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Happiness Is Baking: Cakes, Pies, Tarts, Muffins, Brownies, Cookies: Favorite Desserts from the Queen of Cake
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Food & Cookbooks (2019)From the bestselling "legend" of baking (New York Times), Maida Heatter, a modern-classic collection of her all-time best-loved, tried-and-true recipes"Happiness is baking cookies. Happiness is giving them away. And serving them, and eating them, talking about them, reading and writing about them, thinking about them, and sharing them with you." Maida Heatter is one of the most iconic and fondly remembered cookbook authors of all time. Her recipes, each a modern classic, are must-haves in every home baker's bag of her cookies, cakes, muffins, tarts, pies, and sweets of all kinds range from extravagantly special to the comforting and everyday. Her brown-sugary Budapest Coffee Cake, her minty Palm Beach Brownies, her sophisticated East 62nd Street Lemon Cake, and many other desserts have inspired legions of devotees.Happiness Is Baking reproduces Maida's best-loved recipes in a fully illustrated new edition with a foreword by Dorie Greenspan. Developed for foolproof baking by experienced cooks and novices alice, these recipes bear Maida's trademark warmth, no-nonsense style, and her promise that they will work every time.Happiness Is Baking is the perfect gift for anyone who loves baking--or who knows the happiness that comes from a delicious dessert.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2019
About the author
Maida Heatter
26 books61 followersMaida Heatter was an American pastry chef and cookbook author who specialized in baking and desserts. Heatter's cookbooks have been the recipient of three James Beard Foundation Awards, and she herself was inducted into the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America in 1988. She was also inducted into the Chocolatier Magazine Hall of Fame.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
February 8, 2023
I really enjoy cookbooks. Yes it’s all about the recipes, but it is also about the illustrations and the stories and cool cooking tips and the illustrations.
This cookbook checked all of these boxes.
My son and I made the “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” recipe (pretty sure that is what it was called. The cookies were wicked good.
This cookbook checked all of these boxes.
My son and I made the “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” recipe (pretty sure that is what it was called. The cookies were wicked good.
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May 24, 2020
January 26, 2019
From the introduction:
Years ago I heard a doctor talking on television about the dangers of stress. It can kill you. It can cause a heart attack or a stroke. The doctor listed ways of coping with stress. Exercise. Diet. Do yoga. Take a walk.
I yelled, "Bake cookies."
I often talk to the television. I yelled it again and again. The doctor went on with his list of 12 ways to reduce stress...and he never once mentioned my surefire treatment.
Baking is a great escape. It's happiness. It's creative.. It's good for your health. It reduces stress."
Heatter and this book get me. Chocolate gingerbread, we have a date this weekend.
Years ago I heard a doctor talking on television about the dangers of stress. It can kill you. It can cause a heart attack or a stroke. The doctor listed ways of coping with stress. Exercise. Diet. Do yoga. Take a walk.
I yelled, "Bake cookies."
I often talk to the television. I yelled it again and again. The doctor went on with his list of 12 ways to reduce stress...and he never once mentioned my surefire treatment.
Baking is a great escape. It's happiness. It's creative.. It's good for your health. It reduces stress."
Heatter and this book get me. Chocolate gingerbread, we have a date this weekend.
May 14, 2019
This is charming, and cute, and useful. I love the design, and although I only got to bake one recipe out of it before i had to return it to the library, that recipe was really unusual, and worked perfectly (the chocolate applesauce cake). This would be a great book to give somebody who is a seasoned baker, because there's a rainbow of tried-and-true recipes in here. But it'd also be great for a beginner who wants to learn technique, and how to train their instincts. Really lovely. I will be buying this one to add to my collection.
August 27, 2019
Amazingly easy to follow, great recipes!
April 18, 2024
Maida Heatter’s recipes are like little love letters - they are full of sweet details and wax poetic about the delicious results of her tantalizing bakes. One bite of her brownies will send chocolate lovers into orbit. The Queen Mother’s Cake is fit for royalty. Her apricot tart recipe is so beautifully simplified with step-by-step instructions, even a novice home baker can master it. Each recipe has a little story and tips for how to make the very best version of it. Happiness is Baking was published when Maida was 102 years old. The book’s title was a mantra in her life and it is in my life too. Baking and sharing my bakes brings me great joy. I love this book so much.
