This books is filled with knowledge. The author really wants to share his expertise with the readers. A collection of recipes from cakes, cookies and fillings that help us create an special dessert. Recipes are not so basic but not extremely elaborate. A beginner adventurous baker and definitely enjoy this book.

As a sucker for baked goods, I loved this cookbook.
The layout is different and refreshing, starting with bases and ending with finishes. The recipes are a mix of classics and different ideas.
I'd definitely recommend this who is looking for a baking book as a gift to someone or even to themselves.

A great book on the art of pastry from a simply brilliant chef! I cannot wait to put all the things I learned to good use!

As a New Yorker, Dominique Ansel's bakeries have been an integral part of our dessert landscape for a long while. The idea of being able to bake his lavishly delicious recipes at home made this one of my most anticipated cookbooks of 2020.

I will say this. The photography is stunning. I love the representations of classic bakes from around the world. (Seeing a flan recipe was unexpected, but delightfully so.) I appreciate seeing imperial and metric measurements for American and international bakers. I love how he labels his base bakes as his "go-tos"; that touch alone makes me feel like I have an in with his most guarded recipes.

HOWEVER. I question the usability of Everyone Can Bake. While well organized, I can't see many readers flipping back and forth between different recipes if they're baking a cake on page 34 and they have to acquire the buttercream recipe on page 220. I personally get frustrated when I have to do that while I'm in the middle of mise en place-ing one dish while getting started on another, so I wonder how others feel about it.

I apologize for initially believing I hadn't downloaded the ARC in time. In fact it was sitting in my Aldiko app this whole time!

The book itself is gorgeous, filled with full-page photographs of all the complex and sophisticated desserts that Dominique Ansel is so famous for. He breaks down these desserts into their elements--cake, tart shells, ganaches, curds, buttercreams, etc. He walks you through how he builds these elaborate desserts from all the modular elements and demystifies them. I have to admit--these are still intimidating desserts to make, but even for relatively beginner bakers, it is nice to see recipes for things like his go-to chocolate cake recipe or his go-to chocolate ganache. Mastering the basics and getting comfortable with each element at a time is the only real way to learn how to make these complicated desserts, and learning them but by bit makes them less of a monumental feat when you go to actually bake them.

My only complaint with this book is the way it's organized. I realize due to the modular approach he proposes, it's impossible to keep recipes together, but the way the book is laid out involves a lot of flipping back and forth between pages, which is really hard for someone like me who likes to read e-books on my phone. I get the sense this is the kind of book you have to own in a hard copy format or else get comfortable with flipping through a bunch of digital bookmarks to find the next piece of the showstopper you're trying to make.

Overall, a solid baking cookbook, though it may be more suited to an experienced baker who wants to take a mini crash course in patisserie, rather than a casual baker.

O.K. everyone can bake. I really liked this book although nothing I baked turned out like the pictures in the book BUT everything tasted good and got eaten. This cookbook made it fairly easy. There were a lot of photos showing the progression of steps so I could try really hard to mimic the steps and hand movements of the author. Plus I love to see what I am striving for. My daughters and granddaughters and I have a baking blog where we post our "nailed it's" and sadly my contributions are the worst but I like to try. The recipes are not complicated. I have done the almond cake with the buttercream icing, vanilla pound cake, chocolate brownies, and banana bread. The pound cake was wonderful with fresh fruit. I really want to try a glazed cake and some of the fillings and syrups. They look so good. "Everyone" can do it and so far that everyone has included me. The ice cream recipe is also delicious and with summer coming on that is probably the one we will use most often. I will have to step up my walking game if I continue with this cookbook because nothing in here is "diet" and everything so far has been yummy! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to cook with this book in exchange for a review.

