Weekend Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress-Free Strategies for Busy People » (Reprint)

Abigail Dodge studied pastry-making at La Varenne in Paris and founded the test kitchen of Fine Cooking magazine, where she is a contributing editor. She lives in Southport, Connecticut, with her family.

"This no-time-for-frills cookbook offers low effort/high yield desserts."—USA Today

Want to start baking (again) but can't find the time? The Weekend Baker makes it easy with its unique organization. Recipes are grouped by how long they take, from the simple to the elaborate. Need a dessert in under an hour? Turn to Baker's Express and whip up Emergency Chocolate Cupcakes. Like to plan a bit more? Try the Glazed Apricot-Plum Galette in Baking in Stages—there's no pie plate, no crimping, no double crusts. Want a sophisticated dessert for your dinner party? You can make the Lemon Chiffon Pie with Pretzel Crust and store it in the fridge for up to three days. 24 pages of color photographs.

Publishers Weekly

Dodge believes that when it comes to the often-intimidating world of baking, one need not sacrifice quality for simplicity. Chocolate-Glazed Ricotta Cake, Old-Fashioned Berry Ice-Box Cake, Jalapeno Corn Bread Wedges-all are within reach, with a little planning. The author honed her skills at La Varenne in Paris, specializing in pastry, but despite her serious experience, her approach is relaxed and realistic. To Dodge, the weekend baker is the dinner party host who wants to accompany the meal with homemade focaccia, but doesn't get home from work until six; the mom who finds out her son needs cupcakes for Cub Scouts in an hour; or the low-maintenance sweet tooth who's ready to embark on a baking "production" on a Saturday afternoon, but doesn't know where to start. Supremely efficient, the book will help readers in any number of situations, whether they have a few days (Ready-When-You-Are-Chocolate-Raspberry Souffl s can be prepared and refrigerated for up to a day or frozen for up to two weeks before baking) or less than an hour (Nutty Cinnamon Elephant Ears use frozen puff pastry). Encompassing cookies and bars, cakes, breads, custards and pies, and sharing time-saving tips on everything from using the microwave to soften butter to keeping a well-stocked pantry, this is an excellent resource for cooks of all levels. Photos. (Nov. 9) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.