Cover Image: Baked to Perfection

Baked to Perfection

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

1. Thank you for letting me read this.
2. The cover is so pretty, so let's see inside.
3. I was right. The inside is also pretty.
4. There are so many recipes I want to try.
5. Did I mention the pictures in this book are insanely pretty?
6. Can I remake this recipe and make it as beautiful as in the book?
.7. I will find out once I follow the recipe.
8. Thank you again for sharing your recipe in this beautiful book.

Was this review helpful?

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A gluten free baking/cookbook book that is not focussed on "health" foods/whole foods/raw foods etc. - I am tired of those! I want some gorgeous desserts that I would get jealous of seeing in a regular coffee shop while I eat a dry brownie.

And it starts off with a bunch of science and a scientific approach of gluten free baking which was a brilliant read (I have a MSc in Food Science and my dissertation was on creating a palatable fibre-rich gluten free bread...) and each chapter starts with the science of how each product bakes and the role gluten plays in the bake of each product. I would read a book just about the food science aspects of the cookbook.

The recipes themselves have lots of photos, step-by-step instructions, storing instructions for leftovers - just wonderful.

I am a happy food science loving coeliac.

Was this review helpful?

This cookery book provides recipes that gluten free but are also decedent and indulgent. If you want a healthy gluten free baking book or one that includes naturally gluten free recipes, then this is not the one for you!

The introduction includes a list of gluten free flours, the use of binders, substitutions, store cupboard staples, and kitchen tools. The book is then divided into 8 chapters of recipes: Cakes, cupcakes & muffins, brownies, cookies & bars, pies, tarts & pastries, bread, breakfast & teatime treats and around the world

At the beginning of each chapter is an introduction with illustrations and the role on gluten on the particular bake. It includes information such as the difference between a cupcake and muffin, be that how the case is filled or the consistency of the mixture or how to get a crispy top when baking a cookie. The pastry chapter shows step by step photographs when making the different types of pastry and bread, though on the bread because it is over two pages I would have liked each picture to have been numbered to make following the steps easier.

Each recipes includes preparation time, baking time, serving sizes, how long it can be stored for (if you haven't scoffed it all down!)., ingredients in metric and a colour photograph. There is no oven temperature in Fahrenheit nor the gas mark within the recipe instructions though there is a conversion table at the rear of the book. Some of the recipes use a stand mixer and others are done by hand.

Included are classics such as carrot cake, lemon drizzle, chocolate cake, crepes but also savoury such as quiche, cheese twists and breads.

Overall this is a lovely book with many different recipes for those that wish to try non-healthy gluten free baking.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I loved all the recipes from this book. Especially now in another lockdown it was difficult to come up with something new to try in the kitchen and the kids to help as well.
While we don’t have a problem with gluten, we have tried them all exactly as in the recipes and the end product was just perfection.
I loved the easy to follow steps and the pictures are a beautiful sight for making me want to try them again and again.
Highly recommend it for any baking lovers.

Was this review helpful?

I have taken my time too review this book as I wanted to try some of the recipes first. It is excellent and the recipes I’ve tried work well and are delicious!
I was excited to find this new book for Gluten Free (GF) baking as it includes bread recipes. Two of my daughters are coeliac ie require a totally GF diet so baking is always the biggest challenge. Over the years we have mastered some things and between us we can make reasonable biscuits, sponges, brownies and even pastry (sometimes!) but GF bread still remains a mystery.
I am so impressed by this book as it explains the science behind what and how GF baking works. It is a lot of explanation but if you seriously want to succeed in baking without gluten it is work the mind processing. I looked up details about the author Katarina Cermelj to find that she is studying in biochemistry with a particular interest in GF cooking. I am so impressed with her commitment to working out these recipes.
In addition, the book is beautifully presented with photos for most bakes, diagrams about the baking processes and clear notes for each recipe.
Thank you so much for letting me have a preview of this book and I look forward to buying a couple of copies once it is in print as I do like to have cook books as physically copies.

Was this review helpful?

