Here at Parade’s End we are huge fans of The Great British Bake Off and will be very sad when it ends in a couple of weeks. So to keep us going, here are some great baking books which include vegan, gluten-free options and even something for young bakers. We hope they will inspire you to get baking!
Casual, effortless, chic: these are not words you’d use to describe most desserts.
But before Alison made recipes so perfect that they go by one name – The Cookie, The Pasta, The Lemon Cake – she was a restaurant pastry chef who spent most of her time learning to make things the hard way. She studied flavour, technique, and precision, then distilled her knowledge to pare it all down to create dessert recipes that feel special and approachable, impressive and doable. In Sweet Enough, Alison has written the book for people who think they don’t have the time or skill to pull off dessert. Here, the desserts you want to make right away, you can make right away.
Alison shows you how to make simple yet sublime sweets with her trademark casualness, like how to make jam in the oven, then turn that jam into a dessert – swirled into ice cream or folded into easy one-bowl cake batter (opening a jar of jam is more than fine, too). She waxes poetic on the virtues of frozen fruit and teaches you the best way to throw your own Sundae Party. There are effortless cakes that take just minutes to get into a pan. And there are new, instant classics with a signature Alison twist, like Salted Lemon Pie, Raspberries and Sour Cream, Toasted Rice Pudding, or a Caramelised Maple Tart. Requiring little more than your own two hands and a few mixing bowls, the recipes are geared towards those without fancy equipment or specialty ingredients.
Whether you’re a dedicated baker or, better yet, someone who doesn’t think they are a baker, Sweet Enough lets you finish any dinner, any party, or any car ride to a dinner party with a little something wonderful and sweet.
NOSH Gluten-Free Baking by Joy May
Friends had asked me to write a gluten-free book, but during the process, I realised that the stomach pains, which I had thought were due to medication I was taking, were significantly relieved when I cut out gluten from my diet. I was glad to find the cause of the problem, but knew that this would make life challenging! So I began my journey of gluten-free living with the book ‘NOSH Gluten-Free’ to help me and now I have added this latest book, ‘NOSH Gluten-Free Baking’. I have to be frank and say that the ‘Baking’ book has been the hardest book I have ever written; I have never had to deal with so many failed attempts in all my years of cooking! For instance, bread depends on gluten for its elasticity and ‘bounce’. I must have made about 50 different breads, all of which ended up in the bin, before coming up with the new ones in this book, and my quest still goes on to find more. During the process of writing this book, one of the highlights would definitely be the puff pastry recipe. When that pastry came out of the oven, with its distinct, crispy layers, I could have done a little jig in the kitchen, right there and then! When we find we are gluten intolerant, or ‘coeliac’, it can seem like a ‘life sentence of no treats’. We go into a cafe for coffee and cake and often find there is nothing we can eat – all the ‘yummy’-looking ones are full of gluten! My aim in this book has been to reverse the ‘sentence’. I have tried to include recipes for the many things we might like to eat in the coffee shops, as well as the regular desserts and savoury pastries that seemed to be ‘forbidden’. I hope that you enjoy cooking and eating many of these re-found treats.
The Vegan Baking Bible by Karolina Tegelaar
You shouldn’t have to compromise on flavour, texture and the look of your cake just because it’s vegan. From carrot cake and chocolate cookies to madeleines and muffins; in this ultimate bible, Karolina has veganised old baking favourites as well as creating new baking recipes to make vegan baking accessible and fun to the novice baker.
Over 10 years of hard work and trial-and-error, the talented Karolina Tegelaar has created the ultimate vegan baking book – a must-have for every baking-enthusiast’s kitchen. Vegan baking has been revolutionised by the introduction of aquafaba and plant-based dairy products, and this definitive bible chronicles everything you need to know to create all the baking classics, as well as new and interesting bakes, using the latest techniques. With this book, you’ll never again have to make compromises on flavour, texture and design when baking vegan.
Packed with hundreds of tips, techniques and troubleshooting advice, The Vegan Baking Bible includes everything from cakes, muffins, meringues, biscuits, cookies, brownies, gingerbread, ice cream and even a whole section on yeasted doughs and pastries so you can make bagels, doughnuts and pain au chocolat, too.