January 17, 2020
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. I have not made any of the recipes yet, but am looking forward to trying them. I really like the format of the cookbook, from "Before You Bake" section, the descriptions, the illustrations, and the conversational tone of the recipes. Reading through some of the recipes I felt like a friend was sharing her recipes with me :) I will update my review once I make some of the recipes.
February 23, 2021
There are NO photos in this book. NONE.
September 15, 2019
This is the most recent cookbook from the Queen of Cake, Maida Heatter, which is a collection of her favorite recipes. In the introduction she writes about how determined a baker can be to get a recipe, and how much satisfaction there is in baking and giving desserts to others. This cookbook is different from her other works only in its new format that has a very bright colorful layout and illustrations by Alice Oehr. Everything else is the same as in her other cookbooks: table of contents, complete index, meticulous easy-to-follow directions and an opening chapter, "Before you bake." One of my all time favorites is included: the East 62nd Street Lemon Cake. The foreword is from Dorie Greenspan, a professional baker whose books we own. Because of having baked many recipes from Maida Heatter's books I seriously considered becoming a professional baker. Even though there were times I baked every day of the week--it was only because I wanted to. The pros do it every day of the week because they love to and they have to.
In the introduction there is one piece of advice we librarians disagree with, when Heatter advises her readers to write in the books. Please do not do that to library books. If you buy the books, then mark 'em up all you want. My copies have marks, post-its, and food spots of all kinds testifying to continuous usage.
My mother was an excellent cook who could bake and cook anything, including the best coffee--in a percolator on the stove top--almost but not quite cowboy coffee. When I first started baking from Heatter's books I had some baking experience, but called my mother for advice about one method required for many of Heatter's coffee and bundt cakes. She tells you to butter the baking mold and dust it with fine bread crumbs. Most recipes tell you to dust the mold with flour. My mother said, "Try it! Do what she says, and let me know how it turns out." It is divine. This method produces a luscious thin crust over a dense moist cake, and the crust is crystalline goodness when brushed with one of the glazes.
Here are some of my favorite recipes from several of her books. Maida Heatter's book of great desserts: East 62nd Street Lemon Cake (I modified this recipe: buttermilk instead of whole milk; unbleached flour for all-purpose), which I have made more times than I can count, and a friend's husband called it the all-day cake because you can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Maida Heatter's new book of great desserts: Cuban banana bread, unlike any other banana bread because of an unusual ingredient (I always make a double recipe of this); Florida rum cake; Connecticut apple Betty (It is worth making a double recipe of this one because of all the chopping.); Irish whiskey cake. Maida Heatter's book of great American desserts Frozen fudge cake; Apple cranberry muffins (a double recipe of this one); Chocolate festival cake, which is a three-layer dark chocolate cake that has bananas, peanut butter and various types of chocolate in it, including one pound of melted chocolate for the frosting and filling; White pepper ginger lemon cake (a variation of the classic lemon cake, with a kick to it); Rancho Santa Fe lemon tart.
Maida Heatter's death was announced this past June--she was 102 and was known as the Queen of Desserts or Queen of Cakes. A traditional proclamation when one monarch dies and is accessioned by a new one is, "The Queen is dead, long live the Queen!" Maida Heatter's heritage of good desserts (cakes, cookies, pies, puddings and more) can found in LAPL's collection right here. There is an online recipe index, Mad About Maida: baking my way through Maida Heatter's recipes. The index is terrific because there are color photographs of the finished product and of the step-by-step procedures. There are two more of her cookbooks scheduled for publication in 2020: Cookies are magic: classic cookies, brownies, bars, and more and Chocolate is forever: classic cakes, cookies, pastries, pies, puddings, candies, confections, and more.
Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Central Library
In the introduction there is one piece of advice we librarians disagree with, when Heatter advises her readers to write in the books. Please do not do that to library books. If you buy the books, then mark 'em up all you want. My copies have marks, post-its, and food spots of all kinds testifying to continuous usage.
My mother was an excellent cook who could bake and cook anything, including the best coffee--in a percolator on the stove top--almost but not quite cowboy coffee. When I first started baking from Heatter's books I had some baking experience, but called my mother for advice about one method required for many of Heatter's coffee and bundt cakes. She tells you to butter the baking mold and dust it with fine bread crumbs. Most recipes tell you to dust the mold with flour. My mother said, "Try it! Do what she says, and let me know how it turns out." It is divine. This method produces a luscious thin crust over a dense moist cake, and the crust is crystalline goodness when brushed with one of the glazes.