This review is based on an ARC digital copy of Everyone Can Bake which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.
I enjoyed the beginning part of this book. This pastry chef goes into great detail as to what you will need to be a successful baker. He then goes onto split the book into sections: bases, fillings, findings, assembly, and techniques. The only problem I had was the ingredient list was run together and the measurements were in metric first with English measurements following. I'm thinking the print copy of the book will be better formatted as I looked at an Advanced Electronic digital copy. I also like my cookbooks to have photographs to accompany all recipes and I found this book lacking in this department.

This is a great baking bible for folks who want to learn how to do serious baking. The author walks you through all kinds of baking with his standard "go to" recipes and then endless gourmet variations. He shows how to assemble, decorate, mix and match, etc. This is a great guide if you want to really create showstopping, high end baked goods with quality ingredients. There are beautiful photos for many of the recipes and steps. No nutritional information is provided (no surprise) and there are no recipes or instructions for those with dietary restrictions like gluten free, dairy free or vegan (again, no surprise).

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

This is a very nice cookbook. It's very well written and organized and the pictures are stunning. It shows you the author's go-to recipes for bases, fillings, finishings, and tips of how to assemble and baking techniques. The recipes in this book aren't everyday recipes, I would make them when hosting a dinner because they're kinda fancy, but they look amazing! I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

I am beyond thrilled I was given the opportunity to review this cookbook from #netgalley.

Being a New Yorker, I have often loved visiting Dominique Ansel's bakery to celebrate special occasions, treat visiting friends, and make any regular day even better. This book beautifully melds the presentation style of Ansel with his trustworthy recipes, to be able to make pastries and decadent desserts at home with his expertise and guidance.

The book is organized by bases, fillings, and toppings, in order to layer your perfect dessert. I appreciate the easy layout, multitude of options to enhance the flavors of every recipe, and the tips layered throughout the book in order to make execution of the desserts successful.

I can't wait to try out these recipes, but already thoroughly enjoyed devouring this cookbook. I will definitely be purchasing copies for my baking friends.

What a chance this cookbook gives to cooks of every level. I tried an easy one and had everything I needed at home. I confess I thought his recipes would be challenging. The challenge was which one to try next. I encourage any baker to dip their tie in this excellent adventure in baking. Happy reading

I am an advanced home baker and a cookbook addict. This cookbook is simply gorgeous AND well written. There are absolutely beautiful photographs, which I think is a must with current cookbooks, in an age when Pinterest and Instagram have changed how we view the beauty of food.

But, equally important, is the recipes themselves. The instructions are incredibly thorough and easy to follow. The descriptions of the recipes are also very well done so you know exactly what the finished product should look, taste, and feel like in your mouth. The recipes themselves might intimidate brand new bakers at first glance, but they shouldn't because they are so well written and explained.

This is definitely a go-to book for beginner and advanced bakers!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

There are cookbooks that help you bake a better tasting cookie or a more beautiful cake or a pie with a crispier crust. And I love those cookbooks. That is not what this is. Dominique Ansel is one of the finest pastry chefs working in America today, and his latest cookbook is the book that will teach you how to become a pastry chef in your own kitchen.

His first cookbook (The Secret Recipes) is just that—recipes for pastries and desserts, like his imaginative and inspiring Cronut that took the country by storm many years ago. This is is chance to take us all by the hand and walk us through the recipes and techniques you need to become the kind of chef who could invent your own Cronut. Everyone Can Bake is a primer for taking your baking game up a notch, to learning the basic building blocks of baking and mixing and matching the bases, fillings, and toppings that will make you a master of the baking craft. You know, with enough practice.

Ansel understands that not everyone knows the basics of good baking, and with that I’m talking about more than the recipe for a certain yellow bag of chocolate chips or using the boxed mixes to create a “homemade” cake or pan of brownies. He gets that baking is about exact measurements and quality ingredients and precision. He explains that it will take time and patience. You have to be careful and pay attention to the details. But when you do, when you learn the basics, you can create desserts that are unlike anything else you may find at the school bake sale.

