Baking as a Love Language


When I was a kid I used to get home from school, do my homework, and then bake something for my mom and me. My bible was an old blue Pillsbury cookbook (it's long lost its cover and I can't seem to find a replica online) that was filled with all kinds of recipes. It taught me how to bake cakes from scratch, how to make substitutions, and how to know instinctively what something should look and taste like (because there were no photos, and let's admit it, this was the late 1970s-early 80s and my palate was definitely at "expanding.") Because there were only two of us, though, we ate cookies or cake for days.

Fats forward. The past month my husband has been rigging a circus show every night. He comes home exhausted and snacky and wired up. So, since getting Dessert Cooking for Two, I've taken to surprising him with treats — double chocolate cookies, the "very best" chocolate chip cookies, caramel crumb bars, pear and coconut crisp — and all have both tasted delicious and been very well received. I love that they are quick and easy, that I can start them sometime in the beginning of the second act and that they are ready by the time he gets home, and sometimes there's even enough left over so that my daughter can have some for a sweet breakfast the next day. I appreciate the fact that the measuring is precise and most recipes are very easy, so it seems like no big deal to just whip something up. And I am loving trying new things!

If you want to bake and consume a whole pan of brownies at night, I cheer you on! But if you just want to try a fun new recipe that you know will taste good and that does not make you invest the rest of your night in preparing a delicious snack, this is the book for you.

(I got a free review copy of the book, but opinions are my own!)

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