Not to be conceited but my baking skills are beyond basic. That being said, I am far (far) from being a professional baker and am always ready to learn something new and try something new. When I saw Rose’s Baking Basics on the new book display with a beautiful meringue-topped pie on the cover, I tucked it away in my book bag along with 3 other new cookbooks.

Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of 12 cookbooks, blogger, award-winning food writer and baker, is also known as the “Diva of Desserts”. She is a 3-time winner of a James Beard Award, had her own TV series on PBS and has a line of cookware. This is all super impressive but as many readers know, just because an author/book wins an award doesn’t mean the book will be a winner with us!

At first her name wasn’t familiar to me but as I did a little research for this review I recognized the covers for “Rose’s Christmas Cookies” (c1990) and “Rose’s Pie & Pastry Bible” (c1998). So I actually revisiting recipes by Rose Levy Beranbaum and it was a triumphant return.

With all the sweets popping up lately, first over Christmas and New Year’s and now with Valentine’s Day on the horizon,  I was ready to make something less sugary. The first recipe I tried from Rose’s Baking Basics was the Butter Biscuits. I’ve made biscuits before of course and they were okay-to-good but nothing to write home about, if I’m honest. This changed on the weekend when I tried Rose’s recipe.

In “Baking Basics” there are detailed, step-by-step instructions along with lots of photos of the process as well as the finished product. As I looked at the list of ingredients for the biscuits I was puzzled by the first on the list: 3 large eggs, hard cooked, yolks only. Hardboiled egg yolks? In biscuits? I read the recipe again. These are biscuits, right? Yes. Then I took the time to read the intro to the recipe:

“These biscuits are exceptionally soft, tender and velvety. The secret ingredient is from James Beard, with whom I studied fifty years ago: hard cooked egg yolk.”

Who am I to argue with James Beard and Rose Levy Beranbaum? I followed the recipe, cutting the amounts by 50% to make just a half batch. The dough came together with hardly any kneading at all. I cut out my biscuits and popped them in the oven. Fifteen minutes later I had fresh, warm biscuits that looked exactly like the photo in the book. My husband could hardly wait for them to cool. They were fantastic! The first one I tried with some butter but really they are absolutely delicious on their own. This is a recipe to keep forever.

I also made the Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumprint cookies. They were easy to make and pretty tasty. I must say though that I have used the same peanut butter cookie recipe for my entire life and although Beranbaum’s recipe is a good one, I think next time I’ll use my cookie recipe but steal her idea re: the jammy thumbprint.

This gorgeous cookbook is a wonderful addition to the WPL collection and would also be a great addition to a personal collection, whether you’re a newbie to baking or a seasoned baker.

— Sandi H.

Butter Biscuits

3 large eggs, hard cooked, yolks only
1 ½ c. all purpose flour
¾ c cake & pastry self raising flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¼ c white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3/4 c heavy (whipping) cream

Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

Press egg yolks through mesh strainer (I used a tea strainer) into small bowl. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine flours, powder, salt and sugar. With a pastry blender, work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cream until the flour is moistened and coming together in a ball.

Empty dough onto a lightly floured counter or baking board. Knead a couple of times until it feels smooth and not sticky.

Pat until 3/4” thickness. Using cutters (I just use a glass tumbler), cut into medium-sized circles. Place on baking sheet and put in oven.

Increase heat to 400F. Bake for 5 minutes then lower the temperature back to 375F. Bake for 10 more minutes or until golden.

Remove from oven. Transfer to cooling rack. Serve plain, or with butter or jam. They are best served warm from the oven or eaten within a day or so of baking.

NOTE: this is a condensed version of the instructions. If you would like more details and information on freezing the biscuits, or info on baking with soft sides vs crisp sides, borrow Rose’s Baking Basics from the library.