Here are some of my favorite recipes from several of her books. Maida Heatter's book of great desserts: East 62nd Street Lemon Cake (I modified this recipe: buttermilk instead of whole milk; unbleached flour for all-purpose), which I have made more times than I can count, and a friend's husband called it the all-day cake because you can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Maida Heatter's new book of great desserts: Cuban banana bread, unlike any other banana bread because of an unusual ingredient (I always make a double recipe of this); Florida rum cake; Connecticut apple Betty (It is worth making a double recipe of this one because of all the chopping.); Irish whiskey cake. Maida Heatter's book of great American desserts Frozen fudge cake; Apple cranberry muffins (a double recipe of this one); Chocolate festival cake, which is a three-layer dark chocolate cake that has bananas, peanut butter and various types of chocolate in it, including one pound of melted chocolate for the frosting and filling; White pepper ginger lemon cake (a variation of the classic lemon cake, with a kick to it); Rancho Santa Fe lemon tart.
Maida Heatter's death was announced this past June--she was 102 and was known as the Queen of Desserts or Queen of Cakes. A traditional proclamation when one monarch dies and is accessioned by a new one is, "The Queen is dead, long live the Queen!" Maida Heatter's heritage of good desserts (cakes, cookies, pies, puddings and more) can found in LAPL's collection right here. There is an online recipe index, Mad About Maida: baking my way through Maida Heatter's recipes. The index is terrific because there are color photographs of the finished product and of the step-by-step procedures. There are two more of her cookbooks scheduled for publication in 2020: Cookies are magic: classic cookies, brownies, bars, and more and Chocolate is forever: classic cakes, cookies, pastries, pies, puddings, candies, confections, and more.
Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Central Library
June 8, 2019
My first encounter with Maida Heatter was more than 20 years ago, when at a dinner I was served a piece of the best pie I had ever eaten in my life. My surprise was that my friends husband had made it, he is a car guy, so I was surprised to say the least. I was immediately a fan, my friend loaned me all her cookbooks she had, which I now own myself, thanks to library book sales. I was sad not to see that pie in this book, Chocolate Angel Pie, I make it often, everyone loves it, "save room, Mom made that chocolate pie". This new Happiness Is Baking brings me back digging out the old cookbook's of Madia's, do I have this recipe, have I made that, more made and marked to try than I remember. Guess I will be doing some baking. No pictures of those delicious baked goodies here, their were never any in the original cookbooks, just the covers, guess the Instagram foodies will have to actually read a recipe like we did in the olden days and say "ohh that sounds good". Very saddened to see Maida passed away the day after I wrote this review, today I bake in honor of you Maida Heatter.
February 17, 2020
I read this cookbook for my library cookbook club & I was not impressed. It has a handful of recipes I might try (the pound cakes, in particular as I'm always looking for a good pound cake recipe), but generally it didn't contain many new ideas or recipes.
I was also annoyed as Heatter discusses the importance of recognizing the difference between 1/4 cup flour, sifted vs 1/4 cup sifted flour for example, & she discusses the weight difference between the two & why it matters AND YET none of her recipes use ingredients by weight. If you really want your baking to be most accurate, measure by weight. It's what she's trying to accomplish, but her method still leaves room for plenty of mistakes.
One other quibble which wasn't a huge issue for me, but might be for others, there are no photos in this cookbook, just drawings of ingredients or what the dessert might look like. I'd rather see what it actually looks like, but maybe that's just me.
I was also annoyed as Heatter discusses the importance of recognizing the difference between 1/4 cup flour, sifted vs 1/4 cup sifted flour for example, & she discusses the weight difference between the two & why it matters AND YET none of her recipes use ingredients by weight. If you really want your baking to be most accurate, measure by weight. It's what she's trying to accomplish, but her method still leaves room for plenty of mistakes.
One other quibble which wasn't a huge issue for me, but might be for others, there are no photos in this cookbook, just drawings of ingredients or what the dessert might look like. I'd rather see what it actually looks like, but maybe that's just me.
May 20, 2020
I want to make every recipe in this book!
January 3, 2020
I am going to have to get this book for my collection.
October 8, 2019
I've made a couple of recipes out of this book and they have been delicious!
