Even though the weather is stuck in summer, the holidays are fast approaching; some of the stores at the mall already have their Christmas trees up. For some, this becomes not only their busiest shopping season of the year, but also the one time each year that baking becomes a major production.  The library has shelves of cookbooks to provide inspiration.

           

“Taste of Home” is an immensely popular magazine that collects recipes from readers.  They have gathered these recipes and the culinary expertise needed to accomplish them into stacks of books.  One of their older books is still a favorite that is perfect in the run-up for the holidays, “The Taste of Home Baking Book: Timeless Recipes from Trusted Home Cooks.”  It contains 725 plus recipes and variations; all tested, tasted and approved by the “Taste of Home” food editors and test kitchen staff. 

           

The recipes include simple, step-by-step instructions as well as 675 color photos of finished recipes.  There are 13 comprehensive chapters starting with Baking Basics and ending with Holiday Baking as well as chapters on muffins, quick breads, desserts, pies & tarts, cakes, cheesecakes, cookies and sweet yeast breads.  It also contains 150 practical proven tips plus handy reference charts.

           

As for the recipes, this is one of those cookbooks that eats up post-it-notes as delicious possibilities pop up in every section.  There were “oohs and aahs” as the photos in the cheesecake chapter passed by from the Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake to the Apple-of-your-Eye Cheesecake.  Then, the dessert chapter topped that with its Lemon Schaum Torte and Brownie Baked Alaska.  Pineapple Layer Cake, Plantation Gingerbread, Green Tomato Pie, Triple-Chocolate Quick Bread, Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins, Pizza Poppers, Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies, and Strawberry Cream Cookies are just a few of the selections.

           

So, if you are tired of making the same old things every holiday, you have to try this packed-for-success cookbook and surprise all your family and friends.