With The Vegan Baking Bible by your side, you’ll never stop saying, ‘I can’t believe it’s vegan!’.
A celebration of authentic, simple French classics for bakers of all abilities.
In France, the term pâtisser (‘to bake’) is mostly reserved for professionals, not home bakers. Home bakers simply ‘faire un gâteau’ (‘make a cake’) for a treat or Sunday family dessert. A simple sweet treat, made without fuss, for the joy of sharing. That is what this book is about: simple French classics, made in the comfort of your home, using tins and utensils which are likely already lurking in your kitchen drawer.
Showcasing tarts, choux, gateaux, clafoutis, brioches and more, this book contains all the well-known French desserts and some regional gems that Manon has come across when travelling in France (with some plant-based and gluten-free alternatives when possible). Without any fancy decorations or presentation, Manon will share exactly how it will look in your own home.
An accessible and positive introduction to French baking that aims to prove that everyone can make authentic French treats in their own home.
Bake It Better by Matt Adlard
In Bake It Better, Instagram and TikTok star Matt Adlard shares his tried-and-true baking approach to help home chefs advance from intermediate-level to master baker-all at their own pace. Each chapter has a dedicated theme, with recipes offering techniques to show you how to elevate your baking from refreshingly refined to extraordinarily elegant.
Each bake comes as a pair, beginning with a delicious “Tier 1” recipe, followed by an elevated “Tier 2” version for when you’re ready to take your skills to the next level. Love making Brioche from scratch? Why not take things up a notch with Brioche Cinnamon Rolls, using a slightly advanced technique? Or try your hand at Triple Chocolate Brownie Fingers once you’ve mastered the recipe for Chocolate Chunk Brownies.
Bake It Better includes:
– 70 mouthwatering recipes for cakes, pastries, breads, cookies, ice creams, and more.
– Techniques for mastering essential skills and deepening your abilities.
– Expert advice from Matt Adlard on enhancing your expertise and building your confidence as a baker.
Join Matt Adlard on a journey to whatever baking destination you seek-and enjoy the detours along the way!
Mary Berry’s Baking Bible – Updated in 2023
We couldn’t talk about baking without including the queen of cake herself!
This definitive collection from the undisputed queen of cakes brings together all of Mary Berry’s most mouth-watering baking recipes in a beautifully packaged edition. Filled with 250 foolproof recipes, from the classic Victoria Sponge, Very Best Chocolate Cake and Hazelnut Meringue Cake to tempting muffins, scones and bread and butter pudding, this is the most comprehensive baking cookbook you’ll ever need.
Mary’s easy-to-follow instructions and handy tips make it ideal for kitchen novices and more experienced cooks alike, and full-colour photographs and beautiful illustrations will guide you smoothly to baking success.
Drawing on her years of experience to create recipes for cakes, breads and desserts, Mary Berry’s Baking Bible will prove to be a timeless classic.
German Baking by Jurgen Krauss
The first book from the much-loved Great British Bake Off semi-finalist.
Jürgen Krauss’s gentle charm, ambitious flavours and scientific know-how captured audiences’ hearts on The Great British Bake Off, his semi-finals departure triggering unprecedented complaints from dismayed viewers.
Drawing on the flavours and techniques of his childhood home in the Black Forest, this fool-proof collection of recipes provides delicious inspiration for any time of day and any occasion.
From sweet and savoury classics such as Flammkuchen, cinnamon and raisin braid, Streusel, marble cake, and Sacher Torte, to festive bakes such as Lebkuchen, marzipan swirl biscuits, Stollen and Easter braid, they are the perfect way to celebrate German baking at home.
My First Baking Book by David Atherton
A beautifully illustrated collection of baking recipes for first cooks written by the 2019 winner of The Great British Bake Off.
Learn how to bake breads, cakes, pastries and biscuits to perfection in this imaginative collection of deliciously healthy recipes. Featuring easy to follow, beautifully illustrated step-by-step instructions, and a wealth of classic and creative bakes, this first baking book is jam-packed with inspiring content and has everything budding bakers need to take their first steps to baking glory!