April 14, 2020
I was really pleased to receive Happiness is Baking by Maida Heatter from my family for my birthday! This hard cover book is a beautiful compilation of Heatter's greatest baking recipes. I appreciate that there are recipes to suit every occasion and, every level of home baker -- something for everyone. I loved reading through the recipe head notes because Heatter has something interesting to say about each recipe! What makes this book special is the wonderfully written forward by Dorie Greenspan, as well as the striking illustrations by Alice Oehr. Oehr's vintage-inspired style of illustration really suits this cookbook. My family is huge fans of Heatter's "The $250.00 Cookie Recipe" which I've bake quite a few times for them since getting the book. This cookbook would make a great addition to any cookbook library.
April 15, 2021
I feel ripped off. This edition is an obvious attempt to make money off a legend who had just died, or was about to.
Although it emphasized weighing the flour, no such measurements are given. These are still the same recipes that were published 50 years or more ago, with no updatine, and no photos.
Lazy, awful hacking. Shame on the publishers.
In addition, many of these recipes are of the kind that no one bothers with any more. Insanely elaborate cakes with outmoded equipment.
I love to read cookbooks. It's a travesty that they got Dorie Greenspan to do the intro. I'm disappointed in her, as well. Her cookbooks are so far superior, it's laughable that she's associated with this one. I'll bet she never saw the book before she wrote the blurb giving honor to one of her best teachers at that time, which has passed.
As I advise you to do. Get one of Ms. Heatter's original books, but not this one.
Although it emphasized weighing the flour, no such measurements are given. These are still the same recipes that were published 50 years or more ago, with no updatine, and no photos.
Lazy, awful hacking. Shame on the publishers.
In addition, many of these recipes are of the kind that no one bothers with any more. Insanely elaborate cakes with outmoded equipment.
I love to read cookbooks. It's a travesty that they got Dorie Greenspan to do the intro. I'm disappointed in her, as well. Her cookbooks are so far superior, it's laughable that she's associated with this one. I'll bet she never saw the book before she wrote the blurb giving honor to one of her best teachers at that time, which has passed.
As I advise you to do. Get one of Ms. Heatter's original books, but not this one.
September 30, 2019
Would have given this book 5 stars if it had photographs instead of artistic renderings of the baked goods.
Love the variety of recipes and my daughter and I made the chocolate chip cookies and even though they were mighty expensive to make, they were YUMMY!
Oh, and the author of the book is 102 years old and her name, if you cross out three letters is Mad Hatter. So, you know the book is way cool.
Love the variety of recipes and my daughter and I made the chocolate chip cookies and even though they were mighty expensive to make, they were YUMMY!
Oh, and the author of the book is 102 years old and her name, if you cross out three letters is Mad Hatter. So, you know the book is way cool.
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January 4, 2021This book is a good book because of how the author personalised all these recipes. She personalises these recipes by writing little notes / advise for each recipe on the side. She also writes down her story of how she found the recipe or how she came up with the name of the pastry or even just who she served it too and how they enjoyed the cake, cookie, or pastry. And in the beginning the author writes how much she appreciates baking and how it makes her happy. And this is why to all the people who loves baking I would recommend this book to you.
November 12, 2019
Without a doubt, some of the best cakes I have ever made. The buttermilk spice cake with brown sugar icing was perfect for a crisp autumn day. The spices were just the right amount in the cake and the icing added a sweetness to balance the flavor.
January 7, 2020
I received this book from goodreads. Thank you Goodreads. This is a great book I have tried at least five different recipes and they are all amazing I love a good baking book
Thank you again and my children thank you as well
Thank you again and my children thank you as well
April 9, 2019
Awesome book with some yummy recipies!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2019
There are a lot of recipes I can’t wait to make!
July 12, 2019
Oh my word! Every recipe is fabulous - loved her accompanying notes!!
July 24, 2019
Josh and I loved this cookbook. I think this will be ordered in a few days. We found ourselves wanting to bake everything, and they are simple recipes to boot.
November 10, 2019
Looks great, fun, easy descriptive recipes. When it is actually cool enough I am going to make some of them! I'll start with the cookies called "whoppers".
Made the whopper cookies, excellent! 10/1
Made the whopper cookies, excellent! 10/1
April 19, 2022
As always. excellent.
December 16, 2019
The title says it all! Another wonderful book by Maida Heatter.
January 18, 2020
This is an utterly charming cookbook, both because of Maida's comments and the illustrations. I think I've got to own a copy...
January 29, 2020
cook books totally count, don't @me.
January 29, 2020
What a sweet cheery read this was !
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews