Tate's Bake Shop Baking for Friends

Well confess I collect cookbooks..now I read them after years of midnight cookie panics from one of my kids..5 dozen for tomorrow ordered at bedtime! I could easily be a cookbook critic and know pictures sure sell a lot of mediocre cookbooks. I paid an outrageous amount for Kathleen's Cookies...eye watering but worth it. My chocolate chip cookies are the same as hers...the Better Homes and Gardens book from 1965 is a gem. What I like about her books is the experience since age 11...I started young too. After time you can do them in your sleep...her recipes are melt in your mouth, not merely sweet. Many of these recipes came from the 50's and 60's when food was still food and flavor lit up eyes around the table. This last book had two recipes I wanted...Cherry Chip Cake and Pecan Shortbread..and they are spot on. The book has 7 chapters, 1 muffins, scones, shortcakes 2 tea loaves and quick breads. 3 pies, tarts, crisps 4 cookies. 5 party cakes , cupcakes. 6 health and lifestyle baked goods and 7 icings, frostings,and sauces. Pecan shortbread melts in your mouth with taste of roasted pecans...oooooo. Chocolate Key Lime Pie...the combination is addictive. Irish Soda Bread muffins...brilliant idea for St Patrick's day...no cutting required. Maraschino Cherry Chip Cake...some things are just required if you love those red kiddie drink things..Shirley Temple addicts. There is s recipe from a friend's Mom called Flour Icing that tastes like Marshmellow but no Fluff in sight. Maple Bacon Date scones...can smell them from upstairs and brings them running. Kathleen built a million dollar business because she loved to bake and learned from anyone who made something that tasted good. I read she sold the business last year with 200 employees and it has gone international. The buyers are keeping it smart and the cookies still taste good..the recipe for the original Choc Chip is in the first two books...this one has the chubby version as she calls them...thicker and probably taste same just thicker and chewy. The woman knows how to bake...any or all of her books are worth a spot on your shelf..direct clear recipes and brilliant results. Thank You Kathleen for all these yummy recipes!

I've had this cookbook for a number of years and find that it's large-scale. Recipes are amazing for church functions, sharing with coworkers, and bringing something to the party. I recommend making each large batch individually as the recipes are already scaled up for several dozen of anything. The Chubby Tates are always a hit!

I checked this book out of the library thinking I'd copy a recipe or two. I'm trying to cut down on my cookbook collection. After making the chocolate thumbprint cookies, cherry chip cake, and the chunkies, and marking and drooling over at least 10 other recipes I can't wait to try, I realized I was going to have to buy this book. The Cherry chip cake is genius. I love maraschino cherries, eating them first off my ice cream sundae or digging in my Cherry limeade drink for the cherry. A cake, based on the old cherry chip boxed cakes, was fabulous. I used the juice to tint the icing pink, a tip she gives, I think the three guys I live with thought it was a little girly but it did not stop them from eating it! Baking for friends is more accessible than bake shop type recipes. I don't have the other Tate bakeshop books, but I find many other bake shop books are hard to translate into home baking. The recipes are more what you'd bake for your kids school party or a dinner for friends. This isn't to say there aren't some really attractive impressive recipes, including a chocolate tart with raspberry filling I can't wait to try. It's more that the ingredients are readily available and the directions easy to follow for a beautiful result without a lot of the stressful frou frou work found in many bake shop recipes. The beginning of the book is important to read, how she measures flour, salted vs unsalted butter etc, will make a difference in how her recipes turn out for the baker trying to duplicate her results. It is taking a really special book to get a space in my groaning overstuffed shelves anymore, but this one has earned a spot. I would write more but I'm about to go wrestle my son for the last chunkie, a son btw who doesn't like raisins but likes these cookies. *updated 12/10/12 I still love this book, when I am in the mood for baking I reach past the 30 0r so other baking books I have to check through this one first. The chocolate almond biscotti is so good, I may never by store bought again! The cardamom cake has the perfect amount of spice. The Rocky Road Muffins are so good and hold up really well. For the almond flour I ground almonds in my vitamix. And last but not least- the Cinnamon swirl scones are pretty much worth the price of the book. The scones mimic the taste of cinnamon rolls or buns but without the kneading, rising, etc. A super fast easy and delicious special breakfast for Christmas, or a lazy Sat when you want the taste to have with coffee but don't want to put the time and effort into making a bread. if you are on the fence, have to many cookbooks already (me), or someone asks what you want for Christmas, get this book :) yes, I'm gushing! The recipes in the book are totally gush worthy.

I ordered a new book I got a damaged book. The seller took extra care to pack it. The goodies look really taste. I am not a baker, but I am working at it. Homemade is always better than store bought regarding the chemical laden ingredients. Since I am somewhat gluten intolerant and Type 2 diabetic, I need to choose what I eat very carefully.

Purchased this awhile back. I was hopeful it had the Tate’s lemon cookie recipe. It did not, but the baking tips and instructions at the beginning of the book allowed me to adapt sugar cookie recipe to lemon.