I was a little skeptical about whether or not I’d like this book when I first started it, but I must say I was very pleasantly surprised!

My original thoughts were that it’s all the work of baking with less of a reward, but I must say that after having gone through it, I just don’t think that true. You get the reward of baking, but you don’t have to deal with the negative side effects that come from baking too much (ie. wasting or over-eating). Frankly, I wish I had this book during the peak of covid when I was wanting to bake all the time but couldn’t justify adding more desserts to the stack I already had. This book comes with the added benefit of not forcing you to a) overeat or b) stuff yourself too quickly because the baked goods don’t last very long and that’s actually a really great reality.

The book itself is packed with recipes and is broken down into similar types of baking which makes it relatively easy to navigate. The recipes themselves yield more than enough for one without over-doing it. The cookie recipes yield 6, the cakes are usually made for 4” rounds, the breads and rolls typically yield 4, the pies are usually 6”, and the muffins should make 4. Additionally, amidst the large array of recipes are lots of substitutions, variations, and baking tips that make this book really user friendly as well (something I REALLY appreciate about it).

All that being said, this book is definitely not for everyone. If you typically have no problem finishing or sharing your baked goods before they go bad, then carry on as you are. Also, if you’re the type of person who wants a picture with every recipe this book might not be for you either, because (at least at present) there aren’t that many. However, if you’re like me and just enjoy the process of cooking and trying new things but can’t finish it all, this book is actually a life saver (plus because if we’re honest, it’s way too much work to half a usually recipe). Or if you just want to bake without the temptation of indulging too far, this book is also perfect. It almost takes the guilt out of baking because you know you’re not about to over-do it by the end of it all.

Frankly, while I was super skeptical about this book initially, I’m really excited to start using it because it means I can get into the kitchen without over doing what I consume and that leaves me with more space to try new things as well!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an advanced reader e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I cook for two, I often share recipes with my daughter, who cooks for one. She enjoys cooking and finds that freezing leftovers is good for when she's in a time crunch, but she truly enjoys a fresh cooked meal and no leftovers...this book is going to be one of her Christmas gifts this year so she can get more comfortable with making single servings and extend her repertoire. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys cooking and doesn't want to cook for more than themselves. Sure, you could pare down a recipe, but when you're in the moment, you probably don't want to play around with a recipe and get down to eating!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was around 3.5 stars for me.

There are some cute pictures, but I like when a recipe book has pictures of each recipe and this book doesn't have a ton of pictures. The book has a variety of sweet and savory recipes paired down to the serving size of one. Many of the recipes are still time intensive, like shortcakes, cheesecakes, or flans but are just paired down so they make less. I like the concept but also feel like I can just make smaller portions of my favorite recipes if I wanted, but it feels like a lot of work for less food.

There are some nice mug cake recipes and other things to whip up without much work.