Best book for baking recipes?

[saltyseadog]

I've just bought the Hummingbird Bakery book whioch I love. I was just wondering whether any of the other 'baking' books are worth buying e.g. Nigella's 'How to be a Domestic Goddess', or Rachel Allen's 'Bake'?

Do you have a favourite?

Ha ha I saw thread title and was going to recommend hummingbird bakery book as have had lots of praise for things I've baked from that book!

Just in case you haven't tried them yet I can recommend the rocky road, double chic biscuits and peanut biscuits. (lemon loaf was a bit too heavy but that's prob my fault)

I've only done the vanilla cupcakes so far but they went down very well. I like the fact that the writing style is very prescriptive, it really does seem to spell out the obvious for baking dunces like myself. Double choc biscuits next then .

I agree. Btw the choc biscuits use 450g choc which would be quite expensive, but I used sainsburys value choc that costs about 27p for 100g and it tasted lovely. For rocky road I used half value choc and half cadburys. Also be warned the rocky road makes LOADS so I tend to half or 2/3 the recipe. Have fun baking (it's my latest hobby; ds loves it!)

My favourite is Sue Lawrence's Book of Baking. Nigella is good but watch out for the typo in the flapjack recipe. Rachel Allan's was good too (borrowed this from library. Many people swear by Mary Berry too.

mary berry

Mary Berry's Simple Cakes is very good. It covers lots of basics.

I don't (yet) have the Mary Berry book. But I like Nigella's How to be a Domestic Goddess and Rachel Allan is reliable in most of her recipes - I have all of her books -I like her Millionaire's shortbread (and the chocolate/hazelnut version she does) and her blondies. For muffins you need the Muffins Fast & Fantastic book by Susan Reimer (accept no substitutes!). I also have the 101 Cakes and bakes by BBC books. The last two are real cheapies but very reliable. I'm on holiday so am rmote from my sheves so exact details might be a bit unreliable - forgive me!

Leith's Baking Bible is fantastic, not that many pictures but zillions of very good recipes

I also like Annie Bell and Rachel Allen

I second the 101 Cakes and Bakes - its my first port of call when I get a baking urge.

Yum - thanks everyone. I have ordered Mary Berry's book, as I could do with a 'staple' book, but I think I'll treat myself to the 101 book too. This is not a good start to my first day of doing weightwatchers!

I like Rachel Allen's. Her carrot cake is fantastic . Mary Berry is a great 'staple' book though

Love Mary Berry
Also, the Good Food, 101 Cakes and Bakes
Made some lovely cakes from that book.

Mary Berry's Baking Bible everything from simple quick and cheap to elaborate gateaux (and salivatingly good pictures)

There is an australian one called Bake (think it is womens weekly) I know it sounds dodgy but a friend lent it to me and it is fantastic and really good presentation ideas as well.
Primrose Bakery, choc cupcakes are amazing.
Nigella, I like it but there are only a couple of recipes that I use.

Hummingbird is excellent - the plain brownies are just fab abd the triple layer thing to die for!

Do quite a bit from Nigella domestic godess and there are quite a few pencil marks where we fiddle about - seems that most toppings have at last 1/3rd or 1/2 as much as we usually use!

Delia is good if a little plain.

Mary Berry's Simple Cakes has arrived - I love it! I now want the Baking Bible, which could prove expensive.

bunsandroses (love your name ), I'll look out for the Aussie WW book, as they are generally excellent (especially for cooking dunces like myself as their are lots and lots of photos!).

Right, I'm going to cook the Hummingbird's brownies tonight - will report back .

Domestic Goddess is very good. As others have mentioned, there are one or two dud recipes, but I seem to end up cooking from it every week.

This morning made the Hummingbird Blondies - cooling down now and the Nigella Buterscotch cake (DS1 birthday cake)..

Last batch of Humminbird brownies added some chopped up white chocolate too - just to add a bit extra - last of it disappeared yesterday.

Nom nom nom SDD. The blondies sound delicious!

I haven't baked the HB brownies yet - will do so tonight as have friends coming for tea tomorrow night.