The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs

Starred review from October 1, 2019

Gr 4-8-These 100-plus kid-tested recipes feature baking standards, like corn muffins and peanut butter cookies, as well as trendier fare, such as za'atar bread, buffalo chicken lavash flatbread, and Tahini-banana snack cake. Short testimonials from some of the more than 4,000 kids who were part of the test group make this book fun and interactive. Informational sections in the front matter include "Decoding Bakingspeak" and "10 Essential Prep Steps." A full-color section labels all baking tools that are used. The last section contains a chart of conversions and a table that provides the nutritional stats for each baked treat. The book's busy and blocky design follows the same format of The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs. The recipes share pages with informational asides and related tidbits with snappy headings and art. Instructions follow a well-organized, three-step process: preparing, gathering equipment, and then starting the baking process. The pictures are quite small (there are no full-page spreads), but a full-color picture of each finished dish is included. VERDICT A must-have book to keep your young adult cookbook section up-to-date and to support the current trend of creative young bakers. A contemporary and educational cookbook that's once again kid-tested and kid-approved.-Shannon O'Connor, Unami Middle School, Chalfont, PA

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