Bake Smart: Sweets and Secrets from My Oven to Yours

Critically acclaimed baking expert and media star Samantha Seneviratne dispels common baking myths and fears—and shares 100 of her favorite irresistible recipes.

Star baker Samantha Seneviratne wants to tell you the baking secrets of industry pros: You can soften butter in a microwave in seconds, without melting it. Don’t bother sifting flour. No stand mixer? No problem—you can mix it by hand. Test the doneness of a cake without toothpicks (who actually has those?). Make a custard with a dump and stir method. Tempering schmempering.

Break free from common baking myths, fears, and unnecessarily fussy procedures, with Bake Smart, filled with Sam’s tips and warm reassurances plus 100 stunning, mouth-watering recipes that are surprisingly achievable for any home baker. Chapters are organized by main baking ingredient (Butter; Sugar; Eggs; Flour, Nuts & Cocoa; and Yeast), each starting with a quick intro to break down the fundamentals of baking, as well as core recipes—like Basic Custard, Any-Nut Frangipane, and Rough Puff Pastry—that are easy to master and return to again and again.

And each chapter includes recipes for delicious, modern-yet-timeless sweets:

• Stuffed S’more Cookies
• Lemony Hibiscus Doodles
• Raspberry Rye Balsamic Tart
• Burnt Caramel Basque Cheesecake
• Caramelized Banana Cream Cornflake Tart
• Passion Fruit and Pineapple Upside Down Cake
• Gianduja Rugelach
• Maple Tahini Chocolate Skillet Cake
• Big and Fluffy Lemon and Orange Buns
• Chocolate Sesame Swirl Bread
• Linzer Cookies
• Apricot Cardamom Buns