Member Reviews

My advice? Buy the old book, what on earth were the publishers thinking when they included the "cup and spoon" measurements? The American don't need it, they are happy with the pounds and ounces and the rest of the world are happy with metric.
The recipes as usual can't be faulted, the usual thoughtful Mary Berry instructions, beautiful recipes, nice pictures, however, not every recipe has a photo

Was this review helpful?

Mary Berry's Baking Bible: Revised and Updated; With Over 250 New and Classic Recipes by Mary Berry was such a freaking delight! I made several recipes - not quite well - but it was still heaps fun! I was truly thankful to have gotten to read this before most people! I would like to purchase this one for my physical library!

Was this review helpful?

Who doesn't love Mary Berry? I spent many days watching her judge bakers on that very popular British baking competition show. This book is an updated version of her original bible published in 2009. As I have not seen that version, I cannot compare the two but I did enjoy the lovely photos and interesting British bakes. If you have a sweet tooth, this cookbook will delight you. Cakes, pies, breads, tarts, cookies...so many yummy recipes. I have seen a few people complain that the "American" measurements are "off" but every good baker knows you need to weigh your ingredients anyway! I would recommend this to any baker with at least some experience. Not sure if a beginner would do well with it.

Was this review helpful?

A lot of tasty looking recipes! I can't wait to have time to try all of them out! I plan to make some for my next get together!

Was this review helpful?

Most people will know Mary Berry from Great British Baking Show. This is her baking bible, not just a cake book. And it makes me want to spend the weekend making everything in here. Color pictures throughout, I recommend not being hungry when you’re reading this. She starts off with a list of baking equipment she recommends everyone should have. It’s a long list, but she also narrows it down to the basics, like certain pans and baking tools. After that there is the section of baking terminology that you’ll see throughout the book. After that we move into the ingredients that she uses, and I learned there are a lot more sugars out there. And she finishes the first part with some tips. The recipes start with several chapters on different cakes to bake. Then we move to cookies and tarts. Then breads and other baked goods. These look like great and the recipes feature both measurements of cups and weights when working with flour and sugar. Perfect for a baker.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely cannot go wrong with anything from Mary Berry. This book is an absolute treasure and will make a fantastic addition to anyone’s collection of baking books…although I am going to bet this may be the only one you need

Was this review helpful?

There were some great recipes in this book. Definitely some classics that I can't wait to try! I trust that Mary won't lead me astray.

Was this review helpful?

I have been brought up with Mary Berry and watching her on TV over the years - to be honest not a great Bake Off fan as I just want people to get into the kitchen and bake rather than watching TV and this was me. I was worried as Mary is the baking guru and could I do this - well thank fully I could.
The illustrations were beautiful and this book is aimed at every level which I was impressed. As it says on the tin this is a bible and will be my go to book now for baking. There is so many baked goods to choose for. So glad I was asked to review this from Net Galley. And before you ask yes I have tried quite a few wonderful cakes.
Ideal Christmas present too.

Was this review helpful?

For those who don’t know, Mary Berry is the Queen of British baking. She first released Mary Berry’s Baking Bible in 2009 and has decided to update it for the modern lifestyle. There are new recipes, along side many of her favorites. Another update, was altering measurements to fit in with those used in North America.

Out of the 250+ recipes, I am happy to say there are around 40 that contain nuts or nut products. Sadly, there is one chapter as a whole that has nuts. That chapter is the one that focuses on special occasion cakes. Most of those contain nuts because of the use of marzipan, which is made of ground almonds.

Reading Berry’s tips and tricks is like baking with your grandmother or even an older aunt. She shares her tricks and explains why she uses them and how they work.

Some may feel overwhelmed when looking at the book and seeing there are 17 chapters. Worry not, as most of them only contain a handful of recipes. And several of those offer up alternative options. For example, there is a recipe for a basic Victorian sponge which then has three variations. The same goes for the shortbread cookies.

There is something in this cookbook for everyone, whether it’s a basic chocolate chip muffin or something a little more British (Welsh?) like a Bara Brith or Irish Soda bread.

This is an excellent option if you are looking for a basic baking cookbook. I can see this being given to someone just getting started, either with baking or moving out on their own for the first time. A seasoned baker can also find a new favorite recipe in Mary Berry’s Baking Bible.

Was this review helpful?

great cookbook, full of various mouth watering recipes. Well set out and easy to follow - I've tried a few and they've all worked well

Was this review helpful?

I loved this cookbook so much. I loved all the recipes and they were super easy to make. It made me feel like I was apart of the Great British Bake Off.

Was this review helpful?

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I became familiar with Mary Berry when I was on medical leave with multiple sclerosis and binged watched Great British Bake Off. I was very excited to try out some recipes

I love how user-friendly this book is. I'm not a baker, but I was able to complete a recipe from each section that was encouraging. There seem to be recipes for all levels and wonderful explanations of the terms used. It's one I'm going to go out and buy for sure.

Was this review helpful?

This is a beautiful cookbook. The author has been thorough in describing baking terms, tools to use, and techniques. Unique recipes to try for every skill level. This cookbook is a feast for the eyes and imagination, thanks Mary Berry!

Was this review helpful?

Just what you'd expect from the culinary Queen of Britain! Loads of great recipes. I can't wait to try them!

Many thanks to Mary Berry, NetGalley, and Clarkson Potter for this copy.

Was this review helpful?

As always any of Mary Berry's cookery books never fail to disappoint. All as mouth watering as each other that you are spoilt for choice.

Was this review helpful?

This is a nice baking cookbook, with a good range of recipes ranging across a variety of difficulty levels. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, the pictures are beautiful and enticing, and the tips on many recipes will help bakers to make various changes in recipes in regards to size and flavorings. The general definitions and tips at the beginning of the book, and the cake decorating tips at the end, will be very useful to less-experienced bakers, However, some bakers will be put off by the need to buy multiple types of sugar, a wide variety of flour types and sources, and the off-handed statement that all eggs used in creating the recipes were, of course, free range or organic, terms that are undefined and can mean a variety of things that the author may not have intended. Bakers using this volume should be aware that they need to read ingredient lists carefully to ensure that they have the right variety of sugar, flour, oil, chocolate, and other ingredients, lest they inadvertently purchase the wrong type and find themselves unsuccessful.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Mnay thanks to NetGalley for allowing me access to this ARC copy of Mary Berry's Baking Bible. This lovely recipe book is full of wonderful ideas and tips on how to make the best of the recipes included. I found Mary's no nonsense approach a great help when attempting her gorgeous recipes.

Was this review helpful?

I wish we had scratch and sniff cookbooks because wow these recipes look amazing. I can’t wait to work my way through all (well most) of this book. The recipes are easy to follow (though some will be challenging) and mostly easily accessible ingredients.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC of from NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press in exchange for an honest review.

OK, this is a tome. 400 pages of so many cakes, cookies, breads, and pastries that it feels just a bit overwhelming, especially to the novice baker. It is, however, a great reference book for anyone wanting to improve their baking skills, with lots of interesting tips and tricks.

The photographs are beautiful, however, as others have mentioned, there aren't quite enough of them, especially for someone unfamiliar with British pastries. I had to look up pictures of several things, like Singin' Hinny, Victorian Christmas cake, and Wimbledon cake, to see what they looked like. I often look at the pictures to decide whether or not I should attempt to make it!

So this is a great reference book to have for fans of Mary Berry, and for those who want a nice repertoire of foundation recipes to work through. Quality recipes written in an understandable way!

Was this review helpful?

I found the recipes to be very British for mtpy tastes. I enjoy watching Mary Berry on PBS but the cookbook is not for me.

Was this review helpful?