, the publisher doesn't put the artwork or pictures in, until you purchase a copy.

I am sincerely grateful for the complimentary copy of #bakingfortheholidays from #netgalley #chroniclebooks #sarahkieffer I was under no obligation to post a review. ( )