It’s hard not to get hungry when you see this book. The cover image of a delicious- looking triple layered cake is a huge drawcard which gets you turning the pages to discover many more delicious photos and recipes inside.
Author and Magnolia Kitchen owner, Bets Gee shares not only the background story of how she created her business, but all her trade secrets, recipes and methods as well. The photos which accompany the recipes are beautiful and the recipe instructions are very comprehensive. There are recipes for cakes, icings, curds and fillings as well as cookies, sweet treats and drinks. There are step by step instructions on how to ice the perfect cake, and many tips and tricks that Bets generously shares after years of baking, including how to make the perfect macaron.
There are also several allergy friendly recipes in the book, which will be welcomed by those with food intolerances.
The book comes with 2 page marker ribbons, which is a nice touch for bakers who are often flicking backwards and forwards between recipes.
The subtitle of the book is ‘Inspired baking with personality’. Bets’ personality surely does shine through in this book. She is very direct and often funny and shares a great deal of personal information with her readers. Bets has a huge following on Instagram and is no doubt aiming the book at those followers. Most of the time this is quite amusing but the book probably needs to come with a warning – Contains Coarse Language. This may not resonate so well with some readers. If you can see your way past all the f-words then you will be fine.
Reviewer: Rachel White
Allen & Unwin, $45.00