Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang and Christie Matheson

  • Vanilla sugar (page 29)

    from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe Flour by Joanne Chang and Christie Matheson

    • Ingredients: sugar; vanilla beans
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Notes about this book

  • LittleLemon on November 01, 2022

    Highly recommend this book. It has become one of my most trusted baking references. Her times and visual cues are usually spot-on, so I know exactly what to expect. Everything I’ve made from this book has turned out great!

  • kimk on May 26, 2012

    So far I've made the banana bread,oatmeal cookies, ginger molasses cookies, and the snickerdoodles all with great success. I've heard the homemade pop tarts are wonderful and are on my list to make. Flour is becoming a trusted go to cookbook.

  • JanetinMaine on February 06, 2012

    Made the browned butter vanilla rice krispie treats and shared them with others. They were a big hit. I don't usually like these but the browned butter and vanilla cut the usual sickening sweet taste. Well at least for me. This recipe will be repeated.

  • smtucker on December 11, 2011

    So far we have made: brioche, sticky buns, four different scones and the oatmeal raisin cookies. Though her workflow is very precise (i.e. a bit fussy) so far all of these items have been worth the work and calories. This book has quickly become our trusted source for all things baked.

  • Polox on November 06, 2011

    BOOZY RUM CAKE This cake is really good. However, next time I will make less rum syrup and cook the pastry cream longer or use less milk. The cream came out really liquid. It was oozing too much from the cake as for my taste.

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Oatmeal-maple scones

    • Frogcake on May 01, 2016

      These are fantastic scones! Just the right amount of sweetness with the butter-pecan-maple flavour. It's important to toast the pecans beforehand. My family also loved the maple glaze. We have scads of maple syrup in our house as our extended family has a sugar bush. So I will be making these scones again!

    • MmeFleiss on February 05, 2017

      Great, although I thought 40 mins was a little too long. I'd take it out earlier next time.

    • rmkeller on April 16, 2017

      I too found 40 minutes too long. I think I took mine out around 33 minutes. They probably would have been fine with 2 minutes more or less, but I wouldn't want to go all the way to 40. The flavor was fantastic. I will definitely make these again.

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      These were easy to make. As usual with the recipes in this book, I found weighing the ingredients to be faster and easier than measuring (except the small things like baking powder). I used my King Arthur Flour scone scoop and got 11 scones (easier to justify eating 2 if they're a bit smaller!). I mixed and scooped them the night before and refrigerated overnight, then baked the next morning, which worked great. They took 30 minutes to bake. I thought that half the glaze was just the right amount. These scones were delicious, if you love maple, which I do.

    • redbird on November 27, 2021

      Wonderful flavor but the 40 minute baking time is definitely too long. Don't skip the glaze!

    • snoozermoose on December 14, 2021

      Agree with others that the baking time is too long. While the glaze is nice (and a must), these aren't my favorite scones. The oat texture gets in the way of the traditional flakiness.

    • senzler on June 08, 2022

      Well the 40 minutes baking time might explain why these were a bit dry

    • lholtzman on February 24, 2024

      I am aware that the baking time on the recipes in this book are off. Forty minutes is too long. Start checking at 18 and every 2 minutes after. Mine were done at 22 minutes.

  • Classic currant scones

    • anya_sf on October 14, 2018

      These scones are baked as a scored loaf, rather than individual scones, so they take longer. I made the dough the night before, froze it, and baked from frozen. Even so, the scones only took 45 minutes to bake, so check early. They were lightly sweet, tender, and fluffier than some scones (probably from the egg). Delicious. Would try with other fruits.

    • lholtzman on February 17, 2026

      These are delicious American style scones (e.g. big and sweet). You could definitely ?omit or decrease the amount of sanding sugar used at the end to make these less sweet. Please don’t cook the full 50-55 minutes as suggested. They will be way too dry. Start checking at 25 minutes for doneness. If baking from frozen, mine were perfect at 35 minutes. If you decide to freeze: after brushing on the egg yolk and topping with sugar, cut the disc into eight wedges and space on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer and allow the scones to freeze solid. Once frozen you can wrap in plastic wrap, or just put in a freezer bag as I did. This allows me to take out the number of scones I want to make each day so I don’t have to eat them before they go stale.

  • Cranberry-orange scones

    • anya_sf on May 30, 2021

      I made 1/2 recipe, scored into 6 scones. My cranberries had been frozen and were starting to thaw, so the dough was wetter than it should have been, but with a generous sprinkling of flour I was able to shape it. I froze the scones after shaping and baked them from frozen, which took 50 minutes. The scones were mildly sweet, light, tender, and fluffy. Quite delicious!

    • lholtzman on October 21, 2025

      Great scone recipe for leftover cranberries and autumn. I started checking for doneness at 25 minutes. After 35 minutes I cut them and let them bake separately for 5 more minutes. It was the perfect amount of time.

  • Lemon-ginger scones

    • Foodycat on April 17, 2026

      I generally bake by weight, not volume, so I was pleased to see the conversions on this, but I am not sure they are accurate. I thought it looked like far too much liquid to the quantity of flour, so I increased the flour and reduced the liquid and it was still extremely soft and sticky - with the weights as written I would have had to make drop scones. I patted it into a circle and cut it into wedges and was barely able to handle it. HOWEVER, the scones that came out of the oven were absolutely delicious. I will make them again, but using 400g flour & 75g each of buttermilk and double cream. And probably double the amount of ground ginger.

  • Cheddar-scallion scones

    • mamacrumbcake on December 18, 2019

      Very homely looking, but tasty. This is very good, though not scone-ish, really. The crust does develop a nice crunchy crumbliness. The interior is moist, not gummy, and because of the cornmeal, it is suggestive of cornbread. It is fragrant and savory and I think it would be good with breakfast/brunch foods, or to go with soup and chile, or anytime you would normally eat cornbread. Because of all the cheese and butter, the texture is hard when it is cold. Toast it or warm it in a 400° oven to refresh it. I did not have any of the loose flour in the bottom of my bowl that the directions mentioned. In fact, the dough was a bit wet — wetter than I expected. I think a touch more salt would not go amiss.

  • Heart-healthy dried fruit scones

    • MmeFleiss on March 02, 2016

      This was good for a scone with lower fat, but I really found myself missing the extra richness.

    • anya_sf on June 15, 2017

      For the fruit, I used both golden and dark raisins, dried apricots, dried and fresh cranberries (2 cups total, as she recommends). The scones were easy to make, and pretty good (especially for lowfat), but IMO not as good as "real" scones. My family really liked them though, I think because of the glaze.

    • lisari on June 25, 2025

      Made these into 12 instead of 8 to make them 250 calories (without the glaze); still generously sized imo. Used half whole wheat flour. Not bad for a lighter baked good. I should also add that I only baked them for 25 minutes.

    • WaterPenny on November 12, 2025

      Made and shared with a group who all enjoyed them as is or with some clotted cream. I didn't have dried apples so I just added more of the others. A nice, simple, easy scone that I would make again.

  • Raspberry-rhubarb muffins

    • PatriciaScarpin on April 01, 2011

      Great batter to play around with - I've adjusted the rhubarb amount and used white chocolate chips instead of raspberries. Delicious!

    • Frogcake on May 01, 2016

      Delicious muffins. I replaced the creme fraiche with 4 percent mg kefir, which is what I had in my frig and used mixed berries with rhubarb. Very nice sweet crust develops on the muffins. I will make these again.

    • anya_sf on July 06, 2017

      I thought these were great, although I made a number of changes: halved the ingredients for 12 smaller muffins (using just 1 egg), used white whole wheat flour, used lowfat yogurt instead of creme fraiche, used more fruit (6 oz raspberries and 1 large nectarine, chopped). I mixed the batter the night before - very quick. They baked in 20 min. I really liked the sweetness level and texture.

    • jnetlw on August 20, 2017

      Wonderful batter. Made with fresh picked blueberries. Lovely.

    • Lepa on June 10, 2018

      These turned out well but I didn't think they were anything special. I feel like they would have benefited from some spice (ginger?) to make the flavor more complex. Note: this recipe made too much batter for my 12 cup tin and when I filled them to capacity, as directed, they overflowed and all baked together. It wasn't a problem, as the large crispy tops were the best part of the muffins.

    • vickid59 on August 17, 2019

      I made 2 batches - blueberries with creme fraiche and raspberries (without the rhubarb) with sour cream. Both were delicious and I couldn't tell the difference. My coworkers only had the raspberry ones and they loved it - delicious and moist were the main comment. I work in a culinary kitchen so these folks know their muffins (-: Both batches made more than 12 - more is better!

    • pie4u on August 03, 2020

      Just baked these up and I concur with others this amount of batter makes way more than 12 standard muffins! Not a bad thing but in my standard muffin tin, I'm getting 2 doz. I made the peach ginger version (love ginger) and they are lovely, quite moist and tender. Not super peachy but that is probably a result of the white peaches I used. Next time I might add some cardamon.

    • kaityblueeyes on May 20, 2022

      These were delicious made about 15 muffins! They are fluffy and moist and just perfection. Can’t wait to make the other variations

    • Ordinaryblogger on May 04, 2023

      It’s a good base recipe but needs some adjustment. First of all, it makes closer to 24 standard muffins, not 12 as the recipes states. Second, the amount of baking soda (4 teaspoons) is excessive and leaves a metallic taste. Last, I’d add some lemon zest for a bit of brightness. I’ll make these again with these adjustment.

