4 Favorite Dessert Recipe Books To Check Out From Your Library

If you enjoy baking homemade desserts, definitely check out these four delicious and inspiring dessert cookbooks from your local library.

When I’m in the kitchen, I enjoy cooking… but I really enjoy baking. My biggest gripe about baking is that someone has to eat it, and it’s usually me. My willpower to avoid sweets is exactly zero. My best defense against sugar is keeping it out of my house entirely. However, I’m also pretty terrible at that because I really enjoy baking fun, new desserts. First world problems…

While I favor chocolate, I’ve been leaning toward more fruity and simpler desserts as of late that aren’t quite as rich as typical chocolate masterpieces. Maybe I’m growing out of my love for chocolate (though don’t get me wrong, I’m still a giant fan). Maybe it’s a passing phase. Or maybe I’m just learning to appreciate that there is more to dessert that triple chocolate anything.

In my search for perfect dessert recipes, I’ve stumbled on some great dessert recipe books. I didn’t always go searching for them, but how can I pass up a book full of gorgeous photos of decadent desserts?! I have to at least check them out and take a spin through them!

So.. I bring you four of my favorite dessert recipe books I definitely think are worth checking out from the library.

4 of My Favorite Dessert Recipe Books

The Art of Pie: A Practical Guide to Homemade Crusts, Fillings, and Life by Kate McDermott

Pies are intimidating, at least to me. I have made a few pies, like this strawberry rhubarb pie, and stuck to the crust recipe I learned from M’s grandmother. Outside of this simple skill, pies seem like a lot to undertake. In this book, McDermott lays out all the ins and outs of making a good pie and explains the science (in layman’s terms) behind why certain tricks work and result in better pies.

Simple Cake: All You Need to Keep Your Friends and Family in Cake by Odette Williams

I’m a sucker for lovely photos, and this one definitely got me. I also love the simplicity of the cakes, as the title implies. I’m not a huge fan of icing, and many of these cakes have very little to no icing on them. They rely on simple and sophisticated flavors. The moist and delicious cakes speak for themselves without a lot of fuss and fanfare.

Cake Simple: Recipes for Bundt-Style Cakes from Classic Dark Chocolate to Luscious Lemon-Basil by Christie Matheson

There are two things I love about bundt cakes. I love that the shape adds a bit of fancy flair before even beginning to decorate it. I also love that many bundt cakes are complete with nothing more than a drizzled glaze. I’m quite partial to glaze over a thick icing or frosting on my desserts. This book has lots of decadent-looking desserts that are simpler to create than they look.

How Baking Works by Paula Figoni

This is a thick and dense book all about the science behind baking. Unlike many cooking techniques, baking well requires a good bit of precision. I’ve learned the hard way with many a grumpy batch of chocolate chip cookies that butter at the wrong temperature, a little too much flour, or a different kind of sugar can make a big difference in the final outcome. This book is as much as an encyclopedia as a recipe book, but it’s definitely a great resource for any baker looking to “up their game.”

Do you have any amazing dessert cookbooks that I missed? Share in the comments and I will certainly check them out!

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