Tomorrow it’s September 1st and many of us are looking at a back-to-school unlike any other. Something to sweeten the deal a little for those of us in North America is that it’s also publication day for the US edition of Edd Kimber’s One Tin Bakes, a truly delightful book that is a must-have for fans of sweet treats with no fuss!
Edd, aka The Boy who Bakes (he won the first ever season of The Great British Bake Off) is a talented baker and teacher and his books make even the fanciest sweet treats accessible for everyone (see: Pâtisserie Made Simple). His Instagram is a treat to look at and he is very generous with live “bake-along” events or simply videos where he shows how to make so many of his recipes. If you’re not following him, you should be!
One Tin Bakes is, according to Nigella Lawson, “a brilliant idea for a book” (and, well, she would know!). According to the publisher:
Whether you want cookies or cakes, pastries or desserts, something fruity, chocolatey, spiced or nutty, baking just got a whole lot easier. From Praline Meringue Cake to Matcha Roll Cake, Peanut Butter Brookies to Tahini Babka Buns, all you need is just one standard 9 x 13in baking tin. Varied and versatile, requiring minimal skill and little equipment, Edd Kimber’s delicious treats range from simple bakes to slice and serve to impressive but achievable showstoppers.
It really is a clever idea – take one tin/ pan and showcase many recipes you can use it for. If you’re short on kitchen space but love baking and don’t want to buy tons of different baking tins, this would be an excellent investment. Ironically, I did not own a 9×13-inch baking tin so I had to buy one (I got this one) and I am happy to have it join my collection! A word of warning – it does bake a LOT of each recipe (most recipes make between 10 and 16 serves) so when I’ve wanted something sweet but not that much (because, hello pandemic where I can’t share my food with others so easily!), I’ve had success making a quarter of some of the recipes using a 9x 5-inch loaf pan with good success.
The 70 recipes are divided into Cakes, Bars & Cookies, Pastries, Pies & Tarts, Desserts and No-Bakes and Buns & Breads. There’s a useful resource section as well as must-have equipment and explanations about the ingredients. Edd helpfully shows in pictures how to line the tin properly with parchment paper (there are a few different ways depending on what you’re making) which is great because techniques like that is hard to explain sometimes, photos are best. Each recipe has a photo which, again, is helpful if you are a visual baker (like me!).
Because of Edd’s mouthwatering photos (yup, he styled and shot the book as well as developing the recipes!), I’ve pretty much marked MOST of the book as ‘to make’. I’ve made a few recipes already to rave reviews (Sweet & Salty Rice Crispy Treats and Anzac Caramel Chocolate Slices being my two faves so far) and I love how easy to follow the recipes are. They are also short (most of them only take up a page) and because Edd’s such a good teacher of what he does, they are straightforward and clearly written, setting bakers up for success from the start.
It’s a BEAUTIFUL book with practical advice and full of recipes you will want to make. What more could you ask for? Do yourself a favour this fall and get this book. It will surely smooth out any back-to-school stress (hey, if baking can’t do that, what can?).
(please note, this is a review of the UK version of the book. Where possible, I always order books from their original country of publication, especially when they are from countries outside North America, so I get the original – metric and by weight – quantities of the ingredients)
Buy One Tin Bakes on Amazon (this link should bring you to the Amazon store geographically closest to you). Or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository.
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post also contains affiliate links from The Book Depository. This means that if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you). Thank you in advance!
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MY BOOK! In the French kitchen with kids is out now! Click here for details and how to order!
Here’s to you going through the book! I dutifully will commit myself to taste-testing. 😉