He starts with the basics: a basic cookie or a brownie. You can make that and eat it as is. It will be delicious. But with each basic recipe, Ansel includes a couple of alternatives you can try to take it to the next level. And when you get comfortable with that level, you can take his suggestions to turn it into a showstopper. Here’s an example. You can start with Ansel’s Go-To Vanilla Pound Cake. You can make that, and it would be exquisite all on its own. But you can take his suggestions to take it to the next level, and you could add his Earl Grey Italian Meringue or use two layers of cake with his Creme Fraiche Whipped Ganache between the layers and put fresh sliced peaches on the top.

As you master the basic recipes (the tart shell, ladyfingers, a meringue, pate a choux), you can let your mind wander trough possible flavor combinations as you move on to mastering pastry cream, lemon curd, dark chocolate ganache, jams, compotes, mousse, and caramel before moving on to the buttercreams, glazes, ice cream, and roasted fruits that bring your desserts to an entirely new level. With enough practice and a burning curiosity for how to pair flavors, you can learn to make pastries that could rival any French bakery.

Everyone Can Bake is not just a collection of recipes. It is an inspiration, an entryway to a world of creativity that can only be reached through flour, sugar, and eggs. It is filled with gorgeous photographs that motivate your brain and trigger your taste buds to help you think about what you want to bake next. Whether it’s a batch of Linzer Cookies for a quiet Sunday afternoon or a Mousse Cake for a 25th wedding anniversary or a glossy fruit tart that will make Instagram kneel before you, this is the cookbook that can take you from baking fear to baking triumph. Bakers of all skill levels will appreciate this as a gift (and that could lead to all sort of sweet thank-yous from the recipient!).

Galleys for Everyone Cake Bake were provided by Simon & Schuster through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This is a great book for someone who is wanting to step up their pastry game, and also to get grounded in the basics.

The premise of the book is simple. It has 'go to' recipes for basic, beginning blocks of pastry. Think cookies, sable breton, meringue, pate a choux, almond cake.

It also has a section for fillings.

And then for finishes. (icings etc)

Each 'basic recipe' has additions to make your basic desert, and then suggestions/directions to use the basic recipe for a 'showstopper' version. Typically there are about two suggestions for getting started and show stoppers per basic recipe.

So far I have only noticed one small omission.. in using the choux dough for Paris brest.. he never indicates what size of piping tip to use.. the initial direction was a plain tip.. but it obviously is a star tip used in the picture.. yes you could pipe either way.. so I nothing drastic.

One thing I really love, is that it has a recipe on how to make your own nappage. I have never seen that listed in a home baking book.. as most pastry shops just buy nappage.

In short, this book will be good for beginners for its basic recipes... and also good for experienced bakers to step up their game. The pictures of finished products are also inspiring to help with construction and decorating to produce 'wow' desserts.

All in all, after a quick perusing of this book digitally, I am ordering a hard copy to add to my robust,crowded cookbook library.. and it is a welcome addition.

Recommended!

I received this as a galley via NetGalley.

Count me as a Dominique Ansel fan. I have paid attention to his work ever since his Cronut rocked the baking world. Last year, on my dream trip to the UK, after checking into my hotel, the first thing I did was visit Ansel's London shop a few blocks away. And I visited again for breakfast the next morning.

So yes, I was excited to be approved to read his brand new cookbook. I do think the title is a bit off, though. I wouldn't recommend this book to brand-new bakers. However, it does offer a lot to experienced bakers who already possess some know-how plus a kitchen stocked with various ingredients and cooking implements.

The book is broken down into four sections:
Bases
Fillings
Finishings
Assembly & Techniques

What makes this book incredibly innovative is that there isn't, say, one chocolate layer cake in the whole book. No, Ansel provides a recipe for a sponge that can be used by itself or sliced into layers, and he recommends different fillings and finishes, and includes take-you-by-the-hand techniques. The book's voice is personable and easy to follow. Therefore, there are a myriad of ways to play with every single element throughout the book. There are loads of photographs as well (a MUST for a cookbook, far as I'm concerned).

