Comfort Baking by Stephanie Wise: Cookbook Review

Happy Foodie Friday y’all! It’s time for another cookbook review. Comfort Baking is the first cookbook from successful food blogger Stephanie Wise. With an anticipated release date of October 18, 2022, Comfort Baking is a collection of over 100 recipes that are designed to help bring comfort to you and those you share your baking with.

I want to thank Herald Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Comfort Baking. All opinions presented here are solely mine.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Baking has become more than a hobby or a means to a delicious end. Now more than ever, it has also become a source of solace, relief, and relaxation. Comfort Baking focuses on easy-to-follow recipes that make people feel good from the inside out. For anyone who is looking for a moment in the kitchen as a time to create, worship, relax, or prepare a recipe for a friend in need, this is your guidebook.

In addition to over 100 recipes that exude comfort from beginning to end, baker Stephanie Wise of Girl vs. Dough includes plenty of helpful tips along the way to make the process as simple and enjoyable as possible. Whether you’re preparing a quiche or whipping up a late-night batch of cookies, the recipes in this book are guaranteed to bring you and the people you share your creations with comfort.

My Opinions

As someone who loves baking when stressed or even depressed, Comfort Baking by Stephanie Wise is a godsend! The book contains tips for success before you even start baking; there are more with each recipe. Each recipe also includes stunning images to help you along the way. The book is broken down into eight chapters, with the first including baking basics-useful tips and tools, an ingredient breakdown, etc. Then it is broken down into seven chapters chockful of delicious recipes.

Quick Breads and Muffins

A great first chapter; this one is sure to help set you up for success! Recipes in this chapter include Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread, Bakery Style Double Chocolate Muffins, Spiced Apple Cider Donut Muffins, and Cheesy Jalapeno Bread. From these, I made the Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread! So delicious and perfect with a cup of tea in the middle of the day. My husband enjoyed a slice warmed up and smeared with butter as part of his breakfast.

Breakfast and Brunch

This chapter has not only sweet but also savory bakes. Recipes in this chapter include Chocolate Sheet-Pan Pancake, Salted Caramel Apple Scones, Christmas Morning Egg Casserole, Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake, and Chai-Spiced Monkey Bread. From these recipes, I made the Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake. While delicious, I did have a couple of issues with this recipe, and I made half the required streusel topping and found it to be too much still. The other problem I had with the recipe may have been more my fault, as the center of the coffee cake was still gooey (and almost raw) while the outside was perfect! Next time I’ll have to make sure I’m using the right-sized pan.

Cookies and Bars

The epitome of comfort foods, this chapter has some fantastic recipes to try! Some of those include Iced Maple Oatmeal Cookies, London Fog Slice and Bake Cookies, Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies, Strawberry Pretzel Cheesecake Bars, and Frosted Cookie Butter Brownies. Oh, how I wish I had the time to make all of these recipes! I made the Iced Maple Oatmeal Cookies and may never make another oatmeal cookie again! Containing both maple extract and maple syrup, these cookies may sound overly maple flavored, but they aren’t. It’s a perfect balance of maple and oatmeal.

Cakes of All Kinds

How can you not have a chapter about cakes in a book called Comfort Baking? Recipes included in this chapter are Strawberry Cornmeal Cake, Flourless Chocolate Brownie Cake, and Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake. I made the Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake as dessert for Thanksgiving, and it was a huge success! The leftovers were then eaten as breakfast for the following few days. I think allowing it to sit that little bit allowed the flavors to meld together all the more!

Pies and Tarts

I am the first to admit I love eating pie, but I am seriously intimidated by the prospect of making one! The recipes in this chapter include Choose-Your-Own Fruit Crisp, Dark Chocolate Cobbler, Dutch Apple Slab Pie, and Iced Cherry Pie Bars. The Iced Cherry Pie Bars are divine! Super easy to make, these bars will be a hit every time you make them.

Bread

Another baked good that intimidates me is bread, yeast bread. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because I’ve never really worked with yeast, nor do I have the kitchen space to try making homemade bread. But there are a couple of recipes I wish to try making in the future: the Sour Cream and Onion Drop Biscuits and the Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits.

Meals to Bring to Family and Friends

A chapter chockful of savory meals! Recipes included in this chapter include Ultimate Baked Mac and Cheese, Mom’s Shepherd’s Pie, Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie, and New Fashioned Tater Tot Hotdish. These recipes would be perfect for taking to a friend with a new baby or someone under the weather.

Conclusions

If you enjoy baking or are new to baking, this is a great cookbook to add to your collection! There are helpful tips with every recipe, including what to do with leftovers and freezing steps if you want to prepare the recipe ahead of time. Each recipe also includes a short story explaining how she came up with the recipe. For me, Comfort Baking will be added to my cookbook collection and used quite often!

Are you looking for more food-related content? Check out my other Foodie Fridays posts.