It’s called Procrastibaking. It’s the baking you do to put off the other things you don’t want to do. Bake cookies instead of tackling the laundry. Make candy instead of doing your taxes. Make a cake so you don’t have to mow the yard. Honestly, it’s one of the best parts of baking. Plus, when you finally do have to do thing you were procrastinating, you can enjoy a tasty treat while you do it. Your reward for doing the chore has already been procrastibaked.

Former pastry chef and creative baker Erin Gardner is the ultimate procrastibaker. And since she bakes for a living, coming up with creative cake decorations for magazines and blogs, she procrastibakes to put off baking. But she also recommends baking as a way to help stir your creativity (get it?) and to get yourself to that last-possible-minute start on the project that compels you to do your best work quickly.

And wow! does she have great ideas for the procrastibaking! This whimsical cookbook is filled with 100 recipes, from easy to complicated, depending on your skill level and just how much time you need to spend in the kitchen to avoid everything else. She includes lots of fun and games, including an inordinate number of rabbit holes you can chase down (questions about things like who invented frozen whipped topping? or what is a buckle?) and a word search and maze to use for procrastinating even more.

Each chapter starts out with simpler, one-bowl recipes and gets more complicated as it goes on. For example, the Better-Late-Than-Never Brownies and Bars chapter starts out with a better-than-average Cereal Treats recipe, works up to Sticky Brownies and Mixed Berry Crumble Bars and ends with Peanut Butter S’more Bars. Buts that just one chapter. There are also chapters on Morning Treats, Confections, Cookies, Loaf Cakes, Snack Cakes, Pies and Tarts, Savory Bakes, and Masterpieces.

But this is a cookbook where you really want to browse that table of contents, because who wouldn’t be tempted by recipes like Giant Cinnamon Roll Scone, Neapolitan Marshmallows, No-Mixer Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Double-Chocolate Mint Cookies, Whoopie Pies, Olive Oil Apple Snack Cake, Tropical Carrot Cake, Peaches and Cream Pavlova, Billionaire Tart, Roasted-Tomato Scones, Mocha Brownie Cheesecake, and a Snowball Cake.

There are classics like a Gingerbread House, Lemon Tart, and School Party Cupcakes. And there are crazy creative ideas like Cheesecake-Stuffed Nutella Coffee Cake, Zucchini-Lime Bread, and Baked Alaska Ice Cream Cones. Basically, Procrastibaking has it all. No matter what you’re craving or what you’re avoiding, this cookbook has something that will make you happy. With fun and frivolity, Procrastibaking can get you putting off all your boring responsibilities in order to hunker down in the kitchen and create magical treats.

Galleys for Procrastibaking were provided by Atria Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Oddly enough I have been procrastinating about writing a review for Procrastibaking by baking. Pretty on brand and speaks to the essence of this book.

Gardner has created a collection of recipes that anyone from a novice baker to a skilled one could jump in and find something wonderful to make. Her commentary is witty and relatable. Her recipes offer clear instructions that should lead you to delicious outcomes. Overall, I am very impressed and can't wait to put a copy on my shelf.

I am no stranger to Procrastibaking -- baking treats is much more interesting than grading essays! Or cleaning the house. Or doing laundry. Or. . . Well, you get the point.
Gardner's book has an engaging layout and lots of recipes that seem quick and yummy. I tried her One Banana, Two Banana, Three Banana Bread, and it was exactly those things: quick and yummy. I've earmarked several more recipes to try in this time of quarantine. Now, if I could just get all of the ingredients. . .

Usually you read a cookbook just for the recipes, but I knew just based on the title that I would enjoy this for more than the delicious delights it could help me make, and I was right. The introduction was absolutely hilarious and so charming. It was funny finding out why the book was called procrastibaking. The whole book is just downright adorable with all of the pink and cute illustrations. And the recipes! I haven’t made anything yet from the book, but there are so many I want to try from BEC Muffins to Baked Apple Cider Donuts to Kitchen Sink Bars to Mocha Brownie Cheesecake and more. Is your mouth watering because mine is! I read this on my phone but I can’t wait to get a real copy of this!

Some nice recipes and tidbits, with a few puzzles throughout the book. The Ebook version I got had no images of the recipes. Overall it is good.

Erin Gardner captures the heart and spirit of the fine art that is Procratibaking with her cookbook of the same title. The recipes are simplified but detailed enough for a novice baker to follow. No recipe goes beyond 24 steps, and that was a cake so really does it count? The pace and flavor of the humor sprinkled throughout the cookbook make it enjoyable to work from. I have added so many new recipes to try out and I could not be more excited. This is a must add book to any library collection and a must read for baking and cookbook enthusiasts alike. By discovering a new round of recipes to dive into the reader will be able to put off yet another load of laundry and finesse there baking skills and bring joy to themselves and those around them. After all, Procrastibaking is one of the oldest forms of self-care that exists.

Finally, there’s an excuse to put off doing necessary chores and bake instead. Erin Gardner helps procrastinators find excuses to skip the work and bake, bake, bake in Procrastibaking: 100 Recipes for Getting Nothing Done in the Most Delicious Way PossibleGardner has a great sense of humor and it comes through beautifully when reading this book. Not only does the prose make readers smile, but it makes them feel okay about procrastinating (which most of us are good at anyway.