    • lean1 on May 04, 2023

      Cut the recipe in half. Used greek non fat yogurt and 5 tbsp avocado oil and non fat milk and 1 cup raspberries. Took another's advice and used 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda. 20 min later ready and very tasty.

    • Pandan on April 14, 2024

      These were pretty good! Not dry and a rich taste. I reduced the sugar by 60g, which was sweet enough for me. It really is a lot dough for the pans. I used quite high muffin papers, so nothing overflowed

    • lholtzman on May 23, 2026

      Great contrast of flavors. The amount of sugar and butter counteracts the sour rhubarb and slightly sweet raspberries. These muffins are cakey and delicious. I used frozen rhubarb and fresh raspberries. Don’t thaw the rhubarb before adding and baking.

  • Classic blueberry muffins

    • Cheri on August 14, 2013

      It seemed like a good idea... But this batter makes more like 18 - 24 muffins, not 12. These are pretty sweet, almost more of a small dessert cake than breakfast item - IMHO. Probably would not repeat.

  • Cranberry-orange muffins

    • anya_sf on June 01, 2020

      Nice variation. I made my usual changes to the muffin base (white whole wheat flour, yogurt instead of creme fraiche) and increased the cranberries by 25%. Baked smaller muffins for 26 minutes. The cranberries really stood out, but the orange was subtle. Next time I would try using orange juice instead of milk.

  • Almond-apricot muffins

    • Zosia on July 25, 2017

      Sour cream (in place of creme fraiche) and butter ensured that these were tender and moist but the wonderful flavour came from toasted almonds and a good amount of fresh apricot. Since I don't care for the aftertaste of almond extract, I used only half the quantity (and half vanilla) but would reduce that even further next time. I made the muffins smaller so my yield was 20 with a baking time of 23 minutes.

    • anya_sf on June 10, 2018

      I made my usual changes to the Flour muffin batter: make 1/2 recipe (in this case yielding 9 muffins), using 1 egg, white whole wheat flour, yogurt instead of creme fraiche, doubling the fruit. I topped the muffins with sliced almonds as well. I loved the combination of almond and apricot. I'd consider adding some orange zest or spice (cinnamon? cardamom?) next time.

    • TrishaCP on July 15, 2018

      These are delicious. I really liked the generous amount of apricot in each muffin. This is my first time using the Flour muffin batter, and the yield is way off. I had 18 muffins instead of 12, and I used a standard sized muffin tin. Next time I will also added sliced almonds on top.

    • kaityblueeyes on February 05, 2023

      I really enjoyed with variation and so did everyone I shared it with! It was a unique combo (to me) that felt indulgent as well as nutritious at the same time. Definitely try it if you haven’t!

  • Ginger-peach muffins

    • Lepa on June 13, 2020

      These were delicious and had a great texture but the recipe makes much more than twelve muffins. It was almost twice as much batter as I needed, which I found really annoying because we didn't need 24 muffins and I didn't like wasting all those ingredients. I made some substitutions here that worked fine. First, I didn't have enough peaches so 1/3 of the fruit was blackberries. This combination was wonderful. I also ran out of creme fraiche so I subbed in 1/2 sour cream. I would make these again but make 1/2 the batter (but slightly more than half would be better). I checked the notes and she claims this recipe is for a standard tin but even overfilling them the yield is way off.

    • kaityblueeyes on July 22, 2022

      Really tasty and full of peaches. The muffins come out very moist. I cooked for about 30 mins, I would do it a smidge longer next time.

    • Beth891 on February 16, 2024

      Accidentally deleted my review ????? These are pretty tasty. I made a few changes- used yoghurt instead, dried ginger instead of fresh and tinned peaches instead of fresh due to time of year. I made half quantities and this made 14 cupcake sized muffins. I'd make again but I need to freeze half next time as they didn't last that well- they were mouldy 4 days after making.

    • lisari on July 05, 2025

      Made a half recipe, got 10 average sized muffins. Baked 27 minutes. Moist & flavorful.

  • Corn muffins with raspberry jam

    • anya_sf on October 25, 2019

      I got 14 muffins plus a small bonus one, but the baking time was the same. I prepared the batter the night before, so it was quite thick when I scooped it. There only seemed room for 1-2 tsp jam per muffin, and I wasn't sure if the jam was supposed to be fully surrounded by batter. I created wells for the jam, but didn't have a way to press the top batter around the edges without squishing the jam, so I just left them. They baked up fine; the jam ended up more as a ribbon in the middle. Baked jam sticks like crazy, so definitely use paper liners for these. The muffins were mildly sweet and somewhat crumbly like most corn muffins. We enjoyed them, although my son didn't care for the chewiness from the medium grind cornmeal.

  • Pumpkin muffins with candied pepitas

    • Frogcake on December 30, 2016

      Excellent. Love the candied pepitas on the top. Have sprinkled brown sugar and sesame seeds when I don't have pepitas.

    • anya_sf on September 04, 2017

      I made 1/2 recipe, yielding 11 "normal" muffins. (Of course, this just means we each ate 2 muffins...) Baking time was 25 min. Despite the amount of sugar, the sweetness level was just right. I used white whole wheat flour, which worked well with the hearty texture. Regular whole wheat flour would probably even work. The muffins have a strong pumpkin flavor, with a nice amount of spice. Making the batter a day ahead worked well. I topped them with roasted, salted pepitas, not the candied pepitas. They were very good, although not my favorite recipe because they are rather high in fat and sugar.

    • Frogcake on October 06, 2017

      Made these again as they are a family favourite. The recipe makes 12 large muffins. I didn't have pumpkin so substituted it with mashed butternut squash and puréed pears - to the equivalent of two cups. They were very delicious with the pepita topping.

    • Hiker010 on January 11, 2026

      More dense than the berry muffins (liked texture of those better) Used oil instead of butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour <1/2 tsp kosher salt Used bottled OJ Used light colored Land's Sake pumpkin -- maybe canned better? Baked 40 min Next time try more whole wheat pastry flour, less oil Could use more pumpkin flavor (try spices used in mom's pumpkin bread? Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger)

  • Addictive bran muffins with golden raisins and "bird seed"

    • annapanna on February 03, 2013

      These were very good, perfect for breakfast with a glass of orange juice. I didn't have raisins so put dried cranberries instead. I don't think you need that many seeds, half quantity is enough. The amounts of wheat bran measured in cups and grams did not match so I decided to go with the cups, as the grams indicated seemed like a lot. I also sprinkled some brown sugar on top of the seeds before baking. Delicious!

    • Frogcake on December 30, 2016

      Excellent! We loved the bird seed topping on these muffins, although there is definitely more bird seed than you need for the muffins. We used the left overs to sprinkle on yogurt and oatmeal. Have made these substituting one cup of frozen blueberries for the raisins. I always add a tbsp of lemon or orange rind. Would make these again.

    • anya_sf on August 03, 2017

      As previously noted, the cups and grams of wheat bran don't match. I thought the cups seemed more likely to be accurate, so that's what I used. I only made 1/2 recipe and got 10 regular size muffins. They took 25 minutes to bake. This is one time that you must use creme fraiche (heavy cream/sour cream *might* work), as there is no butter or oil. I used part white whole wheat flour, part all-purpose flour. I love the texture of these bran muffins - not too heavy or dense. The flavor is great too - not too much molasses or nutmeg, like some other bran muffins. You could maybe add a bit of cinnamon or orange zest. I didn't have millet, so increased the flaxseeds and sunflower seeds, but there is quite a bit of "bird seed", so that probably wasn't necessary. The seeds are optional, but nice. I wrap them and freeze them, then microwave for a quick breakfast. Delicious!

    • Lepa on March 03, 2019

      These were okay but not great. They didn't have enough flavor for me and we ended up putting butter and a bit of jam on them. I don't anticipate making these again but if I did I'd add some orange zest or spice to make them more interesting. The recipe made far too much for my muffin tin and we ended up not using about 1/3 of the batter. The muffins took about 25 minutes to bake. We used only about 1/2 of the bird seed.

  • Good morning muffins

    • annapanna on January 08, 2013

      I really liked these muffins. I used sunflower oil instead of Canola, oat bran instead of oats and left out the raisins. I baked them for 37 minutes at 175 C and they turned out very moist. I will definitely make them again .

    • Frogcake on December 30, 2016

      I liked these muffins but Mr. Frogcake and family found them too dense. I don't think I did anything wrong -one of my sons described them as edible hockey pucks (which I thought was a bit harsh). I think we prefer the more cakey less healthy version in the "Butter" cookbook.

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      I usually find this type of muffin overly sweet and oily, so was happy to see this version. I used white whole wheat flour and unsweetened coconut with good results. The wheat bran measurement did not match the weight (at least not the bran I used, Miller's what bran), so I used 2/3 cup. I greased the muffin pan with cooking spray, and found that the muffins needed to cool in the pan at least 15-20 minutes after baking or they would stick. The recipe makes 12 large or 16 regular muffins. Leftovers freeze well and can be quickly reheated in the microwave. My family really liked these.

