I love the premise of this book. After weathering Covid, a baking book like this was inevitable and much-needed. He covers the full spectrum of baking recipes and adds some wonderful “baking” affirmations and wisdom throughout to give your spirit a lift. I might be a simple girl, but my favorite recipe is the Baked Apples with the Cheater Crème Anglais! The Chocolate Hazelnut Mouse Pie looked pretty amazing too. There is a delightful mix of savory recipes as well. We all need this book on our shelves for that rainy day, bad breakup, or after that particularly stressful meeting. Definitely recommend!

I've always found baking to be therapeutic. After all, we talk about "stress baking" or making something to share with friends - in celebration or loss alike. Hazan delves deeper into the idea of baking therapy, explaining it's impact on his life and how it can help us as well.

The recipes are a treat and there is something for everyone and every situation, from recipes for Self Care such a as Better Than Sex Cake, Coconut Lime Bites, or edible cookie dough, for Mindfulness with Mandela Bread or Pistachio Muffins, for Finding Comfort with classics like rice pudding and pineapple upside-down cake, for handling anxiety and stress with a Peach Galette, and so much more. To include even all the highlights would take too long, but this at least gives a taste.

Each recipe includes an affirmation and each section a mindset and food for thought. It is enjoyable and calming just to read, and the recipes themselves truly fit their categories and feed the soul.

What a BEAUTIFUL book. The whole concept of this book is amazing, pairing self care with creative expression and food. The recipes are divine, the discussions around mental health are compassionate and the photography and design is beautiful. Excellent execution.

I really enjoyed reading through this book from Netgalley. Jack Hazan is both a baker and a therapist and he has great suggestions for both your mental health and your kitchen! There are intriguing recipes as well as discussions of how to improve your emotional state - what a great idea!

This is a great baker's cookbook. A self-care cookbook for using baking as therapy from licensed psychotherapist and master baker Jack Hazan with 75 simple, therapeutic recipes. It's healing recipes that can help you tap into whatever you might be going through that day. In need of connection? Make some Presto Pull-Apart Bread to share with your loved ones. Looking for a way to release some anxiety? Knead away your stress with a Chocolate Babka Crunch. Simply in need of some self-care? Whip us a single-serve indulgence like a Devil's Food Mug Cake. I am definitely buying this cookbook. The recipes look so delicious and sounds like a good way to indulge yourself. Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for a copy for an honest review.

Was not able to access this book so will not be able to review. I am so sorry. This book looks amazing and I can't wait to one day read and use these recipes.

This book was interesting and different in a good way. I love that he's a therapist and a baker. He gives you some good tips and tricks. I loved the breakdown of five stages of grief and then he talks about what how baking can help you through it. This was quite the little gem.

I love the stories and tools mixed into the recipes. As someone who is a stress baker I think combining therapeutic practices really was a smart to reaffirm baking is a healthy coping strategy.

In the world of self care, we are always looking for the next best thing. Mind over batter puts a self help spin on baking. This is genius in my opinion for a few different reasons. First off, all your senses are involved, you are having to focus on something other than what’s going on in your mind at the moment. Second, it’s something you get to share with others making them feel good too. There’s a reason why people say that there is more happiness in giving! Third, what better way to self care than to eat your feelings. Personally if I have to put in the work to make something I don’t scarf it down like a whole box of Cheeseitz. Making things gives you a sense of pride in what you do. And knowing what goes into the stuff you put into your body gives you a sense of satisfaction. This cookbook is an awesome example of this. Not only was it beautifully arranged, but the humorous titles and pictures really made this book special. It’s unlike anything else I’ve seen on the market and I want many copies to give away to my friends too. Great cookbook and very grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this!

What an interesting take on the art of baking ! A liscenced doctor takes through the journey of self care as you make mouth watering baked creations! Amazing and gorgeous photography and easy to follow step by step directions. Should be on anyone's cookbook shelf!

I really enjoyed looking through this cook book. Not only was there a wonderful selection of treats to try out, there were also truthful and thought provoking messages attached to each setting making you think and reflect. Each recipe seemed easy enough to follow with clear directions and language.

This is a great therapy guiding baking focused cookbook. The look and seem amazing. They are very creative and just as creatively named. I appreciate that we get an understanding of Hazan's background and how his culture has influenced these recipes. It's beautifully and eye-catchingly designed. Overall, it is a lovely guide and aesthetically pleasing.