This is definitely the gluten free book for me! I cook gluten free recipes for my family and am often frustrated to know why a certain ingredient or method is used. Katarina includes a little gentle science which makes the techniques so much clearer. In the bread section for example, she mentions baker's percentages which I know from making wheat bread, so it's great to see them here. There's a great variety of recipes to follow.

Do buy this book if you want to achieve the best results possible with your gluten free baking.

Was this review helpful?

I think this is one of the best gluten free cook books that I have ever read. I really enjoyed the different recipes and had two very happy food testers to try out a few on. I really liked that there were a few sciencey pages at the beginning. It was all fascinating.

Now on to the recipes I tried out.

Apple pie muffins

Cinnamon rolls

And the gingerbread chocolate chip skillet cookie.

The cinnamon rolls were a big hit as they are a favourite in our house and this recipe is a particularly tasty one.

Was this review helpful?

This is such an interesting book, absolutely jammed full of delicious recipes but it also takes a really deep look into the science behind the recipes, which made it stand out as fairly unique. There is honestly so much information, which gives you a great overview of absolutely everything you could want to know about gluten free baking.

The recipes all sound so good, with a lovely mix of desserts and breads, and a particularly delicious looking pizza. There are photos of everything, which gives you a great idea of what you are aiming for, but also makes you super hungry. Photos are clear and bright, and exactly what you want to see in a cookbook. There are lots of details to the recipes to really guide your hand, and even information about storing the goodies you have made.

Well worth picking up if you are gluten intolerant, live with someone who is gluten intolerant or just want to try a different way of baking!

Was this review helpful?

It's rare to find such a comprehensive cookbook for gluten intolerances. Every photograph is beautiful and the recipes are mouthwatering. The author does a good job of highlighting the science of gluten free baking. The recipes are all incredibly tempting and are easy to follow. I will be purchasing this for my gluten intolerant relatives.

Was this review helpful?

It’s unusual to see a gluten free recipe book this varied. I have been looking at this for my grandmother, I know she particularly misses bread and sweet treats so it’s nice to see these here. Sometimes I feel that more effort could go into GF cookbooks- this one is a refreshing change

Was this review helpful?

#BakedtoPerfection #NetGalley

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury publishing plc for providing me with ARC.

This book is so good and amazing, it's full of sweet recipes that you can't resist specially for those people who suffer from allergy to gluten or making diet.

I will try more of this recipes in the future for my daughter.

Was this review helpful?

Wow, you will not need another Gluten Free cookbook on your shelves, besides Katarina's 'Baked to Perfection'. With mouthwatering photography, that makes your tummy rumble at the sight of it. you just know you are just going to experiment.
Katarina does explain the science bit behind the gluten free baking, in a way that's easy to understand but also very interesting. There are lots of trendy diagrams too.
The book is broken up into sections, but a lot of the ingredients you will have in your store cupboards, perhaps one or two like the gluten free blended flour you may need to buy, and specific things for that recipe such as cream for an eclair filling etc, But I'm sure you can pick them up in most supermarkets or online no problem.
You will be no doubt spoilt for choice with what to make first.
The recipes are easy to follow, many of then have lovely step by step pictures which is great for beginners, and you also know what its meant to look like at different stages, if you haven't done gluten free before.
I reckon this is the sort of book that will have earned its place on the kitchen book shelf for eternity....

It has everything, sweet things, cake, sweet pies, savory pies, breads, pastries, whats not to love? Besides gluten, but now you have now excuse, with thanks to Katarina.

Now I'm off to eat a chocolate brownie..... (GF off course!)

Was this review helpful?

A perfect baking book for any person who is gluten-intolerant, or knows people who are, and wants to indulge in some gorgeous baked treats. Stunning photography for each of the tempting recipes. The first quarter of the book is devoted to the science behind gluten free baking and description of why certain ingredients are used, plus also baking equipment equipment needed, the latter maybe a little basic. .Some of the ingredients may need a little more effort to source, e.g. Dutch Processed Cocoa and xanthan gum but Katrina explains why these are necessary to achieve the best results. Each of the chapters also has a small section explaining the science behind the recipes following with little line drawings depicting what is covered in the text.

Was this review helpful?