    • GiselleMarie on November 03, 2024

      These came out very well! I’ve noticed Joanne Chang uses spices quite sparingly. In this recipe, the cinnamon is barely detectable, so next time I’ll probably double it. The texture of these muffins is perfect, light and fluffy. Chang explains in the recipe the necessity of adding the oil and vanilla in a very thin stream over the course of an entire minute to maintain the air that was already beaten into the batter. Maybe that explains why another baker found these muffins to be dense. I ate two as soon as they came out of the oven and I still find myself wanting another one. I was 1/4 cup short on the wheat bran so I used 1/4 cup of oat bran to make up the difference.

    • Hiker010 on January 11, 2026

      Made Oct 2019 -- good Texture between berry muffins and pumpkin muffins

  • New old-fashioned coffee cake

    • yvettehenderson on September 10, 2017

      Excellent flavours and texture. One of my favourites

    • anya_sf on September 25, 2018

      Good, but not great like I was expecting. I tested the cake after 70 minutes (with a cake tester), but it wasn't quite done, and then the top sank in the middle. The filling ended up sinking around the outer edge and bottom. The cake got quite brown and crusty around the edges due to the long baking time. The only tube pan I have with a removable bottom is a lightweight angel food cake pan, which I used, but next time I'd try a different pan and lower oven temperature. I ended up serving the cake upside-down to hide the sunken top. The filling was very tasty and cake crumb very fine and tender. The Cake Bible coffee cake turned out better for me.

    • hilarie on January 26, 2022

      My first ever failed Joanne Chang recipe. The cake overflowed my (very normally sized) bundt pan while baking, then collapsed. We tried it anyway, and it's pretty good but has that vague taste of too much baking soda. I'm not one to measure incorrectly... no clue what happened here. Was it something I said? ??

  • Apple snacking spice cake

    • Lepa on November 28, 2018

      This is delicious!! I will be making this frequently. So, so good.

    • anya_sf on October 30, 2019

      I made 1/2 recipe (but with 2 apples) in an 8" round pan and it baked in 1 hour. Despite buttering and flouring the pan, I wasn't able to turn the cake out of the pan, so just served it from the pan. With all the fruit and nuts, the cake was very crumbly, so the first piece was a mess, but subsequent pieces were easier to remove. We loved this cake.

  • Flour's famous banana bread

    • Melanie on March 02, 2014

      Deliciously light result. I halved the recipe (except the bananas - I used 2 or 200g worth) and substituted milk for the sour cream. I baked in muffin tins for about 20 minutes at 150 C (made 8). I loved the reminder to toast the walnuts - the flavour had lots of depth.

    • gastronom on September 16, 2014

      My go-to recipe for banana bread. To increase the nutritional value, I substitute white whole wheat flour for all purpose and double qty of nuts. Often use yogurt instead of sour cream and still comes out well.

    • wcassity on January 31, 2015

      Our new favorite recipe for banana bread. We've made it twice. Great moist texture. I subbed in some whole wheat flour. Good for when I've got a bit of creme fraiche left in the fridge.

    • MmeFleiss on March 02, 2016

      I made this sans walnuts (not a fan), and this might have replaced the family favorite recipe.

    • Carpecookie on April 09, 2016

      Excellent recipe for banana bread. Cacao nibs make a nice addition without adding sweetness

    • Frogcake on May 01, 2016

      I've made this bread many times with positive results every time. In fact recently while in a big hurry I took a risk and threw everything including semi frozen bananas into my food processor. It still turned out crazy-good! Someone else suggested throwing in cacao nibs, which are very nice in this bread.

    • yassoma on August 15, 2016

      This is the banana bread that made me fall in love with banana bread... However, since then I have graduated to the banana cake in Pichet Ong's cookbook, "The Sweet Spot". It's incredible.

    • Smokeydoke on December 01, 2016

      Delicious! Just as good as everyone says. Cacao nibs sound great, as the bread isn't sweet at all, it's almost a snacking bread. I had mine with sweet honey butter and it was over-the-top good!

    • anya_sf on June 15, 2017

      My family's absolute favorite banana bread. I've tried many recipes and this is the best, although not the simplest or healthiest. I've had good luck substituting white whole wheat flour and yogurt for the white flour and creme fraiche. I would like to reduce the sugar (it's not overly sweet - I just want to be healthier), but am afraid the bread will not turn out right. I believe the sugar affects the texture and moisture of the bread, which are perfect as written. Maybe one of these days I'll risk an experiment. For best results, I believe you must accurately measure the flour and bananas (I weigh them) and not deviate much. I hate that it calls for 3.5 bananas, but there isn't much leavening (only 1 tsp baking soda), so throwing in the extra 1/2 banana may result in overly dense, gummy bread. The mixing method (whip the sugar and eggs for 5 minutes!) is something I've never seen in any other quick bread recipe, but may be critical in this one - again, I've not deviated.

    • Rinshin on June 28, 2017

      Very good texture esp the crust. Almost cookie like crispness the first day. Compared to other banana breads, it is a little darker when fully baked. Although I liked the texture and the overall taste, it was somewhat too sweet for my taste. I would like it better if sugary taste was reduced. I used 2 bananas which weighed almost what this recipe called for and yogurt instead of creme fraiche. Timing for baking was accurate ie mine was ready in 1 hour and 10 min.

    • Rinshin on July 17, 2017

      I made this again and reduced the sugar to 1 C. Texture was perfectly fine and it was better for us but still sweeter than we like. I sure like the crumb and bread color much better than other banana breads. I think this has become my favorite banana bread but it's the sweetness I like to soften. After it sits for few days, it gets less sweeter but it's sweeter than I like on the first day.

    • jnetlw on August 20, 2017

      Added some toasted walnuts layered on top that added a lovely crunch to the crust. Definitely replacing my favorite buttermilk banana bread recipe.

    • Lepa on May 17, 2018

      This is very good banana bread. I loved the rich banana flavor and thought the spice/salt balance was perfect. My family complained that it didn't have chocolate chips but I'm not inclined to mess with perfection. I should note that the top of my bread looked dark brown and burnt, not at all like the picture. I was concerned that something had gone wrong but one taste and I knew that it had turned out very well.

    • Zosia on October 29, 2018

      One of the best banana breads I've ever made or eaten and a firm family favourite. It's moist, not too dense and actually tastes like bananas. I've played with the recipe over the years and now make it with whole wheat pastry flour and Greek yogurt (in place of creme fraiche).

    • Jane on March 31, 2020

      I have a favorite banana bread recipe I've been making for years so I've never felt tempted to make this. But I'm away from home and my recipes so I thought I would try this. It was really good - very moist, lots of flavor, not too sweet.

    • michalow on February 04, 2021

      Echoing lots of comments before me -- this banana bread is excellent. I reduced the sugar and incorporated some wheat flour and cardamom. Would be curious to try subbing in some rye flour next time. Baking time in my oven was about 80 minutes.

    • mamacrumbcake on May 18, 2021

      This is a classic banana bread, easy to make, and very yummy.

    • snoozermoose on December 14, 2021

      The GOAT of banana bread recipes. Moist, light, nice crumb, not sticky at all (my banana bread pet peeve), not too sweet. It's perfect. I've made a ton of banana bread recipes but I keep coming back to this one.

    • LaurenB on January 11, 2022

      Made good banana bread, but was a bit too moist. Need to mash the bananas up a little better next time and cook a few minutes longer (baked for a little under an hour)

    • mdagl on January 16, 2024

      Spongy and moist. A solid banana bread recipe. The exterior comes out a lot darker than the recipe photo shows. Does not top our existing family favorite recipe, but it's still a good option.

    • hlange on January 23, 2024

      Really nice, this is my new staple quick and easy banana bread. I left out the walnuts, only used 1 c sugar, and we only had 2 instead of 3 very ripe bananas on hand. I thought the balance of flavors was perfect.

    • Pandan on June 09, 2024

      Very good banana bread recipe! I reduced the sugar to 150g, was perfect that way. My only complaint is that mine got too dark on top after one hour. Will reduce the temperature and/or baking time next time.

    • lholtzman on June 24, 2024

      Excellent. Moist and spongy. We gobbled it up.

    • Beth891 on July 06, 2024

      Followed the recipe almost exactly but subbed pecans for walnuts and lacto free yoghurt for the creme fraiche. It needed 1h10mins at 160deg (my top oven, not fan) but it was perfect, golden brown and still lovely and moist. I was worried that it was a little wet when putting it in the oven but it's nice and moist and the pecans are really nicely distributed (haven't sunk). I'd make again!

    • Happykikkers on December 29, 2024

      Very good! I used lactose-free crème fraiche. Moist and lost of flavour. Love the walnuts in it. My bananas weren’t super ripe so the bread wasn’t too sweet, just the right amount!

  • Cranberry-maple-pecan breakfast cake

    • Frogcake on December 26, 2016

      I would describe this as a "meh" recipe. Nothing wrong with the recipe, just not as interesting as I thought it would be.

    • anya_sf on June 28, 2017

      I agree with Frogcake. It was good, but not as great as I'd hoped.

