Festive Baking

Sarah Kelly Iaia was an American born, London based, world traveling food editor of Bride Magazine UK. She entertained kings and captains of industry. Her "how to" cook book breezes you through the complex techniqes of "haute" holiday baking and entertains you all the way. A must have for all who love the art of cuisine.

In all honesty I bought this book for my mother who is an avid German Christmas cookie baker. I found many recipes to be based on the traditional Lebkuchen or to translate a gingerbread cookie type that repeated a bit too frequently for my taste. I love the stuff, but was hoping for a bit more diversity. It still rates a 4 star though.

Recipes in this book are not for novice bakers, neither are they for habitual offenders of baking mixes aisles or those who are afraid to touch dough with their bare hands. Following recipes of Sarah Kelly Iaia requires well-stocked pantry, precision, discipline, and ability to plan ahead. Many recipes specify that the dough is made a day in advance, and many baked goods are better 2 weeks - a month after baking. On a positive note, many ingredients are quite accessible and not expensive. The taste and look of all those goodies is distinctly European and suit best those who like artisan baking. If you prefer chewey cookies, heavy cakes like German chocolate cake (which is not German at all), supermarket-sold white bread, and chemically tasting birthday cakes sold at price clubs, chances are you will not like most of cakes, breads, and cookies made from recipes in this book. However, this book is very usefull if you wish to enrich your baking repertoir, impress your guests or coworkers, or need to send a lot of presents across the country around Christmas. The author, using very specific easy-to-follow directions helps muster different types of gingerbreads, Sunday breads, stollen, crumbly sweet pretzels, and nut layer cakes. Both children and adults like chocolate-glazed heart-shaped honey cookies, the recipe for which alone is worth the price of this book. I would prefer more photographs of finished products, but overall I have been quite satisfied with the results even without them.

DIS BOOK WAS GUT!i recommend dis book to people dat love to cook in German.austrianor swisse.