Pastry for Beginners by Sharon Glascoe, Rockridge Press, Callisto Publishers,147 pages

“This cookbook ensures that you have all the knowledge you

need to become the expert baker  you always knew you could be.

So, what are you waiting for?

Let’s get started!”

-Sharon Glascoe, Introduction page ix

Let the learning begin! The Introduction section (page viii) you will learn of the four main varieties of pastry dough, Pie Dough; Puff Pastry; Yeast Dough; and Choux Pastry Dough. I have never learned to bake cakes and pastries from scratch and so I began my newfound journey (smile).

Starting in Chapter 1 are the “master ingredients of pastry”: fat, flour, sugar, yeast, salt, water, and eggs. Do you know the secrets for a perfect pastry? Temperature is one of the answers. You learn the basic methods of common baking used in this cookbook and very useful equipment. Included are measurement conversion charts, resources, a glossary of pastry baking terms. Chapters 2 through 5 provide numerous tasty recipes waiting to be prepared.

Chapter 2: Pie Dough section introduces several sweet and a few savory surprises such as Bourbon-Peach Hand Pies, Raspberry Rugelach, and Beef Empanadas. Chapter 3: Puff Pastry has recipes for Breakfast Pizza, Aussie Sausage Rolls, and Classic Butter Croissants. Chapter 4: Yeast Dough has Cinnamon Monkey Bread, Asiago Cheese Bread, and Mallorca Sweet Bread. Chapter 5: Choux Dough has Churros with Mexican Chocolate Sauce, French Crullers, and Chicken Salad-Stuffed Gougeres.

There are plenty recipes to experiment with as a beginner pastry maker. I tried the Cinnamon Raisin and Walnut Pinwheels that were not too bad for my first time. The puff pastry did not quite turn out as I wanted it, but I later learned after watching a baking show contest where I went wrong. I did not keep my butter cold as I pin rolled and turned my dough. It is okay, as I intend to tackle this beginning fete again!

I prepared the Cinnamon Monkey Bread and Sweet Yeast Rolls recipes. The Cinnamon Monkey Bread was very tasteful and I loved it. The Sweet Yeast Rolls tasted better than dinner rolls from the grocery market. I will definitely make these again and again.

I recommend this pastry cookbook for beginners and seasoned pastry makers to start or include new and old recipes to your collections.

I received this cookbook from Callisto Publishers in exchange for an honest review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.

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