    • stef on November 12, 2020

      We really liked this cake. I used frozen cranberries and chopped them in my blender for about 2 seconds. They didn't sink to the bottom. The cake was done in 55 minutes. Next time I will add a bit more cranberries.

    • Hiker010 on January 11, 2026

      Very sweet, but tasty! Used half butter, half oil Used 1/4 tsp salt Used 2/3 cup sugar -- cut next time more Could do 3/4 amount glaze Used ~3/4 of 1/3 cup buttermilk (all I had) + skim milk to top off Maybe leave cranberries a bit bigger next time? Used 105g AP flour + 2 tbsp corn starch for 1 cup cake flour Baked 40 min @ 350F, then turned down to 325F (too brown too early?) for 20 more minutes (I think...10-20 min)

  • Double-chocolate cookies

    • Jane on December 05, 2010

      Like a cross between a brownie and a cookie, these are chocolate heaven. The cookie dough has a mousse-like texture due to long whisking of the eggs and sugar which results in a light, cake-like texture. The batter is best left overnight in the fridge before baking.

  • Intense chocolate brownies

    • HeatherT on January 16, 2011

      Came out just ok. Will try again with less baking time for a second opinion.

    • anya_sf on November 19, 2018

      I made 3/5 recipe in a 9"x9" pan, which means the batter was a bit thinner than the full recipe. The brownies were perfectly done and fudgy after 25 minutes in the oven, so definitely start checking early as the recipe recommends. I melted the chocolates and butter together in the microwave; didn't see the point in melting them separately. I did use a mixer to beat the eggs and sugar together, although it makes me wonder if an instruction is missing because they're just mixed on low - seems like they could simply be mixed by hand. The brownies were very good and nicely fudgy, but not the most intense ever (which was fine).

    • LittleLemon on February 25, 2024

      This is one of the few recipes from this book that did not turn out well for me. Flavor was blah. Would not make again.

  • Chocolate chunk cookies

    • britt on August 11, 2011

      This recipe also calls for light brown sugar, regular sugar, vanilla, 2 eggs, and baking soda.

    • cpauldin on May 22, 2012

      Letting this dough sit overnight is crucial to the flavor.

    • Frogcake on January 06, 2018

      I’ve now made these excellent cookies a dozen times. As others mentioned, highly recommend chilling the dough. I also add half a cup of chopped walnuts. Nothing new here - just a solid, dependable and delicious choc chip cookie.

    • stef on January 30, 2019

      One of my favourite c.c. cookies. Always chill dough overnight

  • Midnight chocolate cake with milk chocolate buttercream

    • Jane on April 09, 2012

      This is not a cake to make when you are in a hurry - it took 3 hours from start to finish. It was nice but I wouldn't say it was really worth the amount of effort and huge amount of washing up. The cake is a pleasant but unspectacular dark chocolate cake. The buttercream is very rich - it contains 6 sticks of butter (1.5 lbs) and 1.5 cups of sugar. Make sure the sugar is dissolved before you take the meringue off the heat - I rushed it and it was a bit gritty. I think using superfine rather than granulated sugar would also help.

    • vickid59 on February 23, 2020

      I agree with Jane. This was just an ok cake so I won't be making it again.

    • Dulcey on February 16, 2018

      Reinforcing Jane's comment on dissolving sugar before taking the meringue off the heat - which I read after baking. I did a reading of other recipes of this type of meringue frosting, and that is how they are written. I liked it. The cake tastes like chocolate, unlike many recipes. I rarely make any sort of frosting (bundts are my go-to cake), so the very rich buttercream works as a treat. Also, I did the first heat/melt/cool for the cake in the morning of day one, baked it that evening, and successfully left it in the pan until the next evening. It was a little worrisome to get out of the pan; I recommend using a parchment round if you leave it that long. I melted the chocolate while the cake was baking, and then made the buttercream day two before work, and sliced and assembled when I got home.

  • White coconut cake with coconut frosting

    • jzanger on June 17, 2013

      I only made the cake, but I can imagine that with a coconut cake this good (and light) the frosting would make it perfect. Instead of a layer cake I made it into a 13x9 sheet cake. I like that the cake has good coconut flavor without using coconut extract.

    • Baxter850 on July 27, 2024

      Great version. The right balance of sweetness (ie, light). Like the other reviewers we made this into a 9x13 pan and increased ingredients by 25%. Frosting was soft for days.

    • LouiseQuasiChef on September 27, 2018

      This is an excellent cake -- using what I knew as the RL Beranbaum method of first beating the flour and butter and liquid and high speed to "build structure." The cake turned out a bit denser than expected but delicious and tender. What was off the charts was the buttercream. Wow! (Odd that she doesn't tell us we are making a buttercream, or give temps. Mine was less than my standard soft ball temp, but worked, and beautifully!) I too made this cake as a 9x13" sheet pan cake, adding 25% to the weight of each ingredient to match the difference in pan volumes. I posted a photo. Next time I will use vanilla sugar to augment vanilla flavor from one bean.

  • Coconut macaroons

    • mirage on March 07, 2018

      I added the chocolate chips. Very good.

    • anya_sf on June 03, 2021

      Classic recipe using pastry cream, so slightly more work, but the egg whites don't have to be whipped. Very good, quite sweet, but that's expected.

  • Old-fashioned pineapple upside-down cake

    • mirage on November 04, 2018

      This was much better the next day.

    • dtremit on October 21, 2015

      Made this to take along to dinner at a friend's house, and it was well received. The pineapple topping is great -- the caramel is really easy to make, and adds an extra dimension to the recipe that's quite welcome. That being said, I think the recipe timing is off -- the listed baking time is 50-60 minutes, but after 45 my cake was a little more done than I would have liked. Will bake for 40 minutes next time.

    • anya_sf on May 27, 2026

      #pudcbakeoff My large pineapple seemed like too much fruit, but I ended up using all but 2 pieces. The caramel was very runny, even though I thought I reduced it enough, and rose up around the batter. Baking time was 50 min. It unmolded cleanly. More work than traditional pineapple upside-down cake, I wasn't sure it was worth it, but I did appreciate the fresh pineapple taste and maximum fruit topping. Homemade caramel did not taste appreciably better to us here than traditional brown sugar. The cake had great flavor and was very soft and tender, but a teeny bit dry (may have overbaked?).

    • Frogcake on January 06, 2018

      Excellent! I grew up eating upside down cake made with canned pineapple and jarred cherries (ugh!). Never thought a pineapple upside down cake could be so delicious. We loved the caramel taste. A recipe that will be repeated.

  • Oatmeal raisin cookies

    • smtucker on December 11, 2011

      This is the new BEST Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe of the smtucker household. Made a batch for a birthday dinner instead of cake. The amount of dough was far too much, so it stayed in a tupperware container and every other day someone made a tray of cookies. The cookies might be even better the second day after baking. I made them the full 1/4 cup size which is equal to 54 grams. Family members who wanted less just took 1/2 cookie. This cookie size gives you those nice crispy edges with a soft middle.

    • Melanie on July 24, 2014

      This recipe makes huge cookies. I will make again as I thought they were great however may reduce the size and store some dough in the freezer for a future bake.

    • avandekrol on May 19, 2014

      I found the baking time to be overstated for my oven. 16-17 minutes seemed to be just right. Otherwise, an excellent oatmeal cookie recipe.

    • stockholm28 on October 08, 2017

      Excellent oatmeal cookie. I agree with the others about the baking time being too long. About 16 minutes worked for me,

    • janetjanetjanet on February 19, 2026

      Chewy with crisp edges, lightly spiced, sweet. Used a 24 scoop (slightly smaller than 1/4 cup) and baked for 20 min (checked at 15 min and still underdone). They spread ton though so needs at least 3” spacing in between. Yummy

    • eloise_tqh0g2 on March 15, 2026

      A little too sweet, but still very yummy . Next time I’ll be using less sugar.

    • jhallen on December 28, 2020

      These were great and still taste perfect 4 days later. Santa was a big fan - we put them out on Christmas Eve and he cleaned the plate. I can’t speak to the cook time - I just watched to see when to pull them out.

    • anya_sf on April 15, 2018

      As recommended, I made the dough a day ahead and chilled it. My cookies were 60 g each and they were done in 16-17 minutes, as others have stated. To me, these are the classic thick and chewy oatmeal raisin cookie, with tons of raisins (could possibly reduce), good oat flavor, and a hint of spice. We loved them!

    • sgpinson on August 19, 2018

      Good but a little too sweet - would cut down on the sugar next time, and maybe try dried sour cherries rather than raisins.

    • mamacrumbcake on August 06, 2017

      This is a good recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies. It has a crisp edge and chewy middle. The nutmeg and cinnamon are just right. It's not my holy grail oatmeal cookie for three reasons: 1) chewiness is bordering on tough, 2) the cookies spread a bit too much, 3) just a touch too sweet. As others have mentioned, these were done in 15-16 minutes, not the 20-22 as stated in the recipe.

    • WhatMattersMostNow on November 19, 2015

      Absolutely loved this version of an oatmeal cookie! Crispy outside and chewy interior is my favorite way to make oatmeal cookies. I took the advice of a previous reviewer and only baked for 15 minutes as I think any longer would have made these too crisp and overbaked.

