Classic German Baking Book Review

I love to bake, and am a big fan of European baked goods. I would also consider myself somewhat of an experienced baker. So I was excited to receive this book and check out some of the recipes.

After flipping through the book I was surprised at the lack of recipe pictures. Considering this is a German recipe book geared toward an American kitchen (or at least geared towards people who might not be familiar with German recipes.) I found this quite annoying. 

Maybe it's the photographer in me, but I want to see what these things are supposed to look like! I want to be inspired to bake and I just wasn't feeling it. I mean, I'd venture to guess that most people (myself included) don't know what a  Schlesische mohnrolle is supposed to look like!

I was also a little annoyed at all the pictures of Berlin. Now, I like travel pictures, and I've been to Germany, and while it is a beautiful country, this is a cook book. Not a travel book. I don't think it's really appropriate to have a cake recipe paired with a picture of a strange mural somewhere. 

This is also not a book for a beginner baker. Most of the recipes are complex and take lots of planning. Which I don't exactly have a problem with, but I know that can be a deterrent for some people. 

On a positive note, the author does do a good job explaining each of the recipes, there is a section at the beginning explaining the uses of different ingredients in the book (and some you might not be familiar with, like baker's ammonia.)

I do also like her commentary about each recipe. The author explains a little about each recipe, where she got the recipe, the different ingredients in it, and other random facts. It injects some personality into the book. And it's kind of nice knowing the recipe might've come from the author;'s grandmother instead of just a random recipe from the internet. 

So overall, I was disappointed with the book. The lack of pictures and overall complexity of most of the recipes was disheartening.

I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.