The premise for this cookbook is very intriguing. The author is a counselor and guides the reader through a self-help book with recipes. There are very basic and familiar recipes like vanilla pound cake and challah bread, but the author also includes lesser-known recipes from his childhood growing up in a Syrian Jewish community. Many bakes are accompanied by photos and several are not. The only change I would make to this book is to include photos for every recipe. More food porn = endorphins, right? ;)

Mind over Batter by Jack Hazan is an affirming nod to those of us who like to escape to the kitchen. There is something to be said for being up to your elbows in flour and spices and pounding, rolling, or stirring. I absolutely loved the variety of recipes provided. I also enjoyed the Quick Session provided at the end of each chapter. Personal insights and nuggets of wisdom are shared that align with the topic of the chapter (various topics include self-care, mindfulness, finding comfort, dealing with stress and anxiety, letting go of frustration, connecting with others, and finding joy). A great gift to those who enjoy baking therapy.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I loved the concept of this cookbook. I've had years of mental health issues, mainly depression and anxiety, and cooking has always been therapeutic for me. It's nice to see that an actual therapist believes that it is a form of therapy that can help those in need in addition to baking some wonderful recipes.

This is an absolute wonderful cookbook. The author and therapist, Jack Hazan takes time to really introduce himself, talk about his life and why he chose to write this.

This cookbook is a perfect example of finding different ways to cope with stress and give yourself love. These aren’t just recipes. The author includes reasons why he makes them or where he might have gotten the recipes. You can feel the love through every recipe. What I love the most is that he includes food for thoughts or baking affirmations

Nice approach to a crowded field. The recipes are enticing, the instructions are clear, and the suggestions on keeping your sanity are clear and simple.

This cookbook is written by a therapist who combines his passion for baking with thearapy. It’s pretty great. He pulls from his own experiences of using baking as a way to work through issues to help show others how the love of baking can be a tool for self care. Many of the recipes are inspired by the women in his family who gave him a safe space in the kitchen and his Syrian Jewish roots.

This was such a cool cookbook! I love how the author incorporated self help tips and therapy into the baking recipes featured in this book. This cookbook features a ton of recipes, and most of them are pretty easy to make. A lot of the recipes are super unique and ones that I cannot wait to try out in the future. The author incorporated different cultures into a lot of the recipes, which was really nice to see, because I was pretty unfamiliar with many Middle Eastern recipes prior to reading this cookbook. I also love that each chapter of the cookbook is a different theme, because it makes it easy to find a specific recipe you are looking for. I cannot wait to see what else Jack Hazan comes out with, because I was super impressed with this cookbook and I think a lot of people will really love it!

A whole book talking about baking as therapy! From a therapist and a baker! This is so up my alley. I bake for sanity, I make food for people as a love language. If I can’t bake I get antsy.

I think this is a mostly excellent book. Hazen connects recipes to aspects of mental health that he wants you to keep in mind. He may focus on the sensory aspects of baking (aroma, feel, sound), or the necessary lessons of patience. He also uses recipes to encourage adventure and flexibility. He shares lessons and thoughts along the way. Some worked better for me than others, but I particularly appreciated his preamble to the peach galette:

So when you fold the crust over the spiced peaches, be forgiving with yourself. No matter how this tart turns out in the end, it will turn out the way it was supposed to.

This was a hard lesson that I had to learn, letting go of perfection. Baking started to teach me that lesson, and I often need reminders. And I have often suggested the galette as way to ease in to pastry. It’s very hard to screw up a galette.

I loved that the first recipe called for cake mix and instant pudding mix, and the second recipe was for a microwave mug cake. He doesn’t use many mixes after that, but I appreciate that he starts out that way. There’s also a whole chapter on stressless baking. And, of course, I tried some of his recipes. I did try his famous challah recipe. I’ve tried a lot of challah recipes, but I always go back to Mollie Katzen’s recipe. I would say that Hazan’s recipe is as good. It made a beautiful loaf. I also tried the muffin recipe. I made some plain, some with a dollop of lemon curd, and some with a mix of chocolate chips. The base batter was a little sweeter than I like, but I know I’m an outlier on this issue. Otherwise the crumb was tender.

I wish Hazan was better about a couple of things, To be fair, they are places where most people need to do better – stop insisting the kitchen must be organized and uncluttered, and stop putting food on a “healthy” ranking. Both of these things are subjective, and they are unnecessary barriers to baking. Organized and uncluttered compared to what? Healthier compared to what? I have made large 3 tier wedding cakes in tiny cluttered kitchens. I have seen soufflé made in the embers of a campfire out in the woods. It is ok if your kitchen is messy. I absolutely disagree that a cluttered kitchen equals a cluttered mind, and frankly, even if it does, that’s not a barrier to baking. Bodies are different, so the healthiness of various foods is not universal. I would love to see a whole lot less judgement in the food conversation.

If you want to bake – do it! Do not let the imperfections of space, ingredients, or equipment stop you from baking. Baking is about transmuting individual ingredients into a whole different thing with effort and time. People have been doing it for centuries in all kinds of conditions. (Someday I’m going to write my own cookbook called The Grumpy Baker Wants You to Know You Are Fine as You Are, Now Eat a Damn Cookie.)

I generally think Hazan is on the right track with this book and it could be of value to people looking for ways to engage in self care and community care.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Chronicle Books and Net Galley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.