    • thefritschkitchen on December 03, 2024

      This is a fine oatmeal raisin cookie, but not one to write home about. I wish the oatmeal flavor was a little more pronounced, but I lose it in the cookie. As other have stated, these take less time in the oven - 15-16 minutes was the sweet spot to me. I think the sweetness level was great, did not find them too sweet

    • Frogcake on October 16, 2016

      I've tried many oatmeal cookie recipes and I keep coming back to this one. I always add a half cup of chopped walnuts and either one cup of raisins or dried cranberries. Excellent chewy cookies!

  • Pâte brisée 2

    • smtucker on November 13, 2015

      Also has some sugar and salt. Instructions suggest a stand mixer to incorporate the butter. There is not enough mass for a 7qt KitchenAid mixer. Next time try a hand mixer, or an old fashioned pastry blender.

  • Peanut butter cookies

    • smtucker on April 28, 2012

      Another wonderful recipe from Flour. Didn't have quite enough Super Chunky Smuckers peanut butter, so used some All Natural Teddies Smooth to get the full amount of peanut butter. Each cookie is 58g of dough. Each cookie is made into a ball before "smooshing" down. Added 5 semi-sweet chocolate to about half the balls for the one chocolate lover in the house and this worked very well.

    • smtucker on April 28, 2012

      Another note: Ingredient list should indicate CHUNKY peanut butter.

    • lisibit on December 19, 2012

      These peanut-butter cookies are huge and always a hit at work. Use a kitchen scale to ensure uniformity. Photo: http://flic.kr/p/9VaKqg

    • Zosia on August 21, 2017

      Great cookies! They’re not too sweet, they have a good crunchy texture and they allow the main ingredient to shine. I used smooth peanut butter and added a few tbsp chopped, roasted peanuts.

    • Frogcake on August 19, 2020

      I highly recommend using chunky peanut butter. Best cookies we’ve ever tasted!

    • stef on February 15, 2019

      Yield of recipe is 24. I used a 2 tbls scoop and got 51. 16 minutes on convection. A great peanut butter cookie

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      I thought these had good flavor, but they were a bit too dry and crunchy for my taste. I prefer really chewy peanut butter cookies. I could try reducing the baking time, but will probably just use a different recipe next time.

    • amy_m9e21f on April 12, 2026

      Hands down my favorite peanut butter cookie. Did not make any alterations to the recipe.

  • Plum clafoutis

    • smtucker on September 21, 2013

      also needs: butter flour sugar confectioners sugar [optional]

    • smtucker on September 21, 2013

      http://www.epicurean.com/featured/plum-clafoutis-recipe.html

    • anya_sf on August 03, 2017

      I made 1/2 recipe in an 8" square pan. The batter was fairly shallow, so a smaller dish could even be used. This is a pretty standard clafoutis recipe, so nothing really special - just a good, solid recipe. I used plums from my tree which tend to bake up rather tart, so it wasn't overly sweet. We enjoyed it. It could totally be eaten for breakfast.

  • Rosemary and olive oil focaccia

    • smtucker on March 22, 2014

      Recipe also calls for sugar. Consider substituting honey for flavor. This focaccia is much less oily than other version with great flavor. Did half the bread with the rosemary, and the other half with caramelized onions. Really good!

    • Rachaelsb on September 05, 2023

      Delicious! Easy dough to work with and ratio of salt/rosemary/olive oil just right!!

    • anya_sf on February 22, 2018

      Note that only 1 tsp of the Kosher salt gets added to the dough; the other 2 tsp get sprinkled on top. I used only all-purpose flour. It doesn't say to grease the pan, just to sprinkle with cornmeal - I was skeptical so I also sprayed lightly with cooking spray and it did not stick at all. The dough was super stretchy, so it would have worked much better to simply stretch it out in the pan, rather than try to transfer it (I folded it over, but it stuck to itself, so I had to restretch in the pan). My oven may be running hot, but the focaccia was a bit overdone after only 30 minutes. It tasted amazing fresh from the oven though.

  • Homemade Oreos

    • cpauldin on May 22, 2012

      These are very rich so I made the cookie slightly smaller than called for- closer to a commercial oreo size. The filling doesn't initially look like commercial oreo filling but after the cookies sat for a day- or two- they took on the consistency! They kept very well over the course of about 4 days, when tightly wrapped. The cookie tastes JUST like the commercial cookies. They're really delicious!

    • Rachaelsb on April 24, 2023

      I have made these since Ms.Chiang’s first Flour book came out-I even got to see her prepare them In a cooking class demo! This is a staple in my cookie rotation, especially when needing to make several different types of cookies for large event or party. Consistently hear an “oooh” when people take their first bite, but be prepared,definitely time consuming.

    • Jviney on May 09, 2019

      Yes, these taste exactly like the commercial Oreos, it’s crazy. I pulled mine out of the oven right at 16 minutes, and they crisped up nicely from there. Everybody loved them, it was fun to watch my five-year-old pull it apart just like he would a commercial Oreo.

    • skvalentine on March 12, 2023

      These came out so delicious, but they were a lot more work than I usually put forth for a batch of cookies, so they will be a very occasional treat. But, a treat indeed! Baked less than the stated time in the recipe.

  • French lemon-poppy cake

    • PatriciaScarpin on January 29, 2013

      I've made this cake following the recipe to a T and it turned out amazing. Then, I made it with passion fruit juice instead of lemon and oh, what a delicious version it turned out to be! Tender beyond words.

    • snoozermoose on December 14, 2021

      This was not good. Following the instructions to a T and actually pulling it out a little early, it ended up overbaked and dry inside (a recurring theme for this book is that the baking times are way off!). It was a shame because this was more work than traditional lemon poppy seed cake, and it was a gift for a friend.

  • Cornmeal-lime cookies

    • eselque on September 09, 2012

      Following the recipe, the amount of glaze is huge. Next time I'll halve the recipe.

    • Melanie on April 05, 2014

      These were great - cakey textured biscuits with a hit of lime. I made smaller biscuits (regular sized) and ended up with about 30. They were ready after 10-15 minutes in the oven.

    • annapanna on February 17, 2013

      Lovely cookies. I agree, the glaze is too much, I used little over half of it. The baking time indicated was way too long, our cookies were done after 17 minutes. I don't think they were much smaller than what the author suggested, so I would suggest to start checking on them early.

    • stockholm28 on February 01, 2019

      I found these cookies interesting (in a good way). They have a very different texture (a little like a crumbly scone). The lime glaze is a must.

  • Roasted pear and cranberry crostata

    • Nancy402 on December 21, 2019

      Delicious and festive. Beautiful presentation. Not difficult, although there are a few elements. Made the pastry in food processor, rather than the mixer, and it turned out very well.

    • Frogcake on December 25, 2019

      Like others have commented, this is a really pretty crostata. So easy to make and so delicious!

    • laraeichhorn on February 12, 2019

      Used rhubarb in place of cranberries. Didn’t quite roll the dough out enough, but it was delicious. Best pie crust I’ve ever had and I’m not a big fan of pie crust.

  • Classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

    • annapanna on April 07, 2013

      This was good. The frosting was a bit too liquid, so it was difficult to spread nicely. Next time I will make it the night before to make sure it's cold when I use it. I left out the raisins as my kids don't like them. The cake tasted really good straight out of the fridge.

    • julesamomof2 on October 13, 2024

      This is a great, classic recipe for carrot cake and very delicious. My cakes were done at 60 min, not the 80 min specified in the recipe. I did not read the recipe all the way through and realized too late the frosting needs 2-3 hours in the fridge so I pulled it out after 1 hour and it was fine. Otherwise very straightforward instructions and easy to make.

    • anya_sf on April 22, 2018

      I made cupcakes, 15 smaller ones (using 70 g batter each), thinking the liners were quite full, but they didn't rise much at all, so 12 would have worked fine. They baked in 25 min, much less than the stated 50 min. The cakes had a fairly tight crumb for carrot cake and were super moist, almost too soft. The frosting was our favorite part - tangy from the cream cheese and not overly sweet.

    • skvalentine on March 12, 2023

      THE BEST carrot cake I've ever made. We substitute pecans for the walnuts because we live in the south.

    • ShayLRoss on April 05, 2026

      I was so happy with how this turned out for my first layered cake with frosting! It was a hit at the family dinner, I definitely would like to make it again.

    • lisari on April 19, 2025

      I mangled the bejeezus out of this thing trying to slice it in half because I'm a five year old who can't wait for a cake to cool but there was enough frosting to hide the evidence very well. Done at 60 minutes. Absolutely delicious, best carrot cake ever.

  • Bittersweet chocolate truffle tart

    • lisibit on December 19, 2012

      A sophisticated chocolate tart (almost a confection) that's best enjoyed in small slices. The pate sucree is wonderful! Photo: http://flic.kr/p/9VaKqg

  • Chunky Lola cookies

    • stockholm28 on October 15, 2018

      I love chocolate and coconut, so I knew I’d like these. I used slightly less chocolate than she called for (200g, 2 lindt 70% chocolate bars) and I thought that was plenty. I also made smaller cookies (medium sizes oxo cookie scoop) and they were done in 16 minutes.

