Perfectly Golden

April 1, 2020

Garbacz spent years baking professionally in New York before she learned she had a dairy allergy. She spent two years developing dairy-free methods and recipes and sharing them online. In 2015, Garbacz opened Goldenrod Pastries in her hometown of Lincoln, NE, offering dairy-free, gluten-free baked goods. Garbacz's first cookbook celebrates her novel and flexible approach to "inclusive baking." The recipes--covering a broad range of baked goods including pastries, cakes, pies, and cookies--are simple and straightforward crowd-pleasers with a dash of retro whimsy. Almost every recipe in the book can be made gluten-free and dairy-free (and often vegan), or made traditionally using dairy products and all-purpose flour; these ingredients can be used interchangeably at a one-to-one substitution ratio. The straightforward ease of adapting the recipes to either accommodate dietary restrictions or utilize traditional ingredients will give home bakers a much needed sense of confidence, especially if they are trying gluten- or dairy-free baked goods for the first time. VERDICT An essential purchase for regional libraries and a top recommendation for all baking collections.--Kelsy Peterson, Forest Hill Coll., Melbourne, Australia

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 18, 2020
In this delightful debut, Garbacz, who owns Goldenrod Pastries in Lincoln, Neb., shares recipes for 100 healthy pastry shop favorites. Garbacz creates delicious-yet-healthy desserts with flexible, easy-to-make recipes using gluten-free flour blends, dairy-free milks, and other readily available ingredients that can easily be swapped out to accommodate bakers’ dietary needs and tastes. With the “You Do You” key for each recipe, bakers can choose gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or traditional versions of dishes; for example, yeasted dough made with almond milk and gluten-free flour is perfect for cinnamon rolls, sticky pecan buns, her grandmother’s peach coffee cake, and Fluffernutter buns. Snack cakes intended for breakfast or tea include Goldenrod’s zucchini-chocolate cake, and for dessert there’s an almond-walnut crusted cheesecake and multiple squares consisting of apple, lemon, apricot, or chocolate ganache. Birthday cakes, pies, creams, and sauces round out the collection. Health-minded home bakers will delight in this friendly, accessible volume.