This fun cookbook is full of mouthwatering treats – both sweet and savory, most baked, but also some candy and no-bake treats. A favorite recipe is the French Onion Gougères – little puffs of heaven that go perfectly with soups and salad. Other excellent recipes include Double-Chocolate Mint Cookies, Boston Cream Tart, Salty Sailor Blondies, and Giant Cinnamon Roll Scone. There are literally dozens of great recipes to keep everyone working in the kitchen on excellent treats rather than doing what they should be doing. The queue for new recipes to try is getting longer, since when picking up the book, new recipes jump out and must be prepared.

The only drawback to this cookbook is the lack of photographs. There are so many delectable baked goods and treats included, it is really unfortunate that none are pictured. There are dozens of cute illustrations, but they are no substitute for colored photographs when cooks are trying to decide what to prepare.

For those who love to bake and work in the kitchen, this is an excellent cookbook. Those who insist on cookbooks with photographs will want to skip this one.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

A great cookbook with and awesome premise! I really like the idea of quick and easy recipes that get you back into the kitchen. The recipes are easy and definitely attainable even for amateur bakers and there are a few I have saved to try. My only complaint was that there weren't any pictures in my digital copy but I hope some will be added to the physical copy because that will make all the difference!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC for an honest review!

PROCRASTIBAKING — 100 Recipes for Getting Nothing Done in the Most Delicious Way Possible • Erin Gardner



A digital ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher (Atria Books) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. For transparency sake, I am an amateur baker who is no authority on baking or cookbooks.



I adore this cookbook! As a law school student, I am often prone to procrastination. I would find time to do anything except study, then feel guilt-ridden by the end of the day. My close friend and fellow law student found a work-around to this. We had to study, sure, but we also had to eat. So we started to bake. It was a wonderful way to avoid work without feeling guilty. We had to eat after all! Our friends loved it too because when we finished, we would bring the treats we had made with us to the library.

When I saw this cookbook, I knew it was meant for me. Prior to reading through "Procrastibaking," I mostly just made box brownies and pre-made cookies. I did not have time to look up recipes, and did not have much inspiration about what to bake anyway. Because of my copy of "Procrastibaking," I am now FILLED with ideas for sweet and savory treats to make when I am avoiding studying.

The treats are split up in to different, cleverly-named chapters, from Case-of-the-Mondays Morning Treats to Late-for-Everything Loaf Cakes. There is a wide range of baked goods that will please every palette, and most importantly (for me), the recipes are not overly complex/complicated. The instructions are clear without being tedious or overlong.

Now I normally do not mention the "Introduction" to a book in my review, but this one deserves to be mentioned! It was cute, funny, and a great preamble to the recipes included in the book.

As exam season creeps up on me once again, I am actually excited. I have so many new recipes to try out! I am sure my fellow law students will appreciate some homemade treats for once, especially Peanut Butter S’more Bars. 😍

Disclaimer: I was given a temporary eARC of this book by Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the premise of this book because I procrastibake all the time. I think this would be a wonderful addition to any cookbook collection if you enjoy baking and humor. There is a wonderful range of recipes that can suit just about any type of baking you want to do and the time constraints that you may have.

I am both a life long baker and a life long procrastinator. I have certainly engaged in procrastibaking – the baking you do to avoid doing the things you need to do. When I saw Erin Gardner’s Procrastibaking: 100 Recipes for Getting Nothing Done in the Most Delicious Way Possible, on NetGalley, I knew I needed to read it. This is an honest review in exchange for an arc.

There is a lot to love about Procrastibaking and a couple of things I didn’t love. In this age of the internet, there is no real reason to buy a cookbook for what to bake when you are avoiding productivity. Gardner makes sure to add value by including a month by month breakdown of all food holidays in the United States and the recipes that you might use to celebrate the day and not answer emails. Her writing is fun and I enjoyed reading the parts of the books that were not recipes, which is rare for me. Gardner sings the praises of what she calls “active procrastination.” She talks a little bit about the psychology behind procrastination, the creativity active procrastination can inspire, what she learned while procrastinating, and famous procrastinators. She also talks to the kind of baker that is likely to procrastibake – the ones who won’t read her introduction, the ones who aren’t interested in shortcuts, the ones who won’t follow directions and will substitute ingredients willy-nilly. She gives you permission to do so. It’s important to note though that this is where she tells you what to substitute if you need to make a recipe gluten, egg or dairy free.

A lot of the recipes looked fun and delicious. Where I ran into a problem was mostly some of the ingredients. Firstly, some of the recipes call for coconut oil. Don’t bake or cook with coconut oil, it’s bad for you. The other two ingredients I had a problems with are issues of personal taste. I dislike corn syrup and vegetable shortening. I’ve worked in bakeries and I know they get used a lot, but I don’t like the way they taste or feel. I thoroughly dislike American style butter cream with it’s powdered sugar, and I’m certainly not going to add vegetable shortening to that (unless I am asked to accommodate a vegan). Fortunately, I feel free to make substitutions. I don’t consider this a fatal flaw in the book, just more work for me to figure out what I can substitute and what I can ignore. I didn’t love that sometimes Gardner felt like she needed to justify a recipe by calling it healthy. It’s food and food doesn’t have a moral value. I don’t think anyone is going to look for nutritional guidance in a procreastibaking book.