    • mamacrumbcake on October 01, 2017

      This recipe has promise. But the problem is that by the time the middle is cooked enough, the entire cookie is quite brown. Also, it spreads and flattens more than I would like, despite several hours of chilling. After making several trays, I noticed the best results came from baking until the cookies were a medium brown color--definitely past golden. Cookies that were removed from the oven earlier ended up greasy and underdone once they had cooled. I made the cookies the size indicated. They were done in about 15-16 minutes. I could put six on each sheet. Next time I would increase the salt and the toasted pecans.

    • anya_sf on August 27, 2017

      I made 1/2 recipe, yielding 12 slightly smaller cookies. They were still pretty big, so I had to bake them on 2 sheet pans. They were done in 13-15 minutes. Not sure if larger ones would take the stated 20-22 minutes - I would check much sooner. I weighed the ingredients and found the coconut weight to be slightly off, although it did match the stated weight on the package - maybe you're supposed to really pack the coconut down? I did go by weight, but with a recipe like this, I think the amount you use is flexible. I used bittersweet chocolate chips, rather than chopping chocolate, which worked fine. I loved these cookies! Texture was soft and chewy. Bittersweet chocolate nicely balanced the sweetness of the coconut. Toasted pecan flavor really came through, so definitely take the time to toast the nuts. As recommended, I chilled the batter for a few hours before baking - not sure how much difference that made.

    • pie4u on November 01, 2022

      Love the combination of ingredients and the resulting slightly caramelized taste. My husband said he like the combination of crispy edges and chewy centers. I didn't use a 1/4 cup scoop so my cookies were a little smaller. Set timer to 10 mins then rotated the sheets baked for an additional ~5-8 min. I didn't have an issue with them spreading too much. I used a thick cut oats, a mix of bittersweet wafers and chips (it is what I had) and a bit more chopped toasted pecans. Will definitely make again. Another winner from this book.

    • dbuhler on August 04, 2023

      Unfortunately with me, these spread a lot so they were not very soft and chewy but more thin and crispy. I do love at high altitude so I will need to make some adjustments next time. I did really like the flavor, but these are so similar in ingredients to many of the "Cowboy Cookie" recipes that I have that I may try some of them before I tweak this one.

  • Snickerdoodles

    • julesamomof2 on December 05, 2018

      Our favorite recipe for our favorite Christmas cookie. I left the dough in the fridge for 3 days because I got busy, but they turned out perfect.

    • bching on February 07, 2024

      Recipe online here https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/snickerdoodles.html

    • senzler on June 08, 2022

      Best snickerdoodle recipe. But must be large cookies as I got 3 and 1/2 dozen

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      Best snickerdoodles I have ever made.

    • stef on November 17, 2017

      Nice cookie. Got about 50. Added half a teaspoon of nutmeg and a quarter cloves to roll cookies in

    • mamacrumbcake on September 23, 2017

      Nice snickerdoodle recipe. Though I used a rounded tablespoon for each cookie, I got a lot more cookies (5-6 dozen) than the recipe stated. My cookies were done in 11 minutes.

    • Frogcake on June 16, 2016

      This is my go-to snickerdoodle recipe, taste-tested today by forty hungry teenagers with raving reviews. Very important to chill the dough as with any cookie recipe. Left over cinnamon sugar can be used for cinnamon toast with no complaints in our household.

  • Holiday sugar cookies

    • Zosia on December 12, 2016

      My go-to sugar cookie recipe that never fails me. The dough is very easy to work with, the cookies retain their shape during baking and the flavour is outstanding. I don't make the icing but use vanilla paste to add a little interest to them instead. I also roll the dough to 1/8" thickness and bake 8-9 minutes for a crisp cookie. Yield with this thickness, depending on the cookie cutters I use, is 6-8 dozen.

    • Frogcake on December 26, 2016

      Like others, this is my go-to sugar cookie recipe. I found the dough to be perfect to manage for cookie cutters. Note to self: December 2016 made sugar cookie "notes" with black royal icing for N's violin coach. Yield five dozen quarter inch cookies. We happily consumed all of the rejects (not many).

    • Mlr5 on April 07, 2021

      This is the one. I will look no further. Holiday cut out cookies are this from now on! (I doubled the recipe and did not have any problems)

    • Twysbeek on December 17, 2020

      Perhaps this recipe does not double well, made a double batch yesterday and chilled overnight. Rolls out beautifully, but after cutting about 2 cookies it is absolutely too soft and impossible to work with. Wound up rolling the dough out and chilling in freezer for 15 minutes each time prior to using cutters. Likely will not revisit this recipe.

    • dbuhler on February 05, 2024

      To note, I am baking a couple of holiday cut out cookie recipes to see which one I like the best, so these were tested without any icing or toppings...and I really liked the flavor. I made a half batch exactly as written. The first sheet that went into the oven spread quite significantly and I also overbaked them which resulted in a crispier cookie that I wanted. The second sheet of cookies I stored in the fridge after they were cut for about 15 minutes before putting them in the oven and I cooked them for less time and ended up with a better texture. I am at high altitude and I plan to tweak this recipe a bit more if it is the taste test winner. I am also looking forward to making her lemon cookie variation from Pastry Love which uses the same recipe as this with added lemon zest and a lemon glaze.

  • Lemon-raspberry cake with lemon buttercream

    • Zosia on August 20, 2017

      One of the best lemon cakes I've ever had/made. Lemon zest, lemon syrup and lemon curd ensure that there's true lemon flavour in every bite. The berries weren't necessary but they added a wonderful freshness to the cake. I'm not normally as generous with the frosting between cake layers as this recipe wanted me to be so I reduced the recipe by one third which left more than enough for some simple piping. I added lemon curd to all of the buttercream (rather than just the portion allotted to the filling). It was a little soft and difficult to work with so I'll reconsider that move the next time I make the cake.

    • LouiseQuasiChef on July 25, 2018

      I had trouble with this cake. Next time I will watch the egg whites more closely and perhaps reduce the speed of the mixer. The egg whites whipped up FIRM while I wasn't looking -- before the 2 minute mark, so I could only just lightly whisk in the sugar. I baked in a 9x12" pan. I took a shortcut and skipped the curd, adding lemon oil to the (plain!) buttercream and layering with raspberries after lemon sugar glaze. The buttercream is unusual for me in that it uses whole eggs and yolks rather than whites. There is a HUGE amount of butter in the buttercream and I think it tastes like well, butter.

  • Country bread

    • Zosia on August 07, 2020

      This was, at minimum, a two-day bread but there was quite a bit of leeway regarding the inactive time and could easily be stretched to 3 or more days. I appreciated the author's descriptors and added a few tbsp extra flour as a result to reach the required dough consistency. It proofed in less than 2 hours each time and the bake time was 30 minutes (internal temp 206F). The bread had good flavour and a nice chewy crumb.

    • anya_sf on July 11, 2022

      I did not add extra flour as the dough seemed to match the description (a little loose and somewhat sticky), but it became more slack during proofing and the loaves spread outwards quite a bit rather than upwards. After baking 30 min, the crust was quite dark and the bread was definitely done. I might decrease the oven temperature a little next time. Still, the bread was very tasty, with a hearty crust and pleasant chew.

  • Basic brioche

    • LittleLemon on September 03, 2022

      *I used a Bosch Universal mixer* This is a beautiful dough! I had no issues while making it. The recipe is very well written. It came together at almost the precise times she describes. At first it looked as though it would never come together. But close to the end of the mixing time this dough suddenly transforms! Mine took around 25 minutes total. NOTE: If using this recipe to make the Sticky Sticky Buns recipe, please note that there is an error in that recipe. The Sticky Buns recipe should be corrected to use only ONE HALF of this brioche recipe.

    • MmeFleiss on March 02, 2016

      Fussy, but very good.

    • tarae1204 on January 21, 2021

      This recipe has your mixer running for almost 45 minutes. At the start, the dough was so thick that it caused my kitchen aid pro to make a burning smell. The brioche is lovely but a little yeasty smelling.

  • Sugar and spice brioche buns

    • tarae1204 on January 21, 2021

      Lovely treat. I agree with Anya_sf to check baking progress at 25-27 min. Brioche dough is ready at 190 degrees internal temperature. At 33 min, mine were overdone past 200 internally. Still, my kids are devouring them. I found the brioche dough very salty and would’ve liked to add more of a textured sugar (some raw?), and stronger spices. Why not cardamom? You could really have fun and even make a few with different spice blends.

    • tarae1204 on January 21, 2021

      Another note: you form a 10x5” rectangle and slice it into 50 squares with a bench cutter. Using a bench cutter spread my rectangle about an inch each direction. Better if my rectangle had been smaller. I distributed the extra small pieces to the buns.

    • anya_sf on May 31, 2018

      I had 1/2 batch brioche dough leftover from sticky buns which I had frozen, then thawed overnight in the fridge. These buns were easy to assemble, although I didn't know exactly how to arrange the dough pieces in the muffins cups, so they probably looked kind of funny. I chilled the buns overnight and proofed and baked them the next morning. Watch the baking time - after about 27 minutes, the buns were already a tad overdone. The brioche was tasty and light. The sugar was very lightly spiced; I'd increase the spices next time.

