My Favorite Baking Cookbooks

Most bakers have lots of cookbooks. It's estimated that there are thousands of cookbooks available! Which ones are best?

I have entire bookshelves filled with cookbooks. I'm addicted to them! But there are still just a few that I turn to again and again when I want to bake.

Probably the most reliable and comprehensive book for breads is The Red Star Centennial Bread Sampler. This superb book details all of the steps in bread making and tells you how each ingredient performs in a batter or dough. The recipes are all perfect and easy to follow. I adore the Caramel Roll recipe. If you can find this book, buy it immediately!

Another of my favorites is Better Homes & Gardens plaid three-ring notebook-style cookbook. I grew up reading my mother's version published in the 1960s. It has the most perfect recipe for Burnt Sugar Chiffon Cake. Any of the versions are wonderful, but if you see an older version for sale, buy it too.

And Baking From the Heart is a collection of fabulous recipes from pastry chefs and cookbook authors. And when you buy this book, a portion of the proceeds goes to help fund Share Our Strength, an organization dedicated to preventing hunger.