Procrastibaking: 100 Recipes for Getting Nothing Done in the Most Delicious Way Possible would make a great gift cookbook. The recipes range from very simple to complex, from no-bake to bake in stages. I am never going to make my own gummi bears, but the Salty Sailor Blondies are the absolute bee’s knees. I substituted regular pretzels for chocolate covered pretzels and they were delicious. I also used my own buttermilk caramel recipes because I love it and had it on hand. I am also having a great time playing with with the cereal bar recipe (formerly known as Rice Krispie Treats). I made some bars with Cheerios, cinnamon chips, and pecans. Next time I’m going for something with more color.

As I said, you don’t need this cookbook to procrastibake, but it’s fun, worth the money, and might make you a better person.

I'm totally a procrastinator, so I feel like this book was totally for me. I loved the variety of recipes as well as how funny the little intros were. I would have loved some pictures, but maybe they'll add them to the final copy.

This is a fun twist on fairly common recipes! I love the cover and the title immediately drew me in The chapter titles and intros had me laughing and kept my attention. There are not illustrations of the different recipes in this ARC, which I think is vital for a cookbook. I'm assuming this will not be the case for the final draft. This is definitely not for the baker on a diet, but then again who wants to bake healthy items!?

Now please excuse me while I go lick the batter from the sticky brownies and chase it with frozen strawberry margarita bars!

⛅️morning delights include coffee and fresh muffins

I received this ARC of Procrastibaking by @erin.bakes via @netgalley and I figured the best way to review this cookbook was by testing one of the recipes!

I had almost everything for these Blueberry Lemon Muffins except white flour, I only had whole wheat, and the fancy sugar on top and they still turned out great. The crew working on the house loved them, and I did too!

I loved @erin.bakes writing style, I was giggling throughout the book. She has a great sense of humor and approach to procrastinating — it’s not as bad as we think! It can be delicious! I procrastibaked these muffins for sure because I should’ve been going to the gym and the bank and instead read a book and baked muffins 🙈 Erin is so realistic when it comes to baking, and this book feels perfect for young millennials who don’t have a ton of time, love procrastinating, and also want baked goods. I can’t wait to test more recipes and purchase a hardcover copy in March for my personal bookshelves!

What is your favorite muffin flavor?

I typically go for blueberry or poppyseed, and these are a great combo without the seeds! I can’t wait to try the BEC (bacon, egg, and cheese) muffins in this book!
Thank you @netgalley for this ARC! •
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#bookphotography #bookstagramfeature #bibliophile #booknerdigans #bookish #bookaddict #bookaholic #booknerd #igreads #arc #amateurbaker.

A cute concept, filled with tons of recipes you can easily whip up while you're avoiding adulting.

I disliked that there were no pictures in the arc I received -- maybe they'll make final publication? A cookbook is a real bummer without mouthwatering pictures to keep yourself going.

My favorite part of Procrastibaking is the title. I like the attention-grabbing factor of the title for a baking cookbook. However, I don't feel like many of the recipes are terribly original. There are some new combinations of things, but for the experienced baker there are not many new things to try that we have not found in other places before.

This is a fun cookbook made great by the author's likeable personality, a fun layout, and really decadent baking recipes of all kinds. The author says in the intro that there are "a few" photos of the recipes, but I didn't have any at all in my digital ARC. Perhaps there will be some to come? I even checked on her blog and Instagram to see if she posted pictures of recipes from the book there so I could see them, and she has not done that either. That makes me suspect that there will be few, if any, photographs in the finished book either.

I am reading this while also reading Food Fix and having just read a great book about gardening for better health, and the one thought I had as I read the whole book is that it's full of recipes that I know will taste good but probably wouldn't make because they're so full of sugar, processed flour, far too many calories and junk, and they frankly are the kind of recipes that contribute to really poor health. Lots call for things like caramels, Oreos, etc. added in. Frosting recipes call for an entire pound of butter and many cups of powdered sugar. This isn't the kind of food to make if you have loved ones with weight issues, autoimmune illnesses, diabetes, special dietary needs, cancer risks, etc., which is likely to be an issue in almost everyone's family these days. It is so easy to make tasty food that's bad for you. I am already excellent at that but I choose not to most of the time because it's reversed our family's health issues and kept us healthy not to cook this way. Shrug. I am not docking any points because of all of this, though, as people who read it will probably not care about things like sugar content, GMOs and the effect on health. It's tasty. :)

Do note that the recipes are almost never allergy friendly -- no gluten free options except for a very few accidentally GF recipes, nothing vegan, definitely not paleo, keto, etc. in the bunch. No nutritional information is provided.

All that said, the author's fun tone and the fact that these will be very successful, tasty recipes delivering just what they promise makes this a 4 star book despite the lack of photos and the fact that I'll probably never cook from it. :)

I received a digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.