  • Pain aux raisins

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      I used 1/4 recipe of brioche dough to yield 6 pastries (there are 3 of us in the house). I baked 3 right away and froze 3 to bake later. Pains aux raisins are possibly my favorite French pastry, and these are delicious, although my favorite version is made with croissant dough.

    • Carpecookie on April 09, 2016

      Good version of this classic. The brioche dough is easy to handle when chilled. The pastry cream has a nice flavour and the finished product is as good as any French patisserie.

  • Brioche au chocolat

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      I made a big batch of brioche dough and divided it up to try all the brioche pastries in the book. For this recipe, I used 1/4 of the dough to yield 6 pastries. They were good, but awfully rich. I baked some right away, then froze the rest to bake later, which worked fine. They are a bit tricky to fill and cut, since the pastry cream oozes out. I thought they'd make a huge mess while baking, but they actually held together OK. I recommend them for chocolate croissant lovers. They were not my personal favorite though.

    • kaityblueeyes on January 07, 2023

      Yum! These are so delicious! I think I rolled them out a little too thin but it actually worked nicely as the filling to brioche ratio was spot on. Enjoyed with a cup of cafe au lait. Used leftover brioche dough (Ina’s recipe) that I had frozen. The rose wasn’t tremendous but got the job done.

  • Sticky sticky buns

    • LittleLemon on November 01, 2022

      Second time making these. This time I used golden syrup instead of honey in the Goo. It took an already amazing recipe to another level! My family said over and over that this version is the best they have ever had. Highly recommend using golden syrup rather than honey!

    • LittleLemon on September 03, 2022

      UPDATE: I just saw that there is a RECIPE CORRECTION for this recipe! Using 1/2 the brioche dough should fix all the issues I describe in my following original notes: Despite my baking mistakes, these are the BEST sticky buns my family has ever had! (*I did not add nuts*) The brioche dough came together beautifully, exactly as written. I proofed the dough in the fridge overnight. MISTAKES I MADE: they were getting quite brown, so I took them out of the oven earlier than recommended. The middle buns puffed up out of the pan during baking. I discovered too late that most of the middle buns were underbaked. The goo also seeped over during baking and left a mess in my oven. NEXT TIME: (UPDATE: USE ONLY 1/2 OF THE BRIOCHE DOUGH RECIPE! That should fix everything!) Use a glass baking pan to double-check for doneness on the bottom. Bake till golden brown, then cover with heavy foil if necessary and continue baking for full time. Use a baking tray underneath to catch any potential drips.

    • PriyaPath on March 27, 2026

      The best sticky buns ever!

    • anya_sf on April 28, 2018

      I had a bit of trouble mixing the brioche dough because my dough hook didn't reach down far enough, so I had to stop and redistribute the dough quite often. Then I realized I also should have used a higher speed sooner. In the end, the dough finally came together, but got quite warm from all that mixing and threatened to leak butter, plus never seemed completely smooth. Nevertheless, the dough ended up working fine for this recipe. I thought there might be way more "goo" than necessary, and while you could reduce the amount, the full amount is wonderfully decadent. The rolls were soft and tender, the flavor fantastic. Totally worth the calories.

    • MmeFleiss on March 02, 2016

      I thought that this is probably the best recipe for sticky buns that I have made (although huge; I usually had to eat each one in two sittings). I ended up eating it everyday for almost a week because both my mom and sister decided they were going to go on a diet after the first day. I did not get tired of it.

    • Frogcake on December 26, 2016

      Hands down these are the best sticky buns we've ever tasted. Will be making these again for sure as my family is always asking for them! I roll the buns smaller for more portions but otherwise follow the recipe.

  • Croissants

    • tarae1204 on January 17, 2021

      End results were delicious despite issues! I proofed overnight in fridge, and they went from looking flaky and risen to deflated. I used Plugra butter. Butter seeped all over during bake, and I used a flat sheet. Rimmed better. I did not want underbaked croissants and baked full 40 minutes. I wouldn't say they were doughy but maybe they could have gone longer. I compared the AP flour recipe in Flour recipe to the spelt flour in Pastry Love -- very similar. Despite these concerning moments in the process, and despite the 36 hours from start to finish, the croissants were still delicious and I hope to make more. The recipe in Tartine (both original and 2019 revision) is very different! Worth trying next.

  • Vanilla cream-filled doughnuts

    • Smokeydoke on April 14, 2017

      Yum, these are donuts all grown-up. They are rich and dense and taste nothing like the sweet glazed that you buy at the local franchise. I injected them with a homemade dark-chocolate pastry cream and it was indulgent. It was not sweet, if you want the cloying sweetness to satisfy young sweettooths, I recommend filling them with store-bought icing. The dough is a bit tricky but after a few tries, I got them to rise. I think her proofing times are a bit off.

  • Mom's granola

    • snoozermoose on December 14, 2021

      This was a good, but not great granola recipe.

  • Milk chocolate-hazelnut cookies

    • anya_sf on November 08, 2023

      The cookies were quite large using the stated 1/4 cup (about 65 g) each. At first I thought they were too dark after 20 min of baking, but actually that was just right, as the cookies were plenty soft and chewy. Not usually a fan of milk chocolate, I found it too sweet here; a sprinkling of sea salt on top helped balance that. I would definitely make these again using a darker chocolate.

  • Ginger molasses cookies

    • snoozermoose on December 14, 2021

      Solid ginger cookie recipe. Like most of the recipes in this book, I haven't found it groundbreaking or exceptional but it's a good rendition of a classic.

  • Almond macaroons with bittersweet chocolate ganache

    • dbuhler on February 03, 2023

      I decided to substitute and equal weight of almond flour for the ground almonds, and I believe that is why my cookies didn't flatten like the photo in the book (or the recipe proportions were off). Despite their round shape, they were delicious!! Since the cookies were very round I decided to spread the ganache on the top like frosting instead of making them into sandwich cookies. I also weighed out my dough portions to get the suggested 40 cookies (about 32 grams per cookie). I liked the texture of these best when baked for 20 minutes...not much browning is needed (in my opinion). I can see this as a good base to use when playing around with different flavor combinations. I want to try adding some orange zest and orange oil next time!

    • Jviney on May 22, 2019

      These were a breeze to make and a big hit. I’m guessing I made mine smaller than she recommended, as I ended up with 28 sandwiches versus the expected 20, and my bake time was 16 minutes instead of the suggested 20-25.

    • anya_sf on January 25, 2024

      Like dbuhler, I used almond flour and weighed out the dough to get the suggested number of cookies. I also flattened the dough prior to baking and am glad I did, as the cookies did not spread at all. Mine took 5 extra minutes to bake. They were absolutely delicious and larger than I'd expected, so one cookie was very satisfying.

  • Brown butter-crispy rice treats

    • Jviney on May 24, 2019

      The extra marshmallows make these soft and very creamy. Husband said he remembers Rice Krispie treats as being yummy but rough on the inside of your mouth. Not these.

    • anya_sf on February 28, 2020

      All that butter balanced the sweetness, making these much more palatable to me, although "barely sweet enough" for my son. The browned butter, vanilla, and salt added some background flavor notes, but weren't prominent; the flavor I got was butter (not a bad thing). Overall, I liked them much better than the usual Rice Krispie treats.

  • Rosemary shortbread

    • jennabailey54 on October 22, 2021

      These cookies are perfection. They are so addicting. perfectly buttery and the salt complements the rosemary perfectly

    • tarae1204 on February 01, 2021

      Gosh there are a lot of recipes for rosemary shortbread out there, often with something else added in...these are just rosemary and they are perfect as is. Nice amount of salt. Instructions are clear until the end where you’re instructed to slice the rolled dough however you like and bake 17-20 min. I used 1.5” cutters and baked 15-16 minutes on convection and they were perfect. Addictive.

  • Lemon lust bars

    • shelley_rm0fy0 on February 15, 2026

      This was a fantastic recipe. Lots of lemons, shortbread crust was delicious. Kids and adults alike loved them.

    • kaityblueeyes on July 21, 2022

      These are soooo good and hold up well for a couple of days. Super lemony, tart and not too sweet. The shortbread crust is delicious. Made these for a weekend in the mountains and everyone loved them.

    • Kinhawaii on January 20, 2019

      My favorite lemon bar recipe. Uses lots of lemons but has a nice thick lemon curd- worth the extra effort.

  • Yellow birthday cake with fluffy chocolate ganache frosting

    • mamacrumbcake on March 03, 2019

      I was disappointed with this cake. It was kind of bland, and lacking a buttery flavor I expect from yellow cake. I think Increasing vanilla and salt might help. The frosting is very nice. It is whips up beautifully and is fluffy—definitely a kid friendly frosting and one that does not overwhelm yellow cake.

    • Littlebirdchoc on June 10, 2020

      Everyone loved this cake! I started checking at 40 minutes and it took the full 50 with my oven. I needed to use 2 9” cake pan because we don’t have 8”. Now I need to learn to frost better.

    • skvalentine on March 12, 2023

      A solid birthday cake.

  • Red velvet cake with creamy vanilla frosting

    • KatieK1 on July 23, 2022

      1/3 cup red food coloring in the cake batter. Really? Excuse me, but that's disgusting (and also toxic).

