A perfect book for bakers and foodies.
Feature image credit: Murdoch Books
These days, many of us find new recipes by saving reels on Instagram or TikTok. But when a tome as aesthetically pleasing as The Baker’s Book is released, it serves as a reminder as to why even the most convenient of reels will never fully replace the OG cookbook.
Based on the pretty pink cover alone, this collection of baking recipes edited by Ruby Goss gets full marks. Complete with a book jacket featuring cute culinary illustrations by Beci Orpin, this is the kind of book that would please any foodie or kitchen wiz, even if they never get around to opening it.
But of course, there are plenty of reasons to open and dive right into this anthology of recipes, which contains contributions from several well-known bakers on the Australian culinary scene. Figures like Orlando Artavilla, Gad Assayag, and Marianna di Bartolo impart their wisdom and share their favourite recipes, along with step-by-step instructions for recreating them. The book begins with a helpful recipe key and notes on the different flours that appear throughout, which helps readers to stick to recipes aligning with their skill level.
If you’re a novice or nervous baker, there’s quite a bit here that may feel overwhelming to you, whether it’s because the recipes carry over more than two pages or because they contain ingredients that you don’t usually find on a quick trip to Coles. Mentions of wattleseed, emmer flour, and pandan leaves might make the recipes seem inaccessible at first, but if you plan ahead, these can all be found at specialty stores, such as health food shops or Asian grocers. Alternatively, a single shop at the Adelaide Central Market should be sufficient.
There’s a huge and wonderful range of recipes, including a few savoury options. But for the most part, this is a book for those with a sweet tooth, or those who enjoy baking sweets and desserts. Many of the recipes are for intermediate or advanced bakers, but there are still options for the less adventurous, and you could always work your way up through the easy-to-difficult key as you find your bearings.
Even for a beginner, this would still make a great gift as long as the receiver loves baking or pretty books (or hopefully both). It has a mix of artwork and beautiful food photography throughout, along with introductions to each baker and their best pieces of advice.
Marshmallow Brownies (page 25)
Perhaps it’s owing to my underdeveloped baking skills, but these brownies turned out completely differently from what I was imagining. Judging from the brownie and marshmallow combo, I had envisioned something super-sweet, but the amount of coffee made this too bitter. Additionally, the consistency was too dry, but it was just cooked in the middle and so I couldn’t have taken it out of the oven any sooner. It was easy to make and it did look impressive with the marshmallow top, and that part was delicious when the brownies were warm. Afterwards, though, they stiffened and turned unpleasantly chewy.
Taste is on the tongue of the beholder, but I’ve definitely had better brownies. If you’re going to make this, you might want to either reduce the amount of coffee or use a milder-tasting alternative to true coffee beans, such as instant coffee powder (blasphemous as it sounds!). I would also add more marshmallows as they were the best part!
Miss Trixie’s Honey Joy Slice (page 39)
In the ultimate throwback to primary school treats, this recipe brings together buttery biscuit slice with ultra-sweet honey joys. It was easy to make and looked impressive, but do plan in advance as the base needs to be frozen for three hours at least before baking. But that lengthy step is worth it, since the base elevates this from standard honey joys. I took the slice to finish off girls’ night, and the feedback was that it was just a little too sickly for the average adult palate. They’d be a huge hit with kids, but if you’re going to make them for grown-ups, you might want to reduce the sugar in the cornflake topping.
Reviewed by Vanessa Elle
Instagram: @vanessaellewrites
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Murdoch Books
Released: April 2025
RRP: $45
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