Baking recipes

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

Coconut Cream Cupcakes excerpted from Better Than Grandma’s, Comfort Desserts We Grew Up Loving co-written by Justin Ellen and Brianna Ellen. Photography by Paul Johnson.

Better Than Grandma's, Comfort Desserts We Grew Up Loving co-written by Justin Ellen and Brianna Ellen. Photography by Paul Johnson

Better Than Grandma’s by Justin Ellen

Your grandma’s recipes have met their match.

Inspired by the Nana who first made Justin Ellen fall in love with baking, Better Than Grandma’s brings more than 80 nostalgic desserts into the modern kitchen. Think rich cakes, gooey brownies, pies, cookies and breakfast bakes, all reimagined to be richer, softer and completely foolproof.

Justin, the baker behind Everything Just Baked, started baking at 16, selling custom cakes while still in high school. Since then, he has created desserts for celebrities and chefs and taught millions of people online how to bake with more confidence, joy and creativity.

At the heart of it all is the same love of baking he discovered in the kitchen with his Nana.

Every recipe comes with clear instructions and a step by step video, making it easy for bakers of all levels to succeed. No shortcuts. No complicated techniques. Just really good, homemade baking. (more…)

Book Review: Williams-Sonoma Gluten-Free Baking

71uCydXe9XL

I know what you’re thinking. I’ve succumbed to the ever-present fad that is gluten-free. Let me assure you that I have done no such thing. But for many people, living with a gluten intolerance or sensitivity is serious business.

According to the CDHF, more than 330,000 Canadians are believed to be affected by celiac disease (a condition where people’s immune systems react to gluten found in wheat, rye and barley). In the U.S., that number is a staggering 1 in 133 Americans, or about 1% of the population (according to the NFCA).

With the help of Williams-Sonoma, gluten-­free expert and author Kristine Kidd released her eighth book, Gluten-Free Baking, featuring 80 recipes that are naturally gluten-free. Ms. Kidd is a gourmet chef and was the food editor at Bon Appétit magazine for 20 years. After adopting a gluten-­free diet due to an intolerance, she set to work developing recipes in her own kitchen, exploring an array of gluten-free whole grains with the goal to create baked goods with great flavour and texture.

(more…)