  • Boozy rum cake

    • Baxter850 on July 27, 2024

      Very good but a lot of work. Cooked over 3 days. With the right dinner theme, the work is worth it. For the rum lover.

  • Vegan low-fat chocolate cake

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      Easy recipe, surprisingly good flavor for a low-fat, vegan cake. Similar in texture to "wacky" chocolate cake. I worried that the 6" pan would be too small, but it worked. The cake rose a lot in the center and cracked a bit, but we didn't care that it didn't look perfect.

  • Chocolate cupcakes with crispy magic frosting

    • skvalentine on March 12, 2023

      These were pretty good, but the real highlight was the Crispy Magic Frosting! That recipe is for sure a keeper.

  • Deep, dark, spicy gingerbread with coffee glaze

    • anya_sf on December 28, 2023

      I made 1/2 recipe in an 8"x8" pan; the cake was possibly a bit overdone after 40 min baking time, as it was slightly dry. Too late I realized I had blackstrap molasses, but the recipe doesn't say not to use it, so I did. The day after baking, the flavor was definitely dark and spicy, best with whipped cream.

  • Southern pecan pie

    • kaityblueeyes on November 24, 2023

      An absolutely amazing pecan pie!

  • Rich chocolate cream pie

    • nina_4fe470 on December 15, 2025

      A great recipe that is a crowd pleaser. I typically increase the salt in the custard, but otherwise make without adjustments.

  • Toasted coconut cream pie with lime whipped cream

    • senzler on June 08, 2022

      Lime whip cream good but other coconut cream pies better

    • Xyz123 on February 20, 2022

      This was good but not my favorite. I didn’t care for the texture of the powdered sugar in the whipped cream.

  • Super-pumpkiny pumpkin pie

    • anya_sf on January 26, 2021

      The pie filling was superb - my new favorite. It was flavorful, smooth, creamy yet perfectly set. There was about 2/3 cup more filling than would fit in my 9" metal pie pan, so next time I'll use a slightly larger one. The crust was flaky and tasted good, BUT the blind baking instructions resulted in lots of leaked butter and shrinkage - after 5 minutes my oven started to smoke and I realized I needed to put the pie on a sheet pan to catch drips. Plus the pastry got overly dark, not just on the edges (and I used a pie shield), but the bottom as well.

  • Ooey, gooey caramel-nut tart

    • Jojobuch on February 10, 2019

      Definitely an accurate description - it makes a nice gooey tart whose slices hold up well. I followed the recipe as in the book but would have preferred it without the fruit (cranberry and orange zest)

  • Milky Way tart

    • Frogcake on June 03, 2016

      Wow! This is a very decadent tart! Even the chocolate bar lovers in my family savoured a smaller wedge than I expected. In my view this tart easily satisfies twelve no worries. It very easy to make and very worthwhile!

  • Smoked salmon, herbed cream cheese, and red onion quiche

    • Lepa on June 11, 2018

      This was the first time I made quiche with homemade crust. I have always been wary of doing it but felt like taking on a project. Unfortunately, this wasn't worth all the work I put into it. The crust was burnt on the edges and not particularly good. I am confident this was because of my own lack of experience and not the recipe. The filling was okay but overly rich and, ultimately, disappointing. I think I will stick to frittatas for now!

    • stef on October 04, 2018

      Made this for a potluck. Was liked by everyone.

  • Butterscotch pudding

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      Lacked butterscotch flavor. Would not make again.

  • Berry bread pudding

    • anya_sf on August 19, 2018

      Since I wasn't serving 12 to 15 people, I reduced the recipe to 4 cups of bread (using 2 eggs + 1 yolk). I used a mixture of milks and cream so it wasn't quite so rich. I also reduced the sugar by a third, since we were having it for breakfast. The sweetness was just right. I used more berries - enough to cover the top. Frozen berries worked fine. It was delicious!

  • Lemon sherbet and Prosecco sorbet with strawberries

    • anya_sf on February 11, 2019

      I only made the lemon sherbet, which was very easy to prepare. I used Meyer lemons, so I reduced the sugar by 25 g. The sherbet was mouth-puckeringly refreshing. It would be great with sweet, ripe strawberries.

  • Hazelnut-vanilla ice milk

    • anya_sf on August 18, 2019

      I used vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean. The ice milk was difficult to make in my ice cream maker as the edges solidified before the center of the base had frozen and the paddle froze in place. I had to pry the edges free with a knife to finish the freezing process. The ice milk ended up as icy chunks, but a few hours in the freezer helped, so it scooped okay. The taste was fantastic and the lightness of the base really helped the nutty flavor come through. Next time I might add a bit of vodka to depress the freezing point. We enjoyed this paired with chocolate gelato.

  • Caramelized apple-raisin charlottes with vanilla caramel sauce

    • anya_sf on October 31, 2021

      I used a lean brioche and ran low on slices (not sure why I thought 8 would be enough for 3 charlottes), so I had to cobble together bits, including crust, to line the sides. They didn't look pretty, but still worked fine. The brioche didn't actually shrink much when baked. If I were making these for a dinner party, I'd use richer brioche. The apple filling only took 30 min to cook down - not sure if I should have cooked it longer. There was a little extra. The charlottes were delicious and not overly sweet, so the caramel sauce was nice with them, although creme anglaise would have been great as well (or both to be fancy).

  • Brown sugar popovers

    • anya_sf on February 16, 2020

      These made a nice weekend breakfast, although they do take a good hour and a half from start to finish. In my muffin pan, I got 10 popovers. The brown sugar didn't stick well, so I found myself dipping bits of popover in the sugar for a little added sweetness. As Joanne says, they are best eaten within 1-2 hours of baking.

  • Double-corn corn bread with fresh thyme

    • Hiker010 on January 11, 2026

      Made Sept 2019 Moist, but didn't like taste as much as Moosewood carrot cornbread (buttery? creme fraiche?)

    • snoozermoose on December 15, 2021

      Not my favorite cornbread. I made the mistake of leaving out the corn because I didn't have any on hand, and the cornbread really needed it. It was not sweet enough for me and surprisingly bland.

  • Buttermilk biscuits with parsley and sage

    • stef on May 06, 2018

      These came out nice and layered. I rolled the dough and folded it 3 times. Omitted the parsley and sage

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Reviews about this book

  • Dorie Greenspan by Dorie Greenspan

    ...her sweets are down-to-earth, many grown-up versions of the sugary sweets of our childhood dreams. Pop Tarts, anyone? Clearly written and beautifully photographed, Flour is a baker’s treat.

    Full review

  • NPR by T. Susan Chang

    It's hard to believe that Flour is Chang's first book, because the level of mastery, precision and experience in it make it feel like the work of someone who's been showing new bakers the light...

    Full review

  • Fine Cooking

    ...this is unfussy baking at its very best, and a must-have for novice and expert bakers alike.

    Full review

Reviews about Recipes in this Book

  • Oatmeal-maple scones

    • Lisa Is Cooking

      They had great texture from the oats and nuts and the chewy raisins, and they were filled with maple flavor. I liked the crispy edges on these scones...And, I liked how easy that made them to make.

      Full review

  • French lemon-poppy cake

    • Not So Humble Pie

      The cake is indeed wonderfully textured. Delicate and not very sweet, nicely contrasted with a sweet, tangy lemon glaze.

      Full review

  • Buttermilk biscuits with parsley and sage

    • Lisa Is Cooking

      Like every recipe I’ve tried from this book, it works beautifully. My only disappointment with these biscuits is that each time I've baked them, I only kept a couple of them at home.

      Full review

  • Holiday sugar cookies

    • Arctic Garden Studio

      I took the opportunity to make some snow cloud cookies. This weekend seemed like the perfect time.

      Full review

  • Granola bars

    • Lisa Is Cooking

      Overall, they're a little more tender than other granola bars I've tried, and they taste more like an indulgent treat than a healthy snack.

      Full review

  • Heart-healthy dried fruit scones

    • Lisa Is Cooking

      The mix of fruit was delightful with the cranberries’ tartness and the ginger’s zing. The crumb of the scone was lighter, less dense, and a little like a cross between a scone and a muffin.

      Full review

  • Lemon-raspberry cake with lemon buttercream

    • Lisa Is Cooking

      The cake met my requirements perfectly for lemony-ness and berry flavor....I’m not sure I can top this, so I might have to bake the same cake again next year.

      Full review
  • ISBN 10 1452100179
  • ISBN 13 9781452100173
  • Published Mar 25 2011
  • Format eBook
  • Page Count 320
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Chronicle Books
  • Imprint Chronicle Books (CA)

Publishers Text

Every day 1,500 Bostonians can't resist buying sweet, simple treats such as Homemade Pop-Tarts, from an alumna of Harvard with a degree in economics. From Brioche au Chocolat and Lemon Raspberry Cake to perfect croissants, Flour Bakery-owner Joanne Chang's repertoire of baked goods is deep and satisfying. While at Harvard she discovered that nothing made her happier than baking cookies – leading her on a path that eventually resulted in a sticky bun triumph over Bobby Flay on the Food Network's Throwdown. Almost 150 Flour recipes such as Milky Way Tart and Dried Fruit Focaccia are included, plus Joanne's essential baking tips, making this mouthwatering collection an accessible, instant classic cookbook for the home baker.

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