The emphasis is on tarts and cakes. That's where you can truly mix'n match dozens of different takes. However, the book also has some loaf cakes like banana bread and vanilla pound cake, a cookie recipe, chocolate brownies, sable breton, and pate a choux. Fillings includes things like pastry cream, fruit curds and jams, chocolate ganache, mousse, and caramel. Finishings describe stand-bys like buttercream and mirror glazes, along with a clear nappage glaze for fruit, roasted fruits, meringues, struesel crumble, and even ice cream.

Honestly, as I read the book, all I could think is that this is like a guide to make a Great British Bake Off-style showstopper.

I have not gotten to try any recipes yet, but oh, I want to. As I write this, I am--like much of the world--under quarantine. Staples like eggs and flour now must be rationed, as they are difficult to find and perhaps prohibitively expensive when available. But there will come a time when I, and the rest of the world, can indulge again, and <i>Everyone Can Bake</i> is the how-to manual on going about that.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely will keep this book and have already recommended it to several family members. We all love to bake, and right now is a wonderful time since we’re all stuck at home. The stories are a great addition, making this more than a recipe book or manual. The fact that adaptation is encouraged and discussed is also a great feature of these recipes- they are high quality templates for inspiration more than just a basic recipe. The pictures are beautiful and helpful, my only complaint was a formatting issue that I really hope will be fixed in the final edition. This was not optimized for a phone or iPad- all the measurements got garbled.

This was a fun book for the current season of my life. I have recently gotten into baking and cooking and this was a great addition to help me grow as a beginner. It felt a little basic at times but was still helpful!

Thank you Net Galley for the copy to read in exchange for my review!

Dominique Ansel is a celebrated French pastry chef, and really knows his stuff. That’s why his cookbook, Everyone Can Bake: Simple Recipes to Master and Mix is a must for anyone who wants to learn to bake beautiful desserts. Owning this book is almost as good as taking an expensive baking course taught by an expert. This beautiful cookbook is my new baking bible. Ansel gives basic “go-to” recipes, then tells how to use them in innovative ways. The basic recipes are simple and range from a go-to Chocolate Cake to Go-To pâte à choux, with dozens of “go-To” baked specialties in the middle. Quite Frankly, this may be the only baking book a serious baker may need for ideas and showstopper desserts. Once you learn the basics, you can make almost anything your imagination comes up with. Not only are there basic cakes, pies, and pastries, but also filling, fruit compotes, lemon curd, several kinds of ganache and truffles, and even soaking syrups.

The instructions are easy-to-follow, even for beginning bakers, and there is plenty of information on equipment and basic baking tips. One of the best things about this cookbook is the photographs; they are spectacular, and will inspire any baker to use this book constantly. Everyone can Bake belongs on every serious baker’s bookshelf, and should also be on the shelf of everyone who needs a little help with baking. Everyone can learn from this excellent pastry chef.

This is a very impressive cookbook. Almost everyone can follow a simple recipe, and the way Ansel has expanded the basics to make amazing baked goods is exciting. Everyone who is serious about baking, or is serious about learning the basics should definitely pick up this excellent book.

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

I loved the layout of the book. There were sections for the following:

Bases
Fillings
Finishings
Assembly & Techniques

This setup gets the creative juices flowing so you can mix and match. In case you aren't feeling creative, there is a table with recommendations, along with popular pairings within each recipe.

This book is great for the newbie, informing the reader about recommended tools as well as expected time commitments and step by step instructions. This book is also great for an experienced baker, it's a Bible of sorts and a reference book I will keep handy for tips and tricks.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the photos. They are all beautiful! Some are instructive, others are for asthetics but all mouth watering.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful and basic beginner baking recipes. Easy to follow instructions and elegant images! This book could be used for setting up programming in a public library as a reference tool. Ansel's classic approach to fine baking will leave the reader itching to try